When it comes to Human Resources, you always have to stay up to date with the latest advances in this ever-changing field. Whatever your role within HR might be, a recruiter, a coordinator, an assistant, you need to expand your knowledge and keep up with the current trends to stay relevant. That's not always easy as there are many human resources books on the subject. That's why we picked just a few essentials for you to start.
The 9 faces of HR
This book will give you a unique and fresh look into the various types of people HR leaders tend to classify. It's an easy read, fun, and great for understanding your role in your organization and what your responsibilities are and should be. Kris (the writer) measures people based on their empathy levels, how detail-oriented they are, and how assertive they can be, and then designates their "face". This human resource book came out in 2019 and is an essential read.
HR from the Outside In: Competencies for the Future of Human Resources
Thought-provoking, this HR book always asks you to consider the lens through which you look at the world. This author offers a different perspective on things, which can sometimes be challenging. It starts with a staggering amount of information and research, giving it credibility. It has many excellent theories that seem more tailored to big companies and less to small businesses.
The Essential HR Handbook
A must-have human resource management book is available on the market out there. It is essential for any decent HR library. It is excellent if you are a beginner and good enough to come back from time to time.
This should be required reading for new managers as well. The author was writing it with the US workforce in mind but still contains a few gems written in an easy-to-read style.
Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
The insights in this book are basically data. Data drives everything at Google, and so it goes for their HR. This human resources book offers a great analysis of many standard HR processes and includes many older references, like some used in the mid-'90s. It critiques traditional, command-oriented, no imagination of managing people. It is still profitable but also very low effort. Simply put, this means that some managers are afraid of the change.
HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion by Steve Browne
The main word we would use to describe this book is a little nerdy, informative, sprinkled with cringiness, but still very informative. This human resource book is all about emphasizing the human part. Know your employees and know their needs. Personally. As many as you can.
This book encourages HR to serve not only the bosses but also its employees. Yes, this sounds a bit corny, but it is excellent in teaching you how to connect with people.
Human resources book filled with data: Victory Through Organization
The first half of this book is primarily on data present in many studies and external statistics. The other half is putting that data into context. If there is any flaw in this book, we can say that it tends to read like a science report. The sheer amount of data, tables, diagrams, and lists can sometimes get a little overwhelming. However, this is a good read if you are an HR professional or a boss yourself. IT is too dry for the casual reader, but it is a must-read if you are running an HR department.
Rituals for Work: 50 Ways to Create Engagement, Shared Purpose, and a Culture That Can Adapt to Change
This HR book is a good resource on rituals and traditions prevalent in the workplace. This HR book explains how some rituals and traditions create a healthy and vibrant work environment. In addition, it teaches the value of good company culture and how it directly impacts an individual's imagination, creativity, and productivity. With a lot of cool drawings and graphics, we recommend you get a hardcover for this because they look a little clunky in the digital version.
Predictive HR Analytics: Mastering the HR Metric
First and foremost, this is a very specialist HR book. It is written for a niche, expert audience about analyzing the performance of a company's HR department. When you read this, you should understand how to gather, research, analyze and interpret HR data to benefit your company better. Don't get us wrong, this is not some Orwellian book that teaches you to nitpick on every minor transgression your employees do. Instead, this book seeks to provide a better way of using statistical modeling and analytical techniques. Yes, it is a dry read but, it is well written and essential.
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
Powerful and thought-provoking, this book offers case studies and stories that showcase the psychological role safety can play in the success or failure of teams, projects, and other company-wide endeavors. This HR book showcases the need for a free workplace, where people embrace speaking their minds. A good employee will articulate their needs or issues, directly affecting their satisfaction rate. Happy companies have a lower turnover rate, and this book teaches you how to achieve just that.
Where to find more human resources books?
We should always strive to challenge ourselves and our ways of thinking. The worst thing we can do to ourselves both personally and professionally is to stand in one place and stagnate. By challenging ourselves and constantly seeking knowledge, we will gain fresh perspectives and solve problems more effectively.
We hope our list gives you a good resource for expanding your understanding and expertise in this vast field of human resources. Meanwhile, there are still many excellent websites that specialize in books, science, and other intelligent information. Don't just mindlessly go to Google. Check out www.refseek.com - Academic Resource Search with more than a billion sources (encyclopedias, monographs, magazines). Finally, don't forget to check out www.worldcat.org - here you can find the contents of 20 thousand worldwide libraries. Find out where lies the nearest rare book you need is.