11 friendly communities for L&D, HR and people professionals
Some communities have as many as 20,000 members.
Library → L&D resources → Best L&D communities
If you work in learning & development, human resources or people operations, joining an online community full of peers is always a smart decision.
Not only are many of them totally free, most now give you access to a Slack workspace, which means you can now get nearly-instant advice, insight and ideas from thousands of professional peers, 24/7.
As HR and L&D operate ‘behind the scenes’, it’s often tricky to know what other organisations are up to.
That’s what makes joining an online community such a priceless way of eavesdropping on what everyone else in the industry is working on. If you’re already the most senior person in your HR specialism within your organisation, then the experts with these online communities can be an invaluable source of feedback and guidance. It’s a safe out-of-office space to share your own challenges – and victories!
These online communities can also be a great way to network, discover new career opportunities, access resources, and even get together with like-minded folks in real life - they often come with newsletters, podcasts and other goodies, too. And by sharing your own skills and knowledge, you can pass on good vibes and valuable insight to others who’ll really appreciate it.
So, preamble done – lets get look at some of the best communities for L&D and HR pros alike.
1) L&D Shakers
This free community boasts over 4,000 members on LinkedIn and some 2,400 on their lively Slack workspace – so there’s always someone around to help you out.
Founded by Anamaria Dorgo, L&D Shakers also offers a lively programme of meetups and virtual events, as well as an ever-expanding library of resources and providers.
It’s a must-join community for anyone working in learning and development.
2) Offbeat (paid)
L&D resource Offbeat now offers a private members community for anyone who joins their Fellowship programme, starting from just €79 a year.
There are hundreds of members to collaborate with, along with curated resources to explore and regular live events.
3) Safe Space (paid)
This paid online community is a place HR professionals can be their whole authentic selves.
Centered around an always-on Slack workspace with hundreds of HR peers, there are also structured speed networking events, included VIP access to live events and monthly expert advice sessions.
All this can be yours for $399 USD a year.
4) People Geeks
Hosted by employee experience platform Culture Amp, People Geeks aims to ‘brings together diverse individuals and skilled thought leaders from around the globe.’
In other words, it’s a free Slack community for professionals looking to improve their corporate culture.
And that, my friends, is all we know about this one.
5) Resources for Humans
The people operations platform Lattice hosts the free Resources for Humans community, which boasts a whopping 20,000 active members.
Here, you’ll again find a large network of professionals peers to chat with in their Slack channels, while you’ll also be able to snag invites to dinners, digital hangouts, and “RFH IRL” community meet-ups.
6) #people
#people (or ‘Hashtag People’, said out-loud) is a free UK-based community for people ops, talent management and human resources professionals.
There’s also a related newsletter and podcast, which are publicly available, no membership required.
7) CPO HQ
A free community especially for Chief People Officers, this is an very exclusive group for only the most senior HR leaders.
If you’re important enough, you’ll become part of a bustling community of 2,000 CPOs, and you’ll also get access to playbooks, articles, templates, polls you can put to your own use. There are also cosier, confidential chat sessions with groups of up to 50 members.
8) The People People Group
A community of passionate HR, Recruitment and Operations professionals that are dedicated to sharing best practices, elevating each other and collectively improving the employee and candidate experience for everyone.
It’s a bustling virtual channel where over 3,000 people share more than 20,000 chat messages a month – so you’re sure to learn something new every day!
9) CultureBrained (paid)
CultureBrained is a community mission to make work synonymous with fun, meaning, and belonging. In short, it’s a place for anyone working on making their workplace a better place to be.
As well as a dedicated community platform, you’ll also get access to tools, guides, support events, guest talks, and all sorts of networking opportunities.
10) Happiness & Humans
Happiness and Humans is a community of HR, DE&I, People and Culture Professionals dedicated to making the world of work a happier and more human experience.
Instead of Slack, it’s hosted on a web platform called Guild, and as such moves at a more genteel pace.
If you are an in-house HR professional who enjoys data, insight and events with a focus on Employee Engagement and Happiness, this group is for you.
11) Learning, Education and Training Professionals group on LinkedIn
Ah, good old LinkedIn. This group, specifically for professionals in the learning, education and training industries, has over 640,000 members, making it by far the largest ‘community’ in this list.
Alas, it mostly consists of a feed of recent posts and questions from members of the group – something of a far cry from the intimacy and interactivity of the more chat-based communities above.
Nevertheless, you might find a quick scroll through this group surpasses your regular LinkedIn feed in terms of useful insight and inspiration – something of a low bar to clear, admittedly.
Join the Learning, Education and Training Professionals group on LinkedIn ↗
That’s all for now, for our list of the best online communities for L&D and HR professionals. Know any more we should include? Just drop me an email and I’ll be happy to add them.