The HRO as CDO?

Many HCM professionals are headed to HR Tech this week. I would urge them to also consider going to the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics event even if they are not big sports fans. For a decade, that event has cataloged dramatic improvements in talent scouting, performance measurement, compensation analytics, injury diagnostics. It is HCM in a world of elite employees – the best athletes in the NFL, MLB, NBA, European soccer and other sports.

Of course, even mainstream HCM has had an amazing digital run over the last decade – social recruiting, video interviewing, performance measurement, work/life apps which leverage wearable tech and on and on. The annual HR Executive Cool Tools analysis shows every aspect of the function is seeing innovation.

In many ways HCM had led the rest of the enterprise in process innovation. So here’s a puzzle: Many enterprises are creating a Chief Digital Officer title. How come more HROs are not being considered for that role? The inside track for that role is usually for executives with IT and marketing backgrounds.

Part of the challenge is HR folks live in their own bubble, whereas the CDO has to have a much broader worldview. I heard an annoyed HR analyst moan at the recent Workday Rising event how boring it was to listen to Financial and Student Administration sessions. How many HR professionals would seriously consider going to the MIT event I mention?

Still, it is a question I hope to pose in the upcoming Digital Transformation of HCM panel at Oracle OpenWorld on October 29. Mike Fauscette of IDC, Mark Smith of Ventana, Holger Mueller of Constellation and Chris Leone of Oracle will banter on a wide range of digital opportunities.

And I am sure we will touch on the other digital topics in the annual Workday Predict and Prepare vidoecast on December 8. Bill Kutik, Naomi Bloom, Brian Sommer, Ray Wang and I are participating.

I look forward to more discussion on the HRO role as enterprises accelerate their digital journeys