16 Top HR Influencers You Should Be Following

In order for HR directors to cope with contemporary challenges, they need current information. Since HR spans multiple disciplines, it can be a full-time job keeping up. We’ve rounded up the best minds in the industry so you don’t have to.

16 HR Influencers You Should Be Following

1. Anthony Vaughan

Twitter @E1B210  LinkedIn

Founder of E1B2 Collective, host E1B2 Collective podcast, business, marketing and employer branding strategist, Head of People for multiple high growth startups

Anthony Vaughan is a radical HR hybrid who has been shaking up the world of work! With his start 12+ years ago as a founder of multiple 6-7 figure brands, Anthony quickly realized and understood the impact and importance of putting employees first. Vaughan is a true pioneer, innovator and someone who is taking big swings when it comes to making employee experience a true staple of every organization he touches!

2. Ward Christman

Twitter @HRTechAdvisor  LinkedIn

Chief Advisor at HR Tech Advisor, Co-Founder @HRTechAlliances

Christman has over 20 years experience advising e-recruiting vendors. But you don’t need to be a software provider to benefit from his guidance. Check out his LinkedIn page where he lists 15 areas of business expertise. Any startup or established company can profit from his knowledge.

3. Sharlyn Lauby

Twitter @sharlyn_lauby  LinkedIn

Author, Speaker, Blogger, HR Consultant
Founder of HR Bartender, President of ITM Group Inc.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) named HR Bartender one of the top 5 HR blogs. Lauby posts several times a week, writing about topics that span the HR world and beyond. She’s also the president of ITM Group Inc., a training and human resources consulting firm. She has written books on recruiting, effective meetings, leadership training, and employee engagement.

4. Jon Ingham

Twitter @joningham LinkedIn

Author, Keynote Speaker, People and Organization Development Strategist

Jon Ingham is a global thought leader on values-based HCM and HR technology. Millions of people visit his blog, Strategic HCM, every week. His 2006 book ‘Strategic Human Capital Management: Creating Value through People’ has never been more relevant and should be required reading for any HR director.

5. Trish McFarlane

Twitter @TrishMcFarlane  LinkedIn

Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker
CEO and Analyst for H3 HR Advisors, CEO/Co-Founder of HRevolutionize, LLP
Author of HR Ringleader Blog

Trish McFarlane has worked in public relations, public accounting, IT, and healthcare. You can catch Trish on her podcast which she co-hosts with Steve Boese (featured below). You can also follow her on Twitter where she has 43K+ followers. She advises on social media, leadership, change management, training, and performance management. If you work for a large firm that’s growing quickly, it’s worth your while to tap her knowledge.

6. Steve Boese

Twitter @SteveBoese  LinkedIn

Blogger, Podcaster, Tech Columnist
Co-Chair of Human Resource Executive’s HR Technology Conference

Steve Boese’s HR Happy Hour Show, has been the most downloaded HR podcast since it was launched in 2009. He’s is also Human Resource Executive’s inside tech columnist. If your HR position requires a lot of IT acumen, Steve is a great resource.

7. Jim Knight

Twitter @KnightSpeaker  LinkedIn

Keynote Speaker, Author, Risk-Taker

Jim Knight’s ‘Culture That Rocks: How to Revolutionize Your Company’s Culture,’ is a bible for HR directors tasked with strengthening their company culture. Since the 90’s, he has been a trendsetter on training, development, and team building. He is active on Twitter where he cranks the fun factor up to eleven.

8. Suzanne Lucas

Twitter @RealEvilHRLady  LinkedIn

Blogger, Speaker, Twitter Personality
Creator of EvilHRLady

Suzanne Lucas’ EvilHRLady is legendary in the HR blogosphere for her unique insight and biting wit. Do a quick search on her blog on any HR topic. Chances are, you’ll find several articles in her extensive library of posts. Or join her 27K+ Twitter followers and see what all the buzz is about.

9. Jacob Morgan

Twitter @jacobm  LinkedIn

Author, Keynote Speaker, Futurist
Co-founder of The Future of Work Community

As a self-described ‘futurist,’ Jacob Morgan is the co-founder of The Future of Work Community. If your company wants to radically transform the employee experience, listen to Jacob’s weekly podcast. He talks to corporate leaders whose organizations are disrupting the workplace. Only have five minutes? Subscribe to his YouTube series ‘The Future in 5’ for a quick shot of inspiration.

10. Laurie McCabe

Twitter @lauriemccabe  LinkedIn

IT Analyst, Blogger
Co-Founder and Partner at SMB Group

Are you the owner or HR director of an SMB? More interested in the practical than the theoretical? Laurie McCabe delivers pragmatic advice you can act on right now. She’s the Co-Founder of SMB Group, where she helps business owners unlock value from technology. McCabe was recognized as a 2018 Fit Small Business top influencer. For the past ten years, her blog has contained a goldmine of IT and general business management wisdom.

11. William Tincup

Twitter @williamtincup LinkedIn

Writer, Speaker, Advisor, Consultant, Investor, Storyteller & Teacher
President of Recruiting Daily

William may be one of the most prolific podcasters in the industry, with over 1000 podcasts to his credit. If you are an entrepreneur, there is no one better to follow. His experience extends well beyond the world of HR.

12. Bill Treasurer

Twitter @btreasurer   LinkedIn

Speaker, Author, Consultant
CEO of Giant Leap Consulting

Bill Treasurer has written multiple bestsellers about courage and leadership. He has also advised NASA, CNN, the Centers for Disease Control, and the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. If you feel like you’ve hit a career plateau, Bill’s your man.

13. Josh Bersin

Twitter @Josh_Bersin  LinkedIn

Research Analyst, Public Speaker, Author
Founder of Bersin by Deloitte

Bersin by Deloitte conducts global research in human resources and HR technology. Bersin writes about global trends in leadership and talent management technology. If you are concerned about employee experience at your organization, check out Bersin’s The Employee Experience Platform: A New Category Arrives. Last month, he launched The Josh Bersin Academy, billed as the the first global development academy for HR and talent professionals.

14. John Sumser

Twitter @JohnSumser  LinkedIn

Author, Adviser
Principal Analyst for HRExaminer

Before you invest in HR software, consult John Sumser’s online magazine, the HR Examiner. It’s the premier authority on HCM technology. No one has a more impressive history in the field. Consider this: Sumser had a PC in 1981 and an email account in 1982. In the 90’s, he documented the first online job boards—when the internet itself was a novelty. If you are trying to tame your processes so you can take a high-level strategic view, you couldn’t have a better guide.

15. Katrina Collier

Twitter @KatrinaMCollier LinkedIn

Candidate Engagement Author, Keynote Speaker
Founder of DisruptHR London, Bristol, Cambridge, York & Glasgow and The Searchologist

If you are struggling to differentiate your recruitment marketing from your competitors, you need Collier’s best-selling The Robot-Proof Recruiter. It is one of the best books on improving the candidate experience and thereby boosting response rates.

16. Meghan Biro

Twitter @MeghanMBiro LinkedIn

Speaker, Author, Podcaster, Talent Management Leader
Founder and CEO of TalentCulture Consulting Group

Meghan Biro launched the blog TalentCulture in 2008. At TalentCulture, you can find articles and podcasts about recruiting, social business, workplace culture, career strategy, leadership, and HR tech. Meghan draws on her experience advising Microsoft, Google, and IBM and other global giants.

Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels