I must confess, I often complain about useless online resources that spout nothing but myths and lies about recruitment and HR.
So, it may shock some of our regular readers to know that I'm actually an avid supporter of online learning... from the RIGHT sources, of course.
So this week, I've been scouring the internet and researching, investigating and subscribing to useful blogs to find the 10 most reputable sources of advice, information and news for hiring managers, HR reps, recruiters, bosses and those who are simply interested in business.
(Excluding our own blog of course, but hopefully you've already seen the value in that)!
1. Undercover Recruiter
Topics: HR, recruitment and staff retention
Link: https://theundercoverrecruiter.com
Must-Read Posts: 7 Common Misconceptions About Job Hunting Sophie Deering 10 Creative Instagram Job Ads to Seek Inspiration From Sophie Deering Should Recruitment Companies Use Agencies for Social Media Marketing? Jörgen Sundberg
The Undercover Recruiter blog is a really popular tool for recruiters... (you'll probably find it mentioned in pretty much every other 'top recruitment blog' lists) and with good reason.
On a mission to 'inform, inspire and entertain recruiters, HR, jobseekers and anyone with an interest in the workplace,' the blog has become a hub of infographics, videos, slideshares, stories and articles, posted by various in-house writers, as well as, guest bloggers.
My favourite thing about the blog is... the unbiased, unsalesy insights offered by a wide variety of recruitment professionals (their GIFs are pretty great too)!
2. The Recruiting Times
Topics: HR and Recruitment
Link: https://recruitingtimes.org/blog-page/
Must-Read Posts: Myth-busting: It is difficult to sack an underperforming employee? Padma Tadi The 25 best companies to work for in the UK Editorial Team Living wage ‘could harm home care sector’ Newsdesk
This blog does exactly what it says on the tin, bringing you the most up-to-date news from the recruitment industry!
From interesting, niche stories (like our 3rd "must-read post" above) to weird and wonderful stories about Chinese companies that hire cheerleaders to motivate their male staff (crazy, I know) The Recruiting Times offer a compelling read for anyone who's interested in the job market, whether working in HR or not.
My favourite thing about the blog is... it's basically a one-stop-shop of information. Be careful though, a 'quick browse' could soon turn into hours of fact-finding!
3. UK Recruiter - Louise's Blog
Topics: HR and Recruitment
Link: https://ukrecruiter.co.uk/louisesblog/
Must-Read Posts: Job Hoppers - crap or cool? Louise Triance How to Make Your Job Advertisement Stand Out Wayne Fleming Grammar Tips for Recruiters Lisa Jones
The UK's longest-running recruitment blog, you'll find over 900 articles on this site, dating back to 1999, which means there's already a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.
My favourite thing about the blog is... Louise brings together the best posts from reputable sources across the Web, for a much easier perusal - she doesn't overwhelm you with masses of content.
4. HR Review
Topics: HR
Link: https://www.hrreview.co.uk/
Must-Read Posts: Top 15 Churchill quotes that could have been about HR Steff Humm Do You Have an Emergency Talent Pool? Amanda le Gros Five burning HR questions answered Helen Ives
If you're interested in the facts, then HR Review is the blog for you; it's absolutely full to the brim with evidence-based reports on any HR topic you could ever imagine.
And because posts are written by a wide variety of experienced in-house and influential guest bloggers, the tone, voice and pace of each is always just a little bit different.
My favourite thing about the blog is... the sheer volume of easily-accessible information! From the funnier posts about Churchill and social media to the dead-serious ones about diversity and employment law, it's easy to find what you're looking for.
5. HRZone
Topics: HR
Link: https://www.hrzone.com/community-voice/blogs
Must-Read Posts: How to create confidence in senior leaders Carolyn Nevitte Tips to Maintain a Productive Workforce Peter Davidson Top 10 Issues For HR Teams & How To Fix Them James Sheehan
If you're an HR professional and haven't yet signed up to HRZone, then the time is now!
Boasting 89,000 members, 83,000 unique visits a month (their members are VERY active!) they must be doing something right... check it out for yourself.
My favourite thing about the blog is... aside from the easy navigation missing from so many blog sites, it's great to see posts relevant to current affairs in the industry (without simply regurgitating the news).
6. Snark Attack - Matt Charney
Topics: Recruitment and Marketing (and beyond...)
Link: https://mattcharney.com/
Must-Read Posts: 40 Recruiting Buzzword Definitions, Zero Bullshit Job Boards Aren’t Dead, Just Different Recruiting Wasn’t Broken Until You Came Along
Matt Charney (recruiter and marketer extraordinaire) is a bit of a legend...
