5 Books Every Hiring Manager Should Read

At ApplicantStack, we know hiring is a challenging, mysterious combination of art and science. That’s why we jump at the chance to read any books that illuminate the subject, or take a new perspective on traditional thinking. If you’re looking for a last-minute book for your summer reading list, check out what we’ve been chatting about at the ApplicantStack water cooler.

Reinventing Jobs

A 4-Step Approach for Applying Automation to Work

Automatization of work tasks has people more worried than enthusiastic. And this fear is actually causing health problems. One study even found that employees who believe their job may be automatized in the future have poorer physical and mental health as a result. Are you one of the 72% of Americans who are concerned about a future in which robots take over human jobs? John W. Boudreau’s new book, released in October of 2018, will calm those fears. If you’re already enamored with automation, it will stoke your enthusiasm and give you some concrete ideas to put into action. Boudreau’s philosophy aligns very much with our own goals for human resources.  Automatization can be used to optimize tasks so that what needs a critical eye can be done by man, while the mundane work is done by machine. Preorder it here.

Social Media Recruitment

How to Successfully Integrate Social Media into Recruitment Strategy

Andy Headworth is the original social media guru. This guide to the social media landscape is every bit as relevant today as it was in 2015. Why? Rather than taking a silver bullet approach which would become obsolete in months, Headworth details overall strategies that will be just as useful tomorrow as they were when they were written. He approaches social media as the double-edged sword that it is. While recruiters are searching social media for potential new hires, those applicants are also investigating any potential employers. Jobvite’s 2017 Recruiter Nation study found that half of recruiters and agencies plan to increase their social media and professional networking budgets. With so many recruiters under-utilizing this tool, this book will help HR managers spend that money wisely. Buy it here.

Victory Through Organization

Why the War for Talent Is Failing Your Company and What You Can Do About It

Any book coauthored by Dave Ulrich, HR Magazine’s most influential thinker of the decade, is worth a second glance. This particular guide focuses on establishing HR “as a prominent strategic partner of business” and embracing this department’s role in “creating an organization that is greater – and performs greater – than the sum of its employees’ parts.” Applicants are more than their resumes. Each candidate has untapped potential. This book teaches HR managers and recruiters how to see and cultivate it. Purchase the book on Amazon.

Hidden