Researchers, thinkers, and professionals in the field who shape and propel discussions on organisational growth, talent management, workplace culture, and human resources are known as HR influencers. These people use their knowledge, perceptions, and personal branding to inform, uplift, and impact HR professionals, corporate executives, and organisations worldwide.
What are Roles of HR Influencers?
Modern human resources practices, professional guidance, and workplace strategy transformation are all greatly influenced by HR influencers. They simply offer insightful commentary, question established HR conventions, and promote creative solutions that improve workforce management as thought leaders in the field.
Teaching and informing HR professionals about new trends, best practices, and technology developments is one of their main responsibilities. They also support businesses and HR directors in staying ahead of the curve in a constantly changing workplace by disseminating their knowledge via blogs, social media, podcasts, and industry conferences.
Another important role of HR influencers is thought leadership. They champion critical workplace topics such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), employee well-being, mental health, and remote work strategies.
By addressing these issues, they also inspire organizations to create more inclusive and supportive work environments. Many HR influencers also use data-driven insights to emphasize the importance of employee engagement, leadership development, and company culture, influencing corporate policies and decision-making processes.
Networking and community building are also key aspects of an HR influencer’s role. By fostering different discussions, hosting webinars, and participating in industry events, they connect HR professionals across different sectors, facilitating knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Their ability to create a global HR network helps professionals exchange ideas, find mentorship opportunities, and gain exposure to new HR methodologies.
HR influencers also play a significant role in driving HR technology adoption. As artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics continue to shape the future of HR, influencers highlight the benefits of new tools and platforms, helping HR professionals integrate technology into their daily operations. Their recommendations often impact how organizations approach talent acquisition, performance management, and employee engagement strategies.
Attention: Influencer list in this content is not listed in any ranking order.
Top HR Influencers 2025
In professional world, there are various HR influencers who support business environment by sharing their knowledge and experience.
Meghan Biro
#hrtechonology,#HR
Meghan Biro founded TalentCulture and serves as its CEO. She has helped recruit and empower exceptional talent for hundreds of businesses, ranging from early start-ups to well-known brands like Microsoft, IBM, and Google. In addition, Meghan has appeared as a featured speaker at international conferences and as a guest on a number of radio programs and internet discussion boards. She has been selected as one of the top 100 Social Media Power Influencers and often contributes to Forbes, Huffington Post, and other media sites. Meghan is a high-tech recruiter who frequently contributes to Forbes.com with articles regarding talent management and HR technology. Her expertise has grown to include digital media, branding, marketing, technology, and recruiting.
Johnny C. Taylor Jr
#hrpractices
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. is a well-known personality in the fields of job advocacy and human resources. He has a significant influence on HR practices and policy in the US and abroad in his capacity as President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He has led the HR industry throughout his career and is a respected expert on labour trends, employment legislation, and workforce concerns.Under his direction, SHRM has advanced HR practices, promoted diversity and inclusion, and pushed for workplace regulations that benefit organizations and their workers.
Jeanne Meister
#employeeengagement, #hrinfluencer
The well-known book “The Future Workplace Experience: 10 Rules For Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees” was co-authored by Jeanne Meister, a workplace advocate. She is a leading HR influencer due to her experience in corporate learning. In an effort to increase awareness about the future of work, Jeanne founded the Future Workplace Network to promote conversations between CEOs and other leaders. She is a skilled writer and speaker who has written for prestigious journals like Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and the Financial Times.
Lily Zheng
#DEI,#cultural diversity,#hrwomen
Author, speaker, and consultant Lily Zheng supports companies in going beyond one-time diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) training. Lily starts discussions on important work-related subjects on LinkedIn, provides helpful information, and promotes a new viewpoint on DEI in the workplace. Reputable magazines like Forbes, CNBC, The New York Times, and Entrepreneur have acknowledged their efforts as a DEI advocate.
Lou Adler
#hrprofessionals, #employeerecruitment
Lou Adler, who is the founder and CEO of The Adler Group has trained more than 40,000 hiring managers and recruiters through his organization. He is a successful writer as well; some of his works are in Amazon bestsellers. He also provides advice for HR professionals wishing to improve their recruitment methods on his X account, where he also publishes insightful information on how to make better hiring selections.
Josh Bersin
#hrexecutive,#hr,#hrprofessionals
Josh Bersin is a well-known keynote speaker, counsellor, educator, and mentor to business and HR executives worldwide. He is currently associated with Bersin by Deloitte. By advising HR professionals and organisations in a variety of corporate HR areas, such as talent management, recruiting, training and development, and workplace automation, he fulfils his purpose to improve work-life balance globally. Josh is committed to using his vast experience to help businesses and HR professionals establish more productive and satisfying workplaces.
