The overall message from this year’s HR Technology Conferencewas one of optimism and growth…companies are looking to invest in the future oftheir talent and solution providers are responding by offering innovation anddeep functionality to help companies recruit, develop and retain topperformers. If 2009 was characterized by trepidation and fear, 2010 promises tobe a year of possibilities in both talent acquisition and talent management.

After two days of back-to-back briefings with some of today’sleading solution providers, we noticed several trends including employeeengagement, integration, and leveraging technology to align talent managementwith the overall business strategy. Not to mention…mergers and acquisitions (inevitableas companies look to expand their offerings and increase their outreach) and thenever-ending buzz about social media.

What can you expect from these provides for the remainder of2009? Here is a preview:

Previsor

• Front-Line Manager Product- It is clear from one look at Previsor’s Front Line Manager assessment solution why they won HR Technology Conference’s product of the year award.  This solution offers companies a way to assess their entire workforce (both hourly and salaried) using media-rich simulations and coaching scenarios.
• Industry Suite Solutions- With a high demand for assessments in certain industries such as retail and healthcare, Previsor will continue to tailor solutions to companies looking to find the right cultural fit within a given industry.

Salary.com

• Competencies- This year’s winner of the prestigious talent management shootout has been working hard to build up the competency layer of the application with deep functionality in areas such as performance and compensation. We applaud Salary.com for really understanding the need for a “total solution” which includes talent management software, competencies, behavioral questions, and industry job descriptions in an integrated system.
• Enterprise Growth- Salary.com continues to acquire a significant customer base at the enterprise level proving its ability to scale for large complex organizations.

Jobvite

• Jobvite Source- After a successful year, this talent acquisition system provider has announced a sourcing solution including advanced features with employee referrals, social recruiting, candidate search, and a new Facebook application.
• Matching Technology- Jobvite can now leverage the power of social media to  help customers match candidates not only within their individual networks but also on the open web.

Peopleclick

• Mobile- Peopleclick expands Suite functionality to mobile devices including the ability for HR professionals and managers to approve requisitions while they’re on the go, the capability to view reports and dashboards presented by the Peopleclick^® Business Intelligence Platform, and the means for candidates to manage interviewschedules via mobile device, email and text messaging.

iCIMS

• Onboarding and Growth- iCIMS is continuing to grow throughout its entire talent management suite with considerable growth in their onboarding customer base. Customers are looking for both the iForms functionality as well as the socialization through the new hire portal.

Kronos

• The Next Generation Workforce Management- This impressive new release to Kronos’ workforce management solutions includes a new user interface using Adobe Flex as well as mobile scheduling (taking various aspects of the system and making it available on mobile devices). Read Josh Bersin’s blog post for more details on this exciting new offering.
• Retail Labor Index- Kronos is providing more information on employment targeted at the retail market.

InfoHRM

• What-If Financial Modeling- InfoHRM is now expanding beyond scenario modeling for HR professionals and providing targeting business leaders.
• Talent Mobility- Talent mobility was one of the hottest topics discussed at this year’s conference and InfoHRM is helping companies address this challenge with new diversity and compliance initiatives.

Enwisen

• Global Expansion- With several new product releases this year, Enwisen plans to continue to extend its global reach and help companies around the globe with onboarding and HRServices.
• Offboarding- Enwisen plans to strengthen its position in the offboarding space by providing customers with more socialization as employees exit a company.

Jobs2Web

• Key Partnerships- Jobs2Web is continuing to make waves by providing companies an innovative way to attract, interact, capture and measure talent acquisition. Customer can expect more partnerships with social networks and more interactivity to make job posting easier
• Advanced Metrics-The solution provider is also providing more reporting capabilities with significant advances in pre and post hire metrics.

Bond

• US Launch- After a strong year in the global market, Bond announced the launch of its Bond Talent software in the US market with key features that include candidate career portals, onboarding, VMS, and customizable reports.  

SilkRoad

• Core HRMS (HeartBeat)- As more companies express an interest in a “system of record”, SilkRoad is responding with the launch of their HRMS- HeartBeat with differentiators that include cloud computing and targeted job functions. 

SuccessFactors

• Business Execution-  SuccessFactors is repositioning  its talent management software as a way to build strong alignment between business leaders and the workforce.
• Recruiting Management Release-The latest release of SuccessFactors’ recruiting management solution proves that they are now a force to be reckoned with in the talent acquisition space. Not only do they provide a comprehensive set of core features and advanced features but have acquired several large customers including Siemens.

Globoforce

• Consulting- Globoforce’s message resonates with what we are hearing in the market…employee engagement matters. They are launching a consulting arm of their recognition program to provide best practices and help customers plan for success.
• Metrics-Globoforce is offering new dashboards to measure recognition and tie recognition to performance.

MrTed

• China- The Asia/Pacific market continues to become a hot spot for talent acquisition and MrTed’s latest deal will be its largest deployment of TalentLink to over 30,000 recruitersand 85 million candidates.
• Cloud 9 Release- MrTed announced the latest release of their MrTed TalentLink solution based on cloud computing technology to provide more interactivity and configurability.

Cytiva

• Performance Management- With the latest release of SonicPerform, Cytiva is experiencing an uptick in performance management as customers look for both integration and deep functionality.
• User Interface- Cytiva is working on redoing the user interface for SonicRecruit with a fresher, more open user experience.

HireRight

• Integration- HireRight Connect offers multiple modes of integration including API’s, gadgets and web services with the goal to make the applicant experience more transparent through their “Applicant Center.”
• Training Solutions- This background checking provider is now offering training solutions to help customers deal with critical areas such as compliance.

ADP

• Growth- ADP is seeing the highest areas of growth in full service outsourcing and talent management.
• Workforce Now- ADP is offering a new platform and approach to their talent management solution including a strategic partnership with Cornerstone On Demand.

SHL

• New Versions- SHL is announcing new versions of their OPQ personality questionnaire (shorter completion time and more predictive qualities) as well as a new technology platform focusing on the candidate experience.
• Post-Hire Assessments- With a well-established brand in the pre-hire assessment market in over 22countries, SHL is focusing heavily on post-hire solutions.

Sonar6

• New Business Model- If you haven’t had a chance to check out this up and coming performance management solution provider, you are missing out. They offer one of the leading user experiences for performance reviews and engagement in the market. Their new business model promises a heavy focus on product development and potential partnerships. 

Kenexa

• Unified Candidate Record- With a suite of both products and services, Kenexa has big plans to deliver better products at faster rates.
• New Brand- Kenexa is gaining attention with new efforts in both sales and marketing including an improved sales methodology and its “I x E” brand (Individual X Environment). ).   In fact, Kenexa’s new integrated talent management strategy may be one of the most complete on the market  (more to come on this topic).

Workscape

• New Release to Benefits-The latest release of Workscape’s Benefits solutions offers a new user interface using Adobe Flex and more configurability.
• Greater Focus on Compensation and Performance- We identified compensation and performance as the most popular combination of talent management modules and Workscape is offering deep functionality in both with a commitment to making this alignment a more continuous process.

Over the past year, customers have been able to call theshots with their HR technology options…and the solution providers are steppingup to the plate. There is no denying the fact that today’s leading solutionproviders are listening to customers and making significant changes toproducts, services and messaging. 2010 is shaping up to be the most innovativeand dynamic year in the world of HR technology to date.