Accenture’s just-announced seven-year, $1 billion HRO contract with Unilever sets new standards for scope and scale. In an HRO Today exclusive, we meet the HR transformation leader behind the initiative and his secrets to HRO success in 100 countries simultaneously.

We’ve spent all this effort differentiating HRO from FAO, and now they are starting to converge. With the announcement of the FAO World Conference scheduled for October 31, we’re now realizing the importance of the CFO and FAO in the HRO market.

Avoid surprises with a thorough governance program. Working closely with providers to remain flexible can help keep minimize unplanned costs.

Where HRO has been challenged, FAO is blossoming. As one market becomes established—suffering the usual maladies of a maturing segment—the other sees potential for significant growth.

A column in which HRO Today’s grumpy-yet-optimistic publisher takes one more swipe at the HR profession and the difference between its ambition and its reality. Because this is the era of extreme accountability, HR better get on the CRO bandwagon.

The biggest dilemma for senior HR professionals: executive compensation. Balancing a line between pleasing the CEO and protecting the shareholders’ interest requires tact and the ability to navigate the land mines.

As consultant, accountant, and guardian angel, sourcing advisors play an integral role in structuring the right outsourcing deal for HRO buyers. With the provider landscape growing increasingly complex, advisors are becoming more important than ever.

Best results are assured when neither side is under pressure to restructure the deal.

For a truly rewarding HRO engagement, know your goals, be realistic in expectations, and adjust to changes.

All signs point to strong growth ahead for outsourced HR services in the segment, from more contracts to increased vendor attention to public declarations by industry pundits that the mid-market has arrived. The problem is, we’ve seen this act before, so has anything changed?