Publications

Journal Article

In an era of transformative cognitive technologies like AI and machine learning, it’s become obvious that people, practices, and systems must become nimbler too. And because organizational change tends to be driven by those who most acutely feel the pain, it’s often line managers who are the strongest champions for “talent tech”: innovations in how firms hire people, staff projects, evaluate performance, and develop talent.

While the jury is still out on the ultimate impact of many of the talent tech experiments we have witnessed, the authors can extract five core lessons from those firms that seem to be positioning themselves most effectively to reap their benefits: First, talent tech adoption must be driven by business leaders, not the C-suite or corporate functions. Second, HR must be a partner and enabler - but not the owner. Third, fast-iteration methodologies are a prerequisite, because talent tech has to be tailored to specific business needs and company context and culture. Fourth, working with new technologies in new and nimbler ways creates the need for additional innovation in talent practices. And finally, the job of leaders shifts from mandating change to fostering a culture of learning and growth.