January 31, 2012 in Blog by Amanda Sheckman

What’s your Opinion on the O?

By Faye Holland

The “O” in HRO has always stood for Outsourcing. However, the issues facing HR Professionals and Change Agents no longer only focus on Outsourcing but how outsourcing (large or small “o” is fine – see blog: http://www.hrotodayforum.com/index.php/2012/01/time-to-change-the-meaning-of-an-o/) is used in conjunction with competitive business practices to build a stronger workforce both on a micro- (at the company) and macro-level (for the whole global/national economy).  As a media company at the top of this game, our priority is to provide knowledge to our audience on how to create and maintain a competitive advantage while doing more with less and better in productivity, innovation, and workforce effectiveness/satisfaction.

Even small and medium-sized companies find themselves using a multi-sectored workforce:  full-time, contingent, contract, and outsourced staff.  Big companies have used these strategies for years.  What lessons can they share with smaller companies?  What are the latest trends, technologies, and techniques every HR Officer needs to know to keep the company at the forefront?

This month we have been building the programmes for the HRO Today Forum in Washington (April 30-May 2) and Singapore (May 16-17) and working with the advisory committee on the programme for Dublin (November 13-15) and are keen to hear of better practices or new requirements as we keep content level leading-edge.

But before you all start panicking, I’m absolutely not saying the “O” of outsourcing doesn’t exist. As a company we are successful due to the fact that we have a strong editorial and content on that subject. But our tens of thousands of practitioner readers and forum attendees; and our providers, technology firms and advisors relationships demand that we stay ahead of the curve so this is the start of the move to building the “O” and your opinion matters!

So tell me what you think…. What are the latest trends, technologies, and techniques every HR Officer needs to know to keep the company at the forefront?