Fama's Favorite Influencers: 11 HR Experts You Need to Follow in Q3 2026

Hiring has changed. The goal is the same as it has always been: bring in people who do great work and make the team stronger. But the process is more complex than ever. AI is reshaping how candidates apply, candidate fraud is getting more sophisticated, and more of how people behave at work now shows up online first.

That's why HR influencers, industry analysts, and HR thought leaders matter so much right now. They help HR and talent acquisition teams make sense of the latest hiring trends and turn them into clear next steps.

In Q3 2026, the conversation centered on three big themes:

• Quality of hire and employer branding in the age of social media and AI
• Trust signals, and the move from simply "passing checks" to knowing who you're really hiring
• Compliant, modern candidate screening that keeps up with a digital-first workforce

Below, we're spotlighting the 11 HR influencers and HR experts we loved working with this quarter, and the content we created together.

Why Follow the Top HR Influencers in 2026?

The best HR influencers aren't just posting opinions. They have hands-on experience in recruiting, HR technology, and background screening. They talk to practitioners every day, test new tools, and host the conversations where the industry works through its hardest problems.

Here's what makes an HR thought leader worth following:

• They bring research to the table. They share data and real stories, not just hot takes.
• They cut through the noise. With thousands of HR technology vendors on the market, they help leaders understand what actually works.
• They move the conversation forward. From AI in hiring to social media screening, they help HR leaders prepare for what's next.

That last point matters more every quarter. Fama data shows that 1 in 15 candidates screened online reveals signs of serious workplace misconduct. The influencers below are helping HR leaders understand what that means for their people, their culture, and their brand. For a deeper look at the numbers, see Fama's State of Misconduct at Work report.

11 HR Influencers and Experts to Watch

#1. Anton Watson of Background Check Advisory

Anton Watson of Background Check Advisory kicked off our quarter by bringing the background screening community together in London. On July 9, he hosted the Smarter Background Checking Summer Social in Shoreditch, with Fama joining iCOVER Services, Konfir, and Chexperts as event partners. The afternoon brought together employers, screening providers, and technology leaders from across the workforce trust community.

Anton is already building on that momentum. On November 3, Background Check Advisory will host Smarter Background Checking: From Checks to Trust at Ironmongers' Hall in the City of London, with Fama as the Table Experience Partner. As Anton puts it, the question is no longer just "Which checks should we run?" It's "How do we really know who we're hiring, and which signals can we trust?"

That shift, from completing checks to building trust, is exactly why behavior matters. Identity checks confirm a candidate is who they say they are. Fama's behavior checks help employers understand how that person may show up at work. Together, they give HR, compliance, and people risk teams a fuller picture before an offer goes out.

Working in HR, TA, compliance, or background screening in the UK? Register your interest for the November 3 event.

#2. Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman of The Chad & Cheese Podcast

If you read the Chad & Cheese newsletter in July, you probably spotted Fama.

Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman are known for their bold takes and loyal following across recruiting and HR technology. Their newsletter is where many TA leaders catch up on hiring trends news each week, which makes it a natural home for the conversation about how compliant, AI-based social media screening can reduce workplace risk and improve quality of hire.

#3. ERE Media

ERE Media is one of the most trusted resources for recruiting leaders, and Q3 was one of our busiest quarters together yet.

On July 15, Fama CEO Ben Mones led the ERE webinar . The session covered the behavioral signals traditional screening misses, and how to catch risk before it becomes a reputation problem. As ERE put it, "a bad hire doesn't just cost you a paycheck. It costs you culture, trust, and the reputation you've spent years building."Quality of Hire and Employer Branding in the Age of Social Media and AI. The session covered the behavioral signals traditional screening misses, and how to catch risk before it becomes a reputation problem. As ERE put it, "a bad hire doesn't just cost you a paycheck. It costs you culture, trust, and the reputation you've spent years building."

ERE also shared highlights from Ben's session at its last Recruiting Innovation Summit (RIS), where he walked through real hires gone bad, from a nurse threatening a patient to a doctor selling body parts online. His core point: predictors of bad behavior often show up on social media long before they reach the hiring process. And with Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials soon making up about 70% of the workforce, most applicants now have a richer history online than offline.

We also teamed up with ERE again on October 8 for Candidate Misrepresentation: How Identity + Behavior Background Checks Improve Hiring. The webinar explores fake candidates, false identities, and how identity and behavior checks work together to close the gaps.

#4. Hung Lee of Recruiting Brainfood

Hung Lee of Recruiting Brainfood is one of the most-read voices in talent acquisition. His weekly newsletter is a go-to source for HR industry news, sharp commentary, and the tools recruiters are actually talking about.

On July 27, Fama was featured in Hung's LinkedIn newsletter. Hung has long pushed recruiters to rethink how they evaluate candidates in a digital-first world and how TA teams can modernize screening.

Stay tuned for an upcoming collaboration on October 28th!

#5. Keirsten Greggs of TRAP Recruiter

Keirsten Greggs of TRAP Recruiter has been a long-time Fama partner and a trusted voice for recruiters who want to hire fairly and well. On July 20, she reshared Fama's thought leadership with her LinkedIn community, helping more TA professionals see why online behavior belongs in the hiring conversation.

Keirsten brings the practitioner's view that makes these conversations land, and a helpful reminder that quality of hire isn't just about skills on paper. It's about how someone treats coworkers, customers, and the communities your brand serves. See more of our work together here.