If you're a fan of unapologetic snark, sarcasm and satire - and of course, you're also interested in recruitment and/or marketing - then this blog is for you.
My favourite thing about the blog is... Matt's undeniable ability to bring somewhat 'boring' topics to life! I love the snark.
7. RecruitingBlogs.com
Topics: HR and Recruitment
Link: https://www.recruitingblogs.com/
Must-Read Posts: Getting with the times, Giving Old-School Interview Questions a Modern Twist. Tara de Jonge Good Leaders Let Their Teams Make Mistakes Ryan Mead 5 Ways to Improve HR Efficiency Dan Orso
You can't really give Matt Charney a mention without also highlighting his extensive network of recruitment sites, called 'RecruitingDaily.'
Offering tons of content, from news, webinars, podcasts, videos, eBooks, white papers, events and more... RecruitingBlogs.com is just a small part of the hugely successful HR community.
My favourite thing about the blog is... boasting over 100,000 members, it's certainly a very competitive community, so to stand out all of the content is very high quality and often quirky too!
8. Workology
Topics: 'The science of work'
Link: https://www.workology.com/category/insights/
Must-Read Posts: What a Candidate Pipeline Has to do With Flossing and Dental Hygiene The Hunt for the Pink Unicorn Starts With Your Employment Brand I've Fallen Out Of Love With Twitter
Jessica Miller-Merrell, HR professional, recruiter and social media expert, created 'Workology' after her success with Blogging4Jobs (also worth a look).
She describes it as a 'research based blog focused on the art and science of work' and although her posts are fairly irregular, you'll find some really interesting information, already there for the taking.
My favourite thing about this blog is... as you can probably tell from the examples I've included above, the posts are quirky, fun and very readable.
9. LinkedIn Talent Blog
Topics: HR and Recruitment
Link: https://talent.linkedin.com/blog/
Must-Read Posts: 10 Hot Job Titles That Barely Existed 5 Years Ago Sohan Murthy 9 Things Recruiters Are Sick of Hearing Lydia Abbot What Profile Photo Works Best on LinkedIn: A Real-Life Experiment Jason Seiden
I hardly need to explain the nuances of LinkedIn to you... (although I will say that if you're not using LinkedIn to recruit staff, then you're barmy and you should definitely read this article).
But have you ever checked our their 'Talent Blog'?
It's absolutely filled with advise about recruitment from top influencers to those just breaking into the industry; it's certainly worth a gander.
My favourite thing about this blog is... with over 350 million members, there's a never-ending stream of knowledge at your fingertips and each post comes from a different perspective!
10. Business Insider - Strategy
Topics: Business Development and Strategy
Link: https://uk.businessinsider.com/strategy
Must-Read Posts: The one thing bosses can do to keep great employees from leaving Brian de Haaff 10 ways to improve your emotional intelligence and become a better leader Gordon Tredgold 18 of the most creative résumés we've ever seen Rachel Sugar & Melissa Stanger
Last but certainly not least!
Business Insider is not strictly an HR or recruitment blog, but it's "Strategy" section often offers insightful articles about employee engagement, staff retention and management.
The knowledge and lessons-learned are usually pinched from super-successful companies, like Google and The Virgin Empire, so you know it's great advice and it's super-compelling!
If you want variety, then Business Insider is perfect (and incredibly browsable)!
My favourite thing about this blog is... the fact that the lessons are drawn from the true stories of super-successful businesses, CEOs and entrepreneurs but are still easily adaptable and relevant to SMEs.
Summary.
Research and learning is so important to the success of a business.
I'm more than happy to admit that I don't (yet!) know everything there is to know about HR and recruitment; that's why I train with CIPD and am signed up to a variety of blogs, magazines, newsletters etc.
What's more, things change every day so it's absolutely vital to keep up to date with the latest developments... especially ever-changing areas like social media and employment law.
Are you taking advantage of the resources out there?
Recruiter Pro Tip. It's perfectly OK to 'pinch' ideas from super-successful companies (of course, there is a moral line that shouldn't be crossed, when "learning from others" becomes, "ripping them off..." but you'll know). Dubious that blogs are even relevant for HR and recruitment professionals? You're wrong! Why do you think super-successful businesses are so successful in the first place? Chances are, it has a whole lot to do with the team they hired (with amazing job adverts and illuminating interview questions) AND how they then keep those staff members engaged.
If you haven't already, don't forget to sign up to this blog - we really are passionate about spreading the word on everything recruitment, HR and engagement related.
Happy learning!
