Countless small businesses and startups have benefited from the veritable explosion of Internet and communication technology. Smartphones, mobile apps and cloud computing have enabled companies to expand the markets in which they operate at tremendous speed.

But this technological growth is affected other facets of business operation as well. One area in particular that has evolved significantly in the past few years is HR. Emerging technologies, not to mention changes in the workforce itself, have resulted in an emerging type of HR services that are efficient and agile, especially when it comes to talent management.

Putting talent management in your hands
The traditional method of talent management takes a top-down approach to recruiting and hiring. HR professionals are typically the ones who compose job postings and field the inquiring applicants. But as the Society for Human Resource Management noted, this paradigm is beginning to shift.

Mobile apps and online social networks are decentralizing the process of recruiting, instead turning the process into a collaboration between employer, applicant and current employees. The source highlighted online retailer Zappos as an example – the company recently eliminated job postings altogether in favor of a social network called Zappos Insiders. The change is subtle, but emphasizes a focus on proactive community-building and good-fit hiring, rather than placing candidates in a reactive situation in which they’re merely sifting through online job postings.

The new data-driven HR
Another key takeaway of the technological revolution in the business world is that there is now more hard data available than ever before. In addition to increased accessibility, mobile apps and online platforms also provide companies with valuable analytics data that savvy executives can use to refine strategies where needed.

This data can provide essential information into what types of media is being consumed, and on which platform – employers can, for example, see how many people accessed a given job posting, and how many of those did so from a mobile phone versus a computer. Analytics is invaluable for assessing how your current recruiting strategy is faring in the changing HR landscape.

Small-business owners who are having a difficult time keeping up with the rapid advances in both technology and process can turn to PEO companies to assist with their HR solutions. These HR outsourcing firms can provide invaluable services without the cost of having to maintain an in-house HR department.