#6. Ryan Leary and William Tincup of WRKdefined

Ryan Leary and William Tincup of WRKdefined never shy away from the hard questions about work, and this quarter was no exception.

On July 27, WRKdefined featured Fama in a LinkedIn post with Ben Mones' take on a headline that had the HR world talking: more than 4,500 Google employees signing a petition for stronger protections during AI-driven restructuring. The post opened with a line only WRKdefined could write: "This toothpaste ain't going back in the tube."

The bigger takeaway for HR leaders is that AI is changing the workforce faster than most policies can keep up. That affects how you hire, how you restructure, and how you protect your culture along the way. WRKdefined keeps that conversation honest, and we're glad to be part of it.

#7. Jessica Miller-Merrell of Workology

Jessica Miller-Merrell of Workology has spent years helping HR leaders stay current on HR technology, compliance, and workplace trends through her podcast, blog, and training programs.

This quarter, we've been working with Jessica on an upcoming Workology webinar, Compliant AI-Based Social Media Screening, scheduled for October 15. The session will cover how HR teams can use AI to screen for online behavior risks while staying compliant with the FCRA and other privacy and anti-discrimination rules.

That focus on compliance is key. Social media screening only works when it's done the right way: consistent, consent-based, and focused on job-relevant behaviors, not protected characteristics. Fama's approach is built around those guardrails.

Save the date: Register for the October 15th Workology webinar

#8. Meghan M. Biro of TalentCulture

Meghan M. Biro, founder of TalentCulture, caught up with Fama CEO Ben Mones to walk through how social media impacts quality of hire and employer branding.

It started with the #WorkTrends podcast episode Quality of Hire and Employer Branding in the Age of Social Media and AI, where Meghan sat down with Ben Mones to explore why social media is the new workplace water cooler. One line stuck with her long after they stopped recording: "You're screening on behalf of your existing workforce."

As Meghan wrote on LinkedIn, misconduct like harassment and bullying used to stay inside the office. Today, much of it moves online. That's why every hire matters beyond the individual. Each new employee shapes collaboration, trust, and psychological safety for the people already on your team.

TalentCulture also published the partner article Managing Employer Brand and Quality of Hire in the Age of Social Media and AI, which makes another key point: governance comes before technology. Define which behaviors align with your values first, then decide how tools support those decisions.

The episode and article were featured in TalentCulture's August newsletter, and Meghan's team kept the conversation going on social media into September.

Listen now: Tune in to the full #WorkTrends episode.

#9. 3Sixty Insights

Analyst firm 3Sixty Insights has been a long-time Fama partner, and they helped us close out the summer with a strong message. On August 11, they shared on LinkedIn why online behavior is becoming a powerful indicator of workplace behavior, especially as digital natives make up a growing share of the workforce.

They pointed out that traditional hiring methods often overlook this data, and that Fama bridges the gap with AI-driven insights into behavioral patterns and ethical alignment. The result, in their words: "more informed hiring decisions, reduced risk, and stronger organizational alignment from day one."

Their closing line sums up where the industry is heading: "Behavioral insights is not optional. It is becoming foundational."

Want to see what that looks like in practice? Explore Fama's screening insights.

#10. Tim Sackett of HRU Technical Resources

Tim Sackett, president of HRU Technical Resources, is one of the most recognized voices in talent acquisition. He's known for practical, no-nonsense advice on recruiting, HR technology, and building teams that last.

On August 25, Tim gave Fama a shout-out at a SHRM event about candidate fraud and misrepresentation.

Tim's perspective is a great reminder that the best recruiting teams don't just fill seats faster. They hire people who make the whole team better, and they use the right tools to get there.

#11. Hunt Scanlon Media

Hunt Scanlon Media is a leading news source for the executive search industry. On September 1, Hunt Scanlon covered a recent Fama webinar that brought together leaders from JM Search, Caldwell, and Heidrick & Struggles to discuss how AI is reshaping the search process.

The panel's big takeaway: as finding candidates gets faster and easier, judgment, access, assessment, and trusted client counsel are becoming the real differentiators for search firms.

That's where enhanced executive vetting come in. For executive search, one bad placement can damage a client relationship and the firm's reputation. Fama helps search firms add a deeper layer of assessment, so partners can present candidates with more confidence.

Read the recap: See Hunt Scanlon's coverage of the webinar.

How HR Content Creators Are Changing Social Media Screening and Talent Assessment

Look across this list and a clear pattern shows up. Whether it's a London screening event, a recruiting podcast, or an executive search panel, these HR content creators keep coming back to the same idea: who you hire, and how they show up in public, shapes your employer brand and quality of hire.

They're also helping HR leaders see what they may have missed:

• A passed check isn't the same as a trust signal. Identity, employment history, and online behavior all add to the full picture.
• Online behavior is workplace behavior. Misconduct that once stayed in the break room now plays out on public feeds.
• Compliance comes first. The right social media screening is consistent, consent-based, and focused on job-relevant behavior.
• Prevention beats damage control. Every team needs a crisis response plan, but screening helps you rarely need it.

That's where Fama comes in. Fama's AI-powered, FCRA-compliant social media screening helps HR, TA, and executive search teams spot signs of workplace misconduct, like harassment, threats, and hate speech, before they become a problem for your people or your brand. It works alongside your existing background checks and identity verification, so you can hire and promote with confidence.

Wondering why so many leading HR influencers and analysts are talking about Fama? See how Fama works.