Recently John Sumser visited us at HRmarketer and delivered yet another fascinating HR industry presentation, as only John can do.
A big meaty filet migmon, bloody, with just a bit of gristly fat on one end for more chewing pleasure. So much so I pass out after every one of his meals. Sometimes during.
Then John said this:
Influencers don't work; workers don't influence.
I dunno. Sure there was more context around the statement, but his point was that to be a true influencers you have to spend your time influencing, not "working".
But that's work, isn't it? Especially when you're an intelligent, long-time trusted, sometimes curmudgeonly controversial influencer like John.
And then there's the other side of that where workers don't influence. That's not quite right either, because otherwise we wouldn't have associations or unions or other workforce orgs pushing policy, or employees influencing the birth flexible work schedules and telecommuting as a new way to work.
I won't win any philosophical HR debates with John anytime soon, but it is exciting to end up on his new top 25 HR digital influencers of 2009 as presented in his latest online magazine endeavor - HRExaminer.com.
It's important to note that this wasn't a peer-reviewed list of influencers and there are many naysayers out there who poo-poo lists of any kind like this. This listing was no exception and I did notice low-level rumblings in the sociomediasphere.
In the first study of its kind, HRExaminer.com and Traackr partnered to define the 25 most influential members of the online HR community. Using Traackr's proprietary algorithm, the study surveyed online activity in the Human Resources area.
The survey measured:
- Reach (size of each person's audience online)
- Resonance (a measure of inbound links and references)
- Relevance (mapping against a cloud of keywords)
Also of note:
- Over half of the people on the list have more than one blog.
- Only 20% actually work in an HR job.
- 40% work in and around the recruiting industry.
- 55% dispense some form of career advice as a part of their work.
- 96% have a Facebook account.
- 72% are on Twitter.
- 92% use LinkedIn.
You know, I haven't been spreading social media fairy dust and magic Bea pollen around the HR marketplace just because I want to be liked.
Well, a little bit.
The fact is, I care deeply about the HR marketplace and all the players therein, whether they be on the vendor side or the buyer side. Building relationships and sharing valuable content (and fun) is where it's all at for me. Social media has allowed me to do that more than anything else in all my professional-blend-to-personal life.
In the decade I've been in the space, I've learned volumes from John and from the folks in the top 25 HR digital influencers of 2009, and from so many others far and wide and here and there and everywhere.
However, business is business, and I'm also all about growing it. All of us at HRmarketer fully understand the marketing power one can wield when those trusted relationships are a fleet of ships that set sail in red oceans and blue on behalf of you. Social media as a marketing channel has done just that for us.
We've worked hard. You've worked hard.
Influencers work; workers influence.
I thank you all for yours. Happy Holidays!
Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now join HRmarketer on Twitter!
HR Buyers guide, thousands of white papers and other content related to human resources and more! 
Posts
5 comments:
I dunno, dude. I met Marcela Perez de Alonso, the EVP of HR at HP. She works and influences.
I think the statement is twitter gold but doesn't resonate with me.
It's my honor to be on a list with you, though!
Thank you for the straight talk, Laurie, but I wasn't suggesting they were mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite actually.
What I have is the problem with the word Influencer? so what are these individuals, of whom about 80% are not even practicing H.R influencing? and to whom?
Are they influencing others in the art of cooking hotdogs? or how to be friends online? Do we have any direct correlation to demonstrate that they are presenting influence to the H.R market? Outside say a specific online group of individuals?
What about the reach? is it because a specific number of individuals are reading their blogs? then does this list demonstrate the Number of individuals who are reading their blogs are even from H.R? and are a Large Number of the H.R community.
Have these individuals created much change for the H.R community as a whole? not for a small online community, but for the Large percentage.. and how?
When I see lists like this, it scares me, because there is NO way that one can measure the online level of influence of anyone in any industry - especially since the word Influence is all based upon ones own personal opinion..
MHO - this list, like others that even I had been on, bother me - and often I question, what are the motives for a list like this.. especially on a new blog -and many on the list are "good" even safe to say - "great" friends of the Author and each other.
Oh, yes, I do think that there were a number of outstanding people on that list.. but at the same time, I was wondering how some, who have NEVER worked in the H.R field, and know Nothing of H.R or even Train in H.R even made the list.
Hmm,. does that mean Cinderalla, Jack and the Bean Stalk and Mary Poppins are influencers to the H.R field as well.. they are pretty popular. and dang if sites with their names don't get a lot of traffic..
karen M
What would've been clearer and more accurate in my book would've been to say these are influencers in the HR marketplace, because that's what we're talking about. Those who "influence" both vendors and buyers in the space online and particularly in social media - just take a look at the list again and you'll see that.
But again, I understand that this isn't a peer-reviewed list. It's an algorithmic-generated list based on a survey that measured:
- Reach (size of each person's audience online)
- Resonance (a measure of inbound links and references)
- Relevance (mapping against a cloud of keywords)
How exactly that was done, you'll have to ask John Sumser.
I hear you about being wary of lists, and the fact that most of the time it's like a high school popularity contest anyway - that's what peer-reviewed means to me.
Some folks are included, some are not, some are happy, some bitch about it.
I see it play out again and again in the HR marketplace.
And how do you qualify "outstanding"? What does that even mean? Because some have a blog and some followers and talk about company Christmas parties and what you shouldn't give to your boss?
So while I can't help you with Cinderella or Jack in the Beanstalk, if you need help selling products and services to the "HR buyer", that's where I work really hard and have experience and influence.
Influencers work; workers influence.
That was my whole point.
And when it comes to marketing, which is what I do, that kind of influence wields publicity, traffic and lead power when you know what you're doing.
If I didn't, I wouldn't be here.
--Kevin W. Grossman
A good post very interesting
Post a Comment