6 must-read blogs for human resource professionals

For large and small businesses alike, human resources play an essential role in developing a company’s strategy and handling most employee-related activities.

HR professionals need to stay up to date on industry policies, technological and digital changes, marketing strategies, and employee management skills.

Below are six must-read HR blogs that professionals in the industry can follow for information, resources, and support.

1. HR Bartender by Sharlyn Lauby

Lauby is a human resources consultant and the president of ITM Group, Inc., a training company that develops programs to retain and engage workplace talent. She created the HR Bartender blog so people would have a friendly place to discuss workplace issues.

The blog focuses on topics that relate to the workplace, not just human resources. Some of the most popular subjects deal with leadership development, employee engagement, and career advice. Lauby often answers reader questions about everything from what happens during an employee investigation to providing job references during interviews. 

Featured Post: Lauby interviews Paycom’s vice president of human resources about how technology is transforming HR in Everything #HR Needs to Know About Digital Transformation.

2. The HR Capitalist by Kris Dunn

Dunn is the chief human resources officer and partner at Kinetix, a recruitment process outsourcing firm for growth companies. His interests sit at the intersection of HR practice, technology, and business results, and he focuses on a variety of areas including recruiting and performance management.

Dunn started the HR Capitalist blog to build a community of HR professionals that he could learn from.

Featured Post: Dunn shares his thoughts about a research study on employees using headphones at work in.

3. Headphones at Work.Evil HR Lady by Suzanne Lucas

Lucas’ tagline is “demystifying your human resources department,” and that’s what she’s doing on this blog. She can be very funny and entertaining, but beneath the surface, she’s covering a wide range of HR questions and concerns. She discusses everything from how to celebrate birthdays at work to whether or not HR employees can have friends in the company, and from how to tell when employees are lying to issues such as benefits, compliance, and discrimination.

Featured Post: Lucas compiled true stories of job interview nightmares in 25 Hilarious (and Terrifying) Real-Life Job Interview Red Flags.

4. The Chief Happiness Officer Blog by Alexander Kjerulf

Kjerulf is the founder and chief happiness officer of Woohoo Inc., a consulting firm that advises on happiness in the workplace, and he is the author of Happy Hour is 9 to 5. His focus on happiness and the workplace takes a variety of approaches, whether it’s happiness in leadership, helping employees feel happy, measuring workplace happiness, or why it all matters.

Featured Post: Kjerulf shares suggestions for a fruitful time off work in Our 4 Best Tips for a Happy Vacation.

5.   The Namely Blog by a team of HR, payroll, and benefits experts

The Namely Blog is perfect for HR professionals who want a central source to keep up with breaking news in the HR world, specifically about payroll, compliance, and benefits. Several HR experts contribute to this blog with discussion and analysis of various trends and changes in the field. Most of the focus is on the American workplace, but there are occasional posts about global HR.

Featured Post: Jim Kohl, CPP, wrote a post explaining new payroll tax rules in New Law Modernizes IRS, Updates Payroll Rules. 

6. Laurie Ruettimann by Laurie Ruettimann

Ruettimann is an HR industry leader who consults with executives and HR executives around the country to solve HR problems. She’s more than willing to tackle tough topics and call out organizations that aren’t putting their best feet forward. (There’s also occasional profanity—forewarned is forearmed.) Her approach can be stern, but it can also be refreshing in the mode of truth-telling. She keeps her ear to the ground for new trends and crises and what they can mean to the HR profession overall.

Featured Post: Ruettimann defines and discusses radical listening and why it should be important to HR in Radical Listening & Bright Horizons. 

HR professionals who are looking for informative industry-related resources don’t have to look farther than the top blogs and websites mentioned above.

If you’re ready to take your HR education to the next level, learn more about Capella University’s master’s in human resource management program.