From the August 2010 issue of Ceridian Connection.

Social networks, such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs, have become the perfect place for HR professionals to come together and connect as a community. These online communities have become a place where professionals come together to share best practices and learn from each other. The number of HR professionals, consultants and thought leaders actively participating in these social media channels continues to grow everyday.

Beginning this month, Ceridian will feature an HR social media, Thought Leader of the Month, to show our appreciation and interest in the hard work of these professionals. Without them, the HR online community would not have grown to what it has become today.

And the HR Thought Leader of the month is... Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR, CPLP

Lauby is an HR professional turned consultant with more than 20 years of professional human resource experience. During those years in the HR profession, she found that her colleagues and employees wanted her to be like their neighborhood bartender -- that friendly face who is there when needed. After a long day at the office, she listened, laughed, occasionally offered advice and, when needed, gave others the encouragement to go out and do what needed to be done. As a result, HRBartender was born.

Since then, HRBartender has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Business Blogs by Business Pundit, a Top 25 Talent Management blog by Fistful of Talent and one of the Top 50 HR Blogs to Watch by EvanCarmichael.com. Lauby's blog is meant to be a friendly place where people can discuss workplace issues. She covers topics such as:

• Strategic planning


• Workplace social media


• Leadership and management


• Employee performance and motivation

When it comes to social media, Lauby's experience with social media in the workplace is well known. She has been quoted by ABC News, AOL Finance, the Chicago Tribune and the Miami Herald. She's a regular contributor on Mashable, the world's largest blog devoted to social media news. And, Lauby was recently recognized by hiring site Monster.com for her HR/Social Media contributions. When she's not bartending, Lauby is president of Internal Talent Management (ITM) Group, which specializes in employee training and human resources consulting.

Connection with Sharlyn Lauby in Social Media:
Read her blog: www.hrbartender.com
Follow her on Twitter: @hrbartender and @sharlyn_lauby
Like her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HRBartender
Watch her on YouTube: www.youtube.com/hrbartender

Stay tuned for next month's HR thought leader!