Mark Feffer

The HCM technology landscape is changing rapidly to accommodate businesses with fewer and fewer employees. Although an increasing number of providers have been heading in that direction for several years, the industry is approaching the first of several tipping points that will result in tech solutions designed for companies of all sizes.

As brands increase their focus on creating great customer experiences and teasing insights out of analytics to do so, a new role is rising in the marketing world: the chief marketing technologist. The development was inevitable. As technology takes an increasingly critical role in the delivery of effective campaigns, organizations have begun to recognize the need for a person who can work in both worlds.

The same advances that power our latest apps or analytics packages are putting HR professionals in a better position than ever to lead the discussion—and the selection—of the technology they use to do their jobs.

Award-winning article on giving candidates with criminal backgrounds a chance to be included in the selection process, carefully assessing the nature of their crimes and the time since conviction, and balancing overall risks against potential rewards.

Whether you’re looking for executives who can engineer a turnaround or smart new graduates who can help build bench strength, enticing potential employees has little to do with the industry at all. Instead, it requires focusing on the individual’s needs and matching those needs with the often-unique opportunities a struggling organization can present.

Sometimes we forget that data science is (a) a relatively new discipline and (b) a science. While scores of blogs and books are dedicated to helping data scientists achieve success, they often focus on the importance of “clear communication” and “understanding the business,” all while neglecting some of the basic precepts that make data scientists valuable in the first place.

Observers agree we’re in the midst of an evolution, not a revolution. But there’s also little doubt that as the use of algorithmic tools spreads, the recruiter’s role will change.

Recruiters report that more companies are putting an emphasis on temporary workers as they build teams to tackle technical projects more quickly and cheaply. At the same time, they say, younger professionals are expressing a preference for independent work, rather than tying their careers to a series of full-time jobs.

It takes a conscious effort to build and maintain a workplace where everyone feels like a star.

Technology and analytics are combining to turn workforce planning into a more dynamic practice. Together, they’re allowing HR and business managers to explore the impact of proposed scenarios in real time, while offering more clarity into a workforce’s subtleties and providing the tools HR needs to develop a greater voice in overarching financial and business discussions.