The Human Resources community has always been a tightknit bunch. They freely share ideas, opinions, and best practices while simultaneously embracing many forms of social networking, especially Twitter.
When Twitter (then called Twittr) first launched in 2006, not everyone was sold on the idea. Co-founder Biz Stone originally described the site as a place where “groups of friends bounce random thoughts around with SMS.” Eight years later, Twitter has become one of the most predominant platforms in social media, helping to spread ideas, launch revolutions, and constantly connect people around the world.
Twitter recently launched a new tool that lets you discover any user's first tweet. So we thought it'd be fun to take a look back at the first tweets of some of today’s most active HR Influencers and Thought Leaders.
Some joined reluctantly, and some were overly excited…
Jennifer McClure – President of Unbridled Talent LLC, a consulting and advisory firm providing services to clients in the areas of keynote speaking, leadership, executive communication skills and talent strategy.
Signing up for Twitter. I have finally succumbed!
— Jennifer McClure (@JenniferMcClure) March 26, 2008
Steven Rothberg – President of CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.
Finally took the plunge. I'm all a-Twitter. :-)
— Steven Rothberg (@StevenRothberg) April 30, 2008
A few were confused or skeptical at first (but figured it out eventually)…
Lance Haun – Editor at The Starr Conspiracy, a strategic marketing and advertising agency devoted exclusively to enterprise software and services.
Trying out twitter for the first time
— Lance Haun (@thelance) March 30, 2007
Ramon Ray – Marketing and Technology Evangelist of Smallbiztechnology.com and Infusionsoft, a small business CRM focused on helping small businesses succeed.
watching twitter posts and seeing if this service is dumb or not for smallbiztechnology.com
— Ramon Ray (@ramonray) March 26, 2007
Suzanne Lucas – Author of evilhrlady.org and contributing writer to CBS Interactive and Inc. Magazine.
Just created a Twitter Account. Now what?
— Suzanne Lucas (@RealEvilHRLady) March 10, 2010
Some saw an opportunity to participate in larger conversations…
China Gorman – CEO of Great Place to Work Institute, a global human resources consulting, research and training firm specializing in organizational trust.
At the SHRM Legislative Conference. Met lots of great members!
— China Gorman (@ChinaGorman) March 10, 2009
John Hollon – Vice President for Editorial & Editor-in-Chief of TLNT.com & ERE Media.
Getting ready to head to WorldatWork in Philadelphia ...
— John Hollon (@johnhollon) May 16, 2008
While others were preoccupied by sports teams and personal interests...
Tim Sackett – President of HRU Technical Resources and contributing writer for Fistful of Talent.
How does LeBron not get the highest votes for the All Star team?
— Tim Sackett (@TimSackett) January 23, 2009
Pat Clark – Co-Founder of Hyrell, an online recruiting software that improves the hiring process with an easy-to-use applicant tracking system.
Today's Yankees win is worthy of my twitter virginity. Great win.
— Pat Clark (@PatrickClark5) September 23, 2012
Jay Kuhns, SPHR – Vice President of Human Resources at All Children's Hospital Johns Hopkins.
Back on twitter...hoping the Lightning squeeze into the playoffs
— Jay Kuhns, SPHR (@jrkuhns) March 26, 2010
Kris Dunn – CHRO at Kinetix and founder of HR Capitalist and Fistful of Talent.
watching my kid almost fly over the hbars on his bike from the window.. guess i should be out there...
— Kris Dunn (@kris_dunn) April 13, 2008
And many more jumped right in and started promoting new content, launching new projects, and sharing their thoughts on HR with the world…
William Tincup, SPHR – Co-Host Daily HR Internet Radio Show and contributing writer for Fistful of Talent.
www.starrtincup.com Check it out.
— William Tincup, SPHR (@williamtincup) May 23, 2008
Bob Warren – Creator and Founder of ResumeBear Inc.
Launching ResumeBear.com
— Bob Warren (@BobWarren) November 20, 2008
Meghan M. Biro – CEO and Founder of TalentCulture Consulting Group/TalentCulture World of Work.
Phone chat w/industry leader -inspiring me to make certain connections>this coaching role reversal is downright refreshing!
— Meghan M. Biro (@MeghanMBiro) March 16, 2009
Jörgen Sundberg – Founder of Link Humans, a social media agency based in London.
7 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer! http://bit.ly/3AVXEu
— Jörgen Sundberg (@jorgensundberg) November 12, 2009
Sharlyn Lauby – President of ITM Group, Inc. and author of HR Bartender.
Reading: "HR Bartender" (http://tinyurl.com/67a5fy)
— Sharlyn Lauby (@sharlyn_lauby) June 19, 2008
Kathryn Minshew – Founder and CEO at The Muse, contributor to Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg.
4,000 unique visitors since launch! Check out www.prettyyoungprofessional.com
— Kathryn Minshew (@kmin) November 6, 2010
From these humble beginnings, HR Thought Leaders were born. Today, these faces represent some of the most followed, most active twitter users in the HR space. Are you a budding HR Thought Leader with an interesting first tweet? If so, share it in the comments below!
