2005 In Review: 10. HCI

It was a heady year with investment returning to the marketplace and actual IPOs being launched. Honest new products and approaches arrived and took center stage. The realities of the age wave we've been discussing for a decade began to take actionable shape. 2005 was a pivotal year, an inflection point in a history that seems to be unlike anything we've expected.

At the same time, the plaguing difficulties faced by the large corporation segment continued to accelerate. Flattened business landscapes are challenging the hierarchical structure and the very definitions of national boundaries. The internet is turning out to be a phenomenal accelerator of local growth in spite of the continued globalization claims. Globalization, it turns out, means accelerating development in places that want and need it,

One of the most surprising stories of out top 10 list is the incredible momentum and success of the Human Capital Institute.

To say we didn't expect the outcome is to understate the low chance of success we forecast. An outgrowth of the AIRS operation, the initial goals and objectives of the operation seemed over reaching and vendor biased. For a short while, we sat on one of the many advisory boards and watched one vendor dictate the content. They were paying the bill and had every right. We simply let our involvement dwindle. We assumed that the game would catch up with itself and that the world would soon be rid of the Human Capital Institute.

If it isn't clear, our perceptions were off and we really missed this one. The Human Capital Institute is becoming a driving force in our industry. Their seminars are well attended. They've produced a well oiled academic - industry network. The HCI communities of interest provide a reasonably well rounded approach to many of the key issues facing the industry. Although the HCI Blogosphere is a wee bit of a failure, that doesn't change the fact that Alan Schweyer (the working leader of the process and chief ambassador) has assembled a meaningful operation that is having real impact.

Schweyer, a veteran of hr.com seems to have learned his lessons. HCI picks up where the various other organizations (HR.com, blr.com, the conference board, those quiet subscription places, IHRIM) leave off. A tightly coupled intersection with academic curriculum development is the real secret. HCI's posture as a non-profit makes it attractive as an academic partner. The credibility that we found lacking initially is forged in the organization's partnerships with reputable colleges.

Our hats are off to the folks at HCI. In something like 18 months, they have created a platform that is capable of changing the industry.

• Exclusive Search Technology
  
• Unparalleled Reach
  
• Recruitment Expertise
  
• Precision Hirepower

  Post Local Jobs Today on Yahoo HotJobs.