Whether you're a part of an HR department, work closely with the People Operations team at your business, or work in employee relations in any capacity, there are plenty of Slack communities for your unique interests. For example, being a successful employee representative involves constantly learning and evolving your understanding of workplace culture.

With these Slack communities, you can work with other HR and People Ops enthusiasts to share resources, answer questions, and discuss ways to improve your workplace's culture. While there are countless different Slack communities, we've rounded up some of the best Slack communities for HR and People Ops professionals. First, we'll review Slack communities as a whole and what to expect, then we'll cover our top picks.

Topics at a Glance

• What Are Slack Communities?
• How to Tell if a Slack Community Is Right for You
• Top Slack Communities for Employee Relations
• #People
• Secret HR Society
• Resources for Humans
• Peoplegeeks
• Hacking HR
• #PeoplePeople
• HRtoHR
• POPs United

What Are Slack Communities?

Slack communities are similar to many different forums depending on your familiarity with online groups. For example, think of a Slack community like a Facebook Group in that they are made to target a specific interest. You can also think of a Slack community like a subreddit, a Discord server, or any other online gathering place where people get together to discuss their interests. Unlike these other platforms, Slack communities are more workplace-focused and tend to attract like-minded professionals looking to improve their office culture and grow their skills.

Slack communities allow users to share resources, videos, and posts and communicate with other users. While you may use Slack to talk with coworkers, with Slack communities, you can interact with other professionals on your own time to grow your skills and learn about your interests.

How to Tell if a Slack Community Is Right for You

Since Slack is primarily a professional platform, many HR and People Ops specialists use the community function to share insights and connect with others like them. However, like choosing the right study group in high school, choosing the right Slack community can make or break your experience. Before joining a Slack community, there are a few things to remember.

First, look for an active community with a lot of users. While smaller communities are great for one-on-one conversations, if this is the first Slack community you’re joining, go for a larger group to get used to the flow of conversation. Finding an active community helps keep you engaged and gives you plenty of fellow professionals to chat about your interests and insights.

Make sure any Slack community or channel you’re joining is well-moderated, and take the time to review the rules and read channel descriptions before you start posting. Not only is this a general courtesy, but it can also help you avoid unwanted confrontations and embarrassment. After all, nobody wants to be the one posting on the wrong channel!

Since you’re looking for professional insights, try to find a professional community for your needs. While casual communities are great, when it comes to HR and People Ops resources, you want to find a group of people who are serious about their interests and share high-quality, reliable resources and insights.

Our Favorite Slack HR Communities

Now that you know what to look for in a Slack community, let’s look a the best Slack communities for HR and People Ops professionals. These communities are some of the most active out there. They’re incredible resources for any employee relations professional looking to expand their knowledge and connect with like-minded people.

#People

#People is a Slack community for people people, as their website says. Following our advice to find a well-moderated community should bring you to #People. This Slack community is made especially for People Ops and HR professionals, and each application is screened carefully before joining the community. This ensures that all members are on the same page and share the same interest. No bots, product placements, and trolls make #People a great Slack community to join and chat with your peers without interruptions. Check out their website to join today.

Secret HR Society

Everyone wants to be in a secret society, and the Secret HR Society is no different. This is a highly selective Slack community, considering you have to be referred by an active member to join. While they're incredibly exclusive, they focus on providing insight to HR and People Ops professionals and are highly rated.

The group is located in Germany. However, it is open to English speakers with 5+ years of HR or People Ops experience. If you're interested in joining this secretive Slack community, there's no invisible ink required; check out their website to learn more and potentially connect with a current member.

Resources for Humans

We're assuming you're a human if you work in Human Relations, meaning the Resources for Humans Slack community is right up your alley. This Slack Community is home to over 10,000 HR and People Ops professionals sharing what they know with fellow employee relations enthusiasts. The topics are well-moderated, and all conversations center around People Operations resources, as well as how to advance your professional knowledge and improve the field of Human Resources.

If you're looking for ways to broaden your horizons and improve your company culture, this is the group for you. However, remember that their code of conduct is quite strict, so read the rules thoroughly and bring your discussion topics. You can learn more about this Slack community on their website.

PeopleGeeks

If you’ve ever found yourself getting excited thinking about ways to inspire people and connect with employees, Peoplegeeks is the right Slack community for you. This community, run by CultureAmp, welcomes passionate professionals looking to connect with and learn alongside like-minded people. With over 15,000 members, this far-reaching Slack community is perfect for expanding your horizons and connecting with people globally.

While there are plenty of Slack channels to discuss your interests with others, they also host events and meet-ups to introduce HR and People Ops professionals and share insights in person. To find out more, check out their website.

Hacking HR

Are you an innovator? Do you crave new information about HR techniques and methods revolutionizing the workforce? Does the thought of cracking Human Resources strategies like the main character from an early '90s film hacking into a mainframe excite you? Hacking HR is the Slack community for you.

This community works to combine technology, HR practices, and modern resources to create future HR policies. Their goal is to innovate and revolutionize employee relations departments, paving the way for future People Ops guidelines and working together to develop new and innovative ways to connect with employees.

If you want to share insights, create new ideas, and stay on the cutting edge of HR, this is the community for you. Click here to find out more and to join today.

#PeoplePeople

If you’re looking for innovative suggestions about hiring, employee management, and more, #PeoplePeople is a Slack community geared toward people management. This group of professionals works to share techniques, recommend programs, and connect HR and People Ops professionals worldwide with innovative ideas to revolutionize their workspace.

This community welcomes anyone with experience hiring and managing employees and emphasizes innovation and learning. If you're looking to shift your workplace toward people-oriented HR management or are looking to connect with other similar professionals, this is an excellent Slack community to join. To find out more or to join, check out their website.

HRtoHR

Are you sick of work conferences? Do you find organized meetings tiring and feel stagnated by endless professional gatherings? Then, you're in good company with HRtoHR. This community was sick of a conference's dull, stifling atmosphere and wanted to create a relaxed, informal environment for workplace professionals to share insights and ideas.

This Slack community focuses on real-time learning, with space to discuss current challenges, get advice, find new tools, and even rant about your day. If you're looking for the resource list of a conference without the gruelingly dry meetings, HRtoHR is the right place for you. To apply or to find out more, check out their website.

POPs United

No, this channel is not for popcorn enthusiasts, though we're sure there's a Slack community for that. Instead, POPs United is a space for People Ops. This Slack community offers resources, problem-solving, and a support system for anyone in management or HR. Whether you work at a small startup company or are part of a large corporation, there are plenty of professionals in the same situation as you to talk to in this Slack community. While they require you to fill out an application, anyone with management or HR work can join. Check out their join form to start chatting in their community today.

Of course, there are plenty of other HR and People Operations Slack communities out there that may be a good fit for you, so be sure to do some research on your own to find a Slack community that fits your unique professional needs.