As the HRO World Turns
The drama. The intrigue. The palpable angst. Yes folks, it’s time for the annual pilgrimage to Manhattan for the sixth installation of HRO World. Hosted once again at the boxy, wood-paneled New York Hilton, providers, advisors, consultants, analysts and industry pundits (…and a few buyers) will gather round the campfire to fan the flames of HR outsourcing success.
No ghost stories allowed, I’m afraid, although undoubtedly questions will arise relating to the recently publicized HRO contract hits with buyers/providers such as Starbucks/Convergys, Wachovia/Hewitt and NiSource/IBM. Add to this list yesterday’s announcement that UBS has scrapped their global training and HRO contract. Unfortunately, the lack of marketing surrounding positive wins and successes may burn the edges of the usually delicious “HRO market momentum” s’mores.
So what should a good outsourcing camper do? The agenda does have a few notable sessions such as Naomi Bloom’s “Trust, But Verify”, but for once I would like to see buyers take the stage without their outsourcing provider and speak independently about their experiences. That type of untainted advice and guidance would be invaluable to an industry that largely continues to suffer from growing pains.
In the midst of it’s second four-year term, HRO World will need a strong showing to ensure that sponsors continue to vote with their wallets. Several individuals have asked me whether I believe this will be the last HRO World, and many regulars consistently scratch their heads wondering why they bother to attend at all. It’s actually quite simple - there is no other event in the industry that brings this entire community together. The majority of business is conducted around the fringes, with offline meetings, meals, relationships and resumes dominating a participant’s time and attention. Although this show will likely begin to morph out of necessity, I suspect we’ll find ourselves walking the expo floor for several years to come.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:57 am
It’s interesting that most of the vendors there are staffing, benefits admin, payroll, HR software firms. This is actually becoming the HR services event. My calendar completey maxed out for this two months’ ago… should be quite a schmooze.
April 13th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Thanks for the nice mention of my session. And since I always thought HRO stood for every type of HR outsourcing, and not just for comprehensive HRM BPO, which is truly the new kid on the block, I’m not unduly concerned that talk of big, broad, long-term deals will be in short supply. The comprehensive HRM BPO providers with whom I’m meeting are retooling as fast as they can to do these tough deals profitably and with much better customer outcomes, and at least some of them are on believable paths to do so. But — there’s always a but — there’ll be no cause for joy in Mudville, nor big name sponsors for all things HRO, unless 2008 and early 2009 bring back the excitement of the big score.
April 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
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