I write this month’s article on a plane heading to London for the HRO Today Services and Technology Association EMEA board meeting. As usual, I people watch when I travel; I’m always curious to see how people interact, respond to situations, and behave. Maybe it’s the HR person in me, or maybe I’m just curious. It’s interesting to watch the “middle-seat” people approach their aisle and anxiously look to see who they are stuck with on either side as they maneuver to settle in for the long trip.
It is difficult to believe that we are already halfway through 2017. Every year, it seems like times moves faster and faster, giving us the feeling that we have less time to finish all of things we want to accomplish. So, I thought this was a good time to reflect on some of our accomplishments this year. Our monthly committee meetings have done a nice job of providing a project list for us to work on, keeping us on track, and ensuring that we continue to enhance and strengthen our association.
This year we launched a content calendar to provide a monthly focus or theme for the white papers, articles, and case studies that our members submit. We have also continued our monthly Thought Leadership Councils (TLCs) with discussions about talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations and services, and outsourcing. Now in their third year, it is nice to see continued interest and growth in attendance for the TLCs as well as the on-demand library that our members are using for training, new employee orientation, and best-practice sharing. We also launched a new spin on this concept with “TLC Talks.” These are five-to-10-minute videos and webinars that provide a quick look into a best practice, new idea, or technology.
We are holding our sixth Baker’s Dozen focus group (for screening) in August. This opportunity provides our members with a voice in our customer survey process and continues to be a member favorite. We have launched our second annual global metrics survey, including some relocation and pre-employment screening questions. Stay tuned: We will reveal the results in September.
We continue to review and improve our association website, and our monthly member newsletter has received a new look and is a great resource for learning about of all of our current and upcoming activities.
One of our newest initiatives, the Talent Acquisition Leader Executive Network Team (TALENT), is off to a good start. This is HRO Today’s way of helping companies and talent acquisition leaders be more successful in a collaborative executive network. This group will be dedicated to advancing the profession and industry with essential knowledge-based, data-driven thought leadership, collaboration, and transformation. This is your opportunity, as a talent acquisition executive, to engage with other leaders, share past successes and failures, and learn about standards and practices to reduce waste and improve customer service, candidate experience, and employer brand.
For more information on this group or the association, please contact me at Zachary.misko@sharedxpertise.com. We still have a lot to do in the remainder of 2017, and I am looking forward to working with our members as we continue to improve our member experience, create and strengthen the HR standards and practices, and advance the HR Industry.
If you are not already a member of the HRO Today Association, I urge you to become one and keep the conversation and learning active every month.
