Thirteen years ago today (2/21/2007) the first Carnival of HR blog post was published. A blogging carnival (which in the pre-Instagram stories and TikTok days was quite the thing!) is a social media ‘gathering’ when a blog owner hosts and invites other bloggers to participate and contribute posts around a common theme – i.e., in this case, human resources.
The Carnival of HR was started in those nascent days by Suzanne Lucas (@RealEvilHRLady), who then handed over the reins to Alison Green (@AskAManager) in 2008. Beginning in 2009, Shauna Griffis (@HR_Minion) took over coordinating the bi-weekly Carnival which she did until 2016 when she passed on the Ringleader duties to me.
Sometimes, as I sit here in 2020, I wonder if blogging is gasping for the last bit of oxygen. Even as the voracious demand for ‘content’ continues, is old-school blogging still relevant? Are people reading online content or is it all about videos and Facebook Live and podcasts? Then I see Feedspot’s Top 100 HR Blogs, Websites and Influencers in 2020 (published 2 days ago) and realize there’s still a massive audience for well-written HR related content. (I’m also pleased to report that Carnival Ringleaders past-and-present – Suzanne, Allison and myself – are all on the list).
In 2017, to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the carnival, I wrote The Unofficial (and totally non-scientific) History of HR Blogging to document, as best we could, the evolution of HR blogging. When preparing for this 2020 anniversary I got to thinking about how the story telling and writing of people in our HR/Recruiting community broke ground, provided inspiration and busted through barriers.
Therefore, before we launch into the submissions from our community bloggers, I’m indulging myself by sharing posts that, in my estimation, were important milestones:
- Everything from her first super-secret BlogSpot site/Punk Rock HR/The Cynical Girl (may they all RIP) – Laurie Ruettimann (since 2004). Laurie paved the way for so many HR professionals by letting them know it’s OK to have a voice, speak their mind and move towards a future where not only can HR be better…but so can work.
- No Need to Show Up in the Office – Just Perform – Kris Dunn (12/10/2006). One of the OGs, this was Kris’ first post at the HR Capitalist before he even thought about launching Fistful of Talent; both remain 2 of the top blogs centered on talent management and HR.
- My Learning from #truLondon – Bill Boorman (11/22/2009). Bill used to write a lot and I miss his musings on various sites. This post, in particular, highlights how gathering a community together can have a far-reaching impact. (He recently shared this post on the 10 year anniversary of #truLondon).
- Domestic Abuse. He Abused Me Emotionally & Physically – Jessica Miller-Merrell (4/11/2012) – I remember when Jessica shared this very personal story and how it opened conversations about some very important issues. It was quite a shock at the time for a “professional” blog to delve into such personal matters….but important.
- The Rules About Hugging at Work – Tim Sackett (5/20/2013). Tim, of course, is the most prolific writer in the HR space and never disappoints. This blog post is HR Famous (see what I did there?) with millions (millions!) of views over the years.
- #BlackBlogsMatter Challenge – Day 1 – Blogging While Black – Sarah Morgan (2/0/2017). When Sarah kicked off the #BlackBlogsMatter challenge 3 years ago she launched a safe space for meaningful dialogue with all who participated, with conversations that were simultaneously painful, empowering, raw and celebratory. We need this.
BONUS SHOUT OUT
- Uptown Funk: The Bruno Mars HR Disciplinary – David D’Souza (1/15/2015) – Did this post from David change the world? Probably not. But it still makes me LOL every time I re-read it.
NOW ONWARD!
For the 2020 anniversary celebration I asked the Carnival of HR Community to submit a post from the past 13 years; not just from within the last few weeks. So let’s travel through time – shall we? – and read a LOT of stuff that is STILL highly pertinent!
2020
Why Language Representation Matters in Employee-Employer Relationships – Sabrina Baker |Acacia HR Solutions
10 Tricky Questions About Ethics and Leadership Answered – Linda Fisher Thornton | Leading in Context
Fire Away, Stuart: Online vs. Off the Hook (Workplace Consequences of Social Media Activity) – Stuart Rudner | Rudner Law (*** video!**)
2019
One Sunny Morning – Mark Stelzner | Voice of HR
Schitt$ Creek = Love and Acceptance – Anthony Paradiso
A Weird Thing That I Love – Wendy Dailey
Makin’ It – John Baldino | Humareso
The Most Inclusive HR Influencer List – Micole Garatti
25 New Ideas to Celebrate Employee Appreciation Week – Achievers
Five Essential Facilitation Tips to Elevate Your Gatherings – Rachel Ben Hamou | PeopleStorming
2018
Did HR Blogging “Jump the Shark?” – Mark Fogel
The Way We Win Matters – Mary Faulkner
Treating the Multiple Personality Disorder of HR Professionals! – Kurian Prasad
2017
All I Really Need to Know I Learned from my Visit to the Seniors’ Residence – Melanie Peacock
You’re Never Too Big to Care About People – Mary Faulkner
2016
Choosing the Team Size in Scrum – Mark Levison | Agile Pain Relief Consulting
Kids These Days – Lance Haun
2015
Pretty Little Liars: What Transparency Really Means To SHRM. – Robin Schooling |Recruiting Daily (*** personal note: this post, as one might guess, had my phone ringing with calls from SHRM HQ on Duke Street ***)
2014
4 Companies That Rock at Content Marketing and University Recruiting – Melissa Suzuno
Make it Like It Was – John Baldino | Humareso
2013
Unemployed – from Europe to the Arab world, a personal story – Sandrine Bardot
2012
Developing Globally Responsible Leaders – Linda Fisher Thornton | Leading in Context
2011
Finding, and Keeping, Good IT People – John Hunter
2010
Being Honest – Christine Assaf
Benchmarking in the Trenches – Robin Schooling (*** 10 years later and I still stand by every sentiment in this post ***)
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Are you an HR blogger? Interested in participating in the Carnival of HR? Hit me up at robin.schooling@gmail.com.
