From my perspective this week’s OnRec show in Chicago was surprisingly good at many levels.

Attendance: The show was well attended by HR and Staffing pros at all levels, and from all size companies.

Content: I may have been lucky in my session choices, but the topics, speakers, and panels were engaging, on point, and timely for today’s market challenges and opportunities.

Energy: There was an incredible buzz throughout the entire show. There are clearly some exciting things happening in our market – right now – literally… An incredible dialogue continued here that started throughout the year via the Recruiting Roadshow by the likes of John Sumser and Don Ramer – (disclosure: my CEO) about the dramatic and rapid shifts in our global population, convergence and access to technology, and the demographics of the global workforce that create an incredible opportunity for Companies, Leaders, and recruiters that seize it, and incredible challenges for those that “sit this one out”.

Global and Personal Awareness: What seems to be market-wide understanding that “The world is now flat.” One human population – one market – more connected and interdependent than ever before. With this incredible shift in market and opportunity comes an even larger shit of responsibility to each of us – from personal brand to personal ethics and delivery on promises as vendors, recruiters, and leaders.

Innovation: The Innovations Happening in the Market Right Now Feel Even More Transformational Than Those I’ve Watched For The Last 20 Years. I watched our profession emerge on the third party agency side from mercenary search and placement to staffing, workforce augmentation, consulting, outsourcing/in-sourcing, and a respected industry. I was there to see Corporate Recruiting splinter from HR, becoming more strategic, driving measured value to the company, and becoming one of the leading environments for early adoption of new process and technology. I witnessed firsthand the emergence of the SaaS/OnDemand technology model as the industry standard – with HR and Staffing leading their peers in Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing and Operations. What is brewing right now –is bigger – much bigger – and consumes all the shifts that came before.

The show was a window on what is going on in our market right now. We have a lot to be excited about and a LOT to do.