Just a few years ago I was completing a post graduate Human Resources Management program. Even with our noses in books, and a deeply focused analysis of HR trends, none of us could see the scale of changes that would be coming our way in such a short period.

Our program focused on ‘traditional’ HR techniques – ranking, measuring, documenting – and how to use these techniques to support organizational goals and strategy.While the focus of HR remains consistent, these methods are undergoing rapid transformation – and what will define outstanding HR professionals going forward, is our ability to capitalize on these changes to support our teams.

Many of the administrative tasks associated with HR are now outsourced, or automated. As a result, businesses are demanding new expertise from their HR staff. To add value, modern HR professionals are now becoming more strategic and proactive, and have to be experts on all social and technical trends that can improve their teams. “HR is dead. Long live HR,” — one way of saying “the old HR”, which emphasizes expertise in transactions and documentation, is dying. Experts project “some of HR will go away. Some of HR should go away.”

What will rise in its place? As with any revolution, it involves a fundamental shift in power. In this case; a shift from top down demands, to bottom up engagement. Performance management, is and will, become a tool for the masses; a tool for individual employees to take control of their own careers, and their own success. Only with this type of progressive and autonomous strategy, will modern organizations be able to retain the top talent they need to excel.

So far in my career I’ve been lucky enough to speak with thousands of managers and HR professionals – many in some of the top technical and creative companies in the world. The overwhelming trend I see, that is so much more obvious to me now than it was years ago, is that to stay competitive in this changing world of performance management, progressive HR professionals must be as agile as those they are hired to support. The ability to find creative, forward thinking approaches to supporting employees – and understanding that supporting individuals – supports the business, will be the sought after traits of HR professional that will thrive in this new world.