As recently as two years ago, all new HRO trends came from the U.S. But fast-forward to November 2006, that will forever mark the date when the big HR transformation trends started on the east side of the Atlantic. Here are the four trends that made headlines from this year’s HRO World Europe Conference.

The numbers don’t lie: Organizations with highly effective globalization strategies also report greater revenue growth and shareholder value.

New Jersey is home to HRO Today’s editor and seemingly endless number of toll booths. If state politicians in the Garden State could muster the same courage that HRO buyers have exhibited, New Jerseyans could carry less change around.

Despite the hype, the number of deals remains small.

Even as employers face greater globalization of their businesses, the relocation market is meeting their needs with more robust solutions and a greater geographic reach. While cost reduction is a major driving force behind outsourcing, don’t underestimate the importance of service quality.

You think you’ve got recruitment problems? Try filling 23 million jobs. Look for RPO and KPO to help address some of these shortages.

One mid-market provider offers up his observations about the needs of the mid-market buyers, whose ranks is experiencing explosive growth this year. With a different set of needs and expectations than enterprise practitioners, mid-market buyers are increasingly embracing HRO.

No longer the threat that it once was, the “O” word is much more easily brought up in polite conversations.

Under pressure to cut expenses, government agencies will have to operate more efficiently. Facing myriad challenges such as an aging workforce, limited ability to invest in technology, and bureaucratic resistance to internal transformation, these organizations will have to come up with solutions to their long-term needs. Can outsourcing serve as the savior of government HR?

Demonstrating the value of HRO on the business through an integrated platform. Cost-containment efforts are more effective when fewer systems are cobbled together.