If there is one thing every HR professional is doing, it’s looking for advice on something in the space. Maybe it’s the next big trend, a specific concept, or the desire to lead their own team or company in a new direction. There is no limit to the amount of help and collective knowledge available to those in the HR space. It simply comes down to knowing where to look.
A good place to start would be the blog-o-sphere. If the term is unfamiliar, a simple definition would be the collected world of blogs posted by anyone with access to the internet. For the purposes of this article, the focus will be specifically on those blogging on topics related to human resources.
If you are someone who reads blogs on a regular basis, you know choosing one is a chore in itself. If you’re not a frequent blog reader, here are the Top 5 HR Blogs and why you should bookmark them now.
1. HR Bartender
While there are other writers on this blog, readers will primarily hear from Sharlyn Lauby. She’s an HR professional who has moved into the consultant space.
It has been said a bartender is just as good a therapist as a counselor. The HR Bartender rings true in this sense. It is designed to speak directly to the HR professional with real candor and practical advice. It’s for this reason it receives the number one spot on our Top 5 list. Some of the topics include office politics, recruitment, and culture.
Favorite Entry: Everything #HR Needs to Know About Machine Learning
2. Evil HR Lady
Suzanne Lucas is known as The Evil HR Lady.
Lucas is out to put a real face on the HR department and, in the process, clear up any confusion about what HR professionals do on a regular basis. Just take a look at her description:
“All HR people are evil, it's in our job description. Or at least, that seems to be the prevailing theory. In reality, there's just more going on behind the scenes than most people know. I'm here to demystify your Human Resources department and tell you just why you worked your tail end off all year and still got a 1.7 percent bonus.”
She discusses everything from payroll to discrimination and she does not pull punches in the process. Lucas has also been known to answer questions via email and allow those to serve as a blog post entry.
Favorite Entry: 4 ‘Deal-Breakers’ You Should Throw Out of Your Hiring Rubric
3. Fistful of Talent
This blog site was founded by Kris Dunn. In addition to entries authored by Dunn, entries are published from other contributors in the HR space such as Kelly Dingee, an HR professional focused on recruiting Temp and Executive Talent in the Hospitality Industry, and Tim Sackett, a writer with expertise in the HR and Talent Acquisition spaces. Blogs on this site focus on recruitment and talent and opinions of both. This blog also has a history of being casual and, often, funny for the reader.
Favorite Entry: 3 Questions You Should Ask Your Employees from Time to Time
4. Workology
Workology is focused on one concept within the HR space, and that’s recruiting. Entries discuss job searching, sourcing, tactics, and technology all within context of recruitment. And entries don’t simply graze these areas. Primary writer Jessica Miller-Merrell goes into great detail. Readers have come to expect nothing less when reading this blog. Other writers include Mike Haberman, co-founder of Omega HR Solutions, Inc., and Jazmine Wilkes, a self-described “proud millennial human resources leader”.
Favorite Entry: The Future of HR Technology Starts with Blockchain
5. Women of HR
As the title suggests, Women of HR is dedicated to developing and expressing the opinions of women in the HR space, particularly those in management roles. By their own definition, the blog site is a, “place that HR women can go to get information, discuss the issues that impact their lives, and find that sense of community and collaboration that we were all experiencing at that very moment.” There are several impressive writers including Jennifer Payne, the site’s editor, Joan Axelrod Siegelwax, the Executive Vice President of Love & Quiches Gourmet, and Kathleen Connolly, the head of HR for Jillian’s Circus.
Favorite Entry: 5 Reasons Why Women Make Effective Business Leaders
These five human resources-focused blog sites are often listed as some of the best in the business when it comes to this subject matter. That said, there are literally thousands of blogs that offer credible opinions and advice when it comes to topics with the HR space. Some of those are industry specific. Others are concept specific. The reality is regardless of what you, the HR professional, is looking for it can most easily be found by doing a Google search or asking a fellow HR professional.
What HR blogs do you find the most informative?