Liz Ryan
#DEI,#hrcareer
Liz Ryan started and currently serves as the CEO of Human Workplace, a business that provides consulting, coaching, and content. She has authored multiple books, including “REINVENTION ROADMAP: Break the Rules to Get the Job You Want and Career You Deserve,” and is a renowned speaker.
Liz Ryan also gives presentations and talks about the contemporary workplace, offers professional advice on employment-related topics, and advises CEOs and company owners on workforce strategy and human resources-related issues. Liz Ryan declares that she is on a mission to change and enhance people’s work experiences.
Madison Butler
#hrdepartment,#dei
In the area of human resources and people operations, Madison Butler provides a novel viewpoint. She encourages HR and people operations experts to break the mould and address significant issues like gender and racism in her role as Chief People Officer at GRAV, a retailer of smoking products with headquarters in Texas. Her passion is creating inclusive environments, retaining staff, developing talent, and fostering business culture. She operates a job centre for the LGBT community and presents the podcast “Bye Bye Binary.”
Sharlyn Lauby
#hrmanagement,#hrleadership
Sharlyn Lauby is a member of The Workforce Institute’s board, which conducts research and provides education on significant workplace issues across the globe. In addition, she works as a trainer, speaker, writer, and HR management consultant. Sharlyn Lauby also is the author of books on hiring, facilitating productive meetings, developing capable leaders, and increasing employee engagement. Her blog, HR Bartender, which was named one of the top 5 HR blogs by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), offers HR and other insights.
Trish McFarlane
#hrhappyhour,#hrleaders,#hrtraining
Trish McFarlane hosts the well-known HR Happy Hour podcast. In addition to the podcast, Trish McFarlane uses X to express her opinions on subjects like talent, recruiting, analytics, and human capital management. She is the principal analyst and vice president of HR practice at the Brandon Hall Group. She also writes for the HR Ringleader blog. Trish brings a range of expertise to leadership, performance management, training & development, change management, social media, and innovation, having worked in a variety of industries for more than 15 years, including Big 4 public accounting, PR, healthcare, and IT. She uses actual cases to illustrate to her audience how leadership affects businesses. She is, in fact, a well-known HR influencer in the corporate sector.
Kathryn Minshew
#hrinfluence,#companyculture
The Muse is an online career platform founded and run by Kathryn Minshew. She dedicates her time to helping companies recruit and retain the greatest employees, influencing the future of work, and having a strong interest in career advancement. She also thinks that creating enduring company cultures is important. You can see her talking about workplace culture and issues on her social media accounts.
Jodi-Ann Burey
#hr, #hrprofessionals
With her 38,000+ LinkedIn followers, well-known speaker, influencer, and author Jodi-Ann Burey offers advice on staying true to oneself, the complexities of identity, and changing work environments. With 1.4 million views, her TEDx Talk, “The Myth of Bringing Your Full, Authentic Self to Work,” urged businesses and workers to reevaluate how they approach fostering a friendly workplace. Well-known websites like The Muse and HBR have highlighted Jodi-Ann’s work, and she also has appeared as a guest on Brené Brown’s podcast, “Dare To Lead.” Jodi-Ann talks about her experience with cancer on her podcast, “Black Cancer,” in addition to her professional conversations.
Ester Martinez
#hrworkmethod,#hrindustry,#chro
As the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of People Matters, Ester Martinez manages an active community for corporate executives and CHROs. Together, they shape long-lasting corporate effects by advancing talent and work methods. She has a significant impact on the industry and offers insightful commentary. She also participates actively in a number of business and HR forums both domestically and abroad.
Jacob Morgan
#employeeexperience,#hrleadership
The founder of Future of Work University is renowned author and speaker Jacob Morgan. His areas of expertise are the future of work, employee experiences, and leadership. Jacob Morgan also produces best-sellers, giving advise, and sharing his opinions. As an influencer, he posts carefully chosen content and insightful information on a variety of social media sites.
Vernā Myers
#dei,#culturaldiversity
In her role as Vice President of Inclusion Strategy at Netflix, Vernā Myers works to advance inclusion and cultural diversity. She is also renowned for her work as a social critic and cultural innovator, and she is an authority on diversity. Her responsibilities include creating and implementing plans that integrate equity, inclusivity, and cultural diversity into all facets of Netflix’s international business operations.
