Does HR Need a Third Place?
I'm asking the question but I'm not sure I have a good answer
One of my favorite places in my town is the Vancouver Community Library. It’s located about 10 blocks south of my house and I walk past old homes, apartments, and businesses along a tree-lined street to get there.
The funny part about most of my library trips is very few of them involve me reading a physical book. Instead, I’m often doing work, writing, or research there when I am tired of my office and house.
I see all kinds of folks there too. I might see a parent and child exploring the children’s book section. I see a senior volunteering to help people prepare taxes. I see folks without housing getting a break from the elements. People of all types, really.
Sometimes I work better with murmured chatter. Other times, I want to be interrupted. While I love working out of my home office, it’s nice to have places you can opt into some level of social gather.
Plus, the view from the top deck where you can get some sunshine and views of the river, Portland, and the West Hills is nice.
(Oh, and hi old ZoomInfo HQ.)
I bring this up because I enjoy the sense of community I get from the library the same way I get from my favorite coffee shop, gym, or brewery. I see some of the same people consistently but also many different people. I’ve helped people find specific books or where to grab a decent sandwich (Tap Union if you’re okay with a little walk, btw).
But unlike a coffee shop, brewery, or gym, there’s no purchase pressure or access issues at the library. Besides the used book sale, there’s nothing really to purchase. It is open to all, where a person with a bike trailer full of their possessions has the same ability to access it as the high-paid lawyer who works across the street.
It’s a true third place. Not home or work but a third place where community can be built. In The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg says that third places are not just good for us but good for the world.
And I wonder if we need that for HR.
Creating a place that’s inviting by design
I tried to count the number of HR conferences or events that I’ve been to and I lost track. Hundreds, maybe? And while I like these spaces, they are limited by design. They charge money. They are in far flung locations. They are often built around an agenda with specific things that the organizers think you will like. The networking events are contrived and often revolve around alcohol or loud spaces (usually both).
And this is fine btw. Conferences in particular are big deals for people. They might be spending some of their own money or their employer’s money. They get to go to a nice place, learn something, and maybe even have a little fun. When I get cynical about all these events, I have conversations with folks who might only do this once a year and remind myself that they are important.
These events also have many of the same subjects, speakers, and sponsors. Some pay to get your eyeballs and earholes on them. That means there is stratification. Someone gets a VIP ticket to a vendor party with Third Eye Blind playing while someone else is scarfing down In-N-Out with a view of the High Roller (most of the time, I’d prefer the latter).
But if a conference isn’t a good third space, then what is?
I think social media used to be that place. But algorithms, advertising, and the eventual closed loop nature of them gets us the same problem we deal with in other access restricted areas.
Game social interaction or build early enough and you can stay ahead. But the average person probably isn’t doing this and they don’t have time for it anyway. There are few HR practitioners that really have the social following that matters. You can’t work your day job and produce the level and bulk of content you need to stand out now. Even with help from marketing and ghostwriting like some people use, it can be tough.
Places that are less algorithmic? Sure, but why would I look at those when I could read a LinkedIn update from two weeks ago?
What a third place solves for
The reason why I continue to wonder about this is that I think we get stuck in an echo chamber. A small group of people determine the experience, content, and more in HR.
As a former event organizer, I always tried to get perspectives from people outside of my world but let’s be honest, it isn’t easy. Plus, the format of events in general is hierarchical by design (and by necessity, probably).
With the online environment, I wonder if anything can really cut through in a way that connects people. There are probably pockets of it, especially in niche areas.
There are likely some local organizations as well but those come with membership fees or event fees because, well, space costs money. Someone has to foot the bill at some point.
When I look at all the handwringing and confusion in HR today about the future of the profession or how it will change, the leaders I know have to be intentional about creating their own little packs of colleagues and advisors. But, those things take time and time feels like the thing that escapes us.
But we also have to have a place where we can come as ourselves instead of peacocking around and pretending we have all the answers. Authenticity is thrown around a lot but in reality, it’s about creating a space where we feel comfortable with reality. Nobody has all the answers.
And while hierarchies feel comfortable, I can tell you that in private conversations, the biggest names that get in front HR audiences are questioning what’s going on just as much. They just have the ability to come up with better sounding answers.
Do we need this?
I don’t know. Maybe people feel like they have a sense of community already. But I think a space that operates as a community with fewer boundaries is a good thing.
I don’t have answers beyond that, though. I am interested in your honest take. Do we need something like this or do you get your fill elsewhere?
What else is happening
U.S. Department of Labor Launches ‘Make America AI-Ready’ Initiative. The government’s latest workforce strategy is a seven-day AI course delivered entirely by text message. It’s designed to be accessible, quick and simple, which is another way of saying your AI education now competes with spam texts and verification codes. The future of work, apparently, fits in your notifications.
HR Leaders Say They’re Optimistic Despite Anticipating More Change in 2026. Nearly three-quarters of HR leaders say they feel optimistic, but two-thirds also expect even more disruption this year. Culture, engagement and constant change are still major problems, and employees don’t actually share leadership’s confidence. So it’s optimism… with a heavy dose of denial.
Report: CHROs Now Among Highest-Paid Execs at Public Companies.
While workers watch their pay shrink, chief human resources officers are suddenly joining CEOs and CFOs in the boardroom penthouse. A Conference Board study shows CHROs appearing as named executive officers jumped 55% between 2021 and 2025, with AI hype and talent wars turning “HR” into code for high compensation.
Half of Companies Are Cutting Compensation To Fund AI Investments. In the race to feed the algorithm, 54% of surveyed companies admit they’re raiding employee pay to bankroll AI projects. Bonuses, equity and even base salaries are all on the chopping block, and many bosses plan to smear tiny “peanut butter raises” evenly across staff. Cutting compensation to pay for robots. What could go wrong?
U.S. Companies Plan to Accelerate Global Hiring Despite Major Workforce Headaches. Companies are expanding globally and hiring more—but also admitting they can’t find or keep talent. Nearly half say attracting international workers is “very or extremely challenging,” while burnout, turnover and “quiet quitting” are still wrecking engagement. So yes, hiring is up, but so is the chaos that comes with it.
Why AI Job Cuts Are Turning Brutal. The era of cushy exits is over. Now people just lose Slack access and find out they’re fired. HR leaders say layoffs have become “sterile and surgical,” with less human interaction and more speed as AI reshapes companies. Turns out when efficiency is the goal, dignity is optional.
Have a great rest of your week!