It's always an honor to be recognized for the work we do - and I'd be lying if I told you that it's not kind of fun (and funny) when we see our names make a list of nearly any kind. But it's humbling when we have the fortune to make a listing with peers and colleagues that we have a tremendous amount of respect for and that is based on the work and influence we own. Well... it is for me, anyhow.

Recently HRExaminer released a listing of who they felt were the Top 25 Online Influencers in Talent Management. And while I was intrigued that I'd made this list, I think I was more impressed with my friends and peers that I'd been grouped with. You can check out the article on HRExaminer's website and cruise through the full listing at your leisure - I'll certainly spare you the "re-blogging" that would be a typical copy and paste. What I won't spare you however, are some quick mentions of the people on the list that I've known and met over the years that are incredibly deserving of notice.

So here are just a few...

Kris Dunn has been someone I've enjoyed reading for ages. Whether his stuff has popped up in my reader courtesy of FistfulOfTalent or HRCapitalist, his colorful commentary and signature Ari Gold avatar never fails to deliver. One of his recent posts that comes to mind was the sharing of 10 Bitchin' Facts about Jack Welch. And while sharing this legendary (yeah, I said it) form of management in 10 "Chuck Norris" style points for consideration weren't earth shaking, they were fun to read - and right on target to Kris' style. So whether I'm getting sports driven analogies or down-to-earth management style ramblings from him, Dunn's a staple in my personal blogosphere of influence.

HRBartender, also known as Sharlyn Lauby, is another favorite of mine. Even after creaming me in a week long round of Scrabble (I'm still not sure we ever officially finished the game, to be honest - but I certainly admit defeat) I still watch for her stuff in both our HR circles as well as through various channels of interest to the inner Geek in me. Hey, any HR pro that continually gets published and "delivers" on one of my favorite sites like Mashable, is someone you can bet I'm reading AND listening to. Note: Not bucking for a Scrabble rematch.

Another I'd encourage you to check out is Michael Specht. Michael authors a technology blog from his home in Australia. It centers on HR and Recruiting but digs a bit into how new technology and tools impact what we do in our industry. He wrote an interesting article last month around competency maps and peer validation - something that sparked quite a bit of debate with some friends of mine and that helped push me to write the Chicken Pluckin' Experts post recently. What might also be worth checking out is the video arm of what Michael does - found at Inspecht.tv.

Last but not least... I can't go through mentioning some of my favorites without mentioning Jessica Lee. She's one of the most transparent and engaging people on the circuit and in our channel of business. Also a FistfulOfTalent author, you can find her making a difference on Twitter with personal observations or via her official job promotions for APCO Worldwide. I'm really looking forward to hearing how her next speaking engagement for ERE goes - her topic is mobile recruitment and I'm suspect she's some great perspective and data to share. (told ya' she was savvy!)

So while the list of Top 25 Influencers contains others people that are certainly worth checking out (I know I added a few to my Twitterfeed) I would have felt I missed an opportunity to voice who I have had the pleasure of interacting directly with - both in person and online. Take a few moments and give the list a quick look - there are definately at least 24 people on there I'd agree are worth reviewing and engaging.

Originally posted on RecruiterGuy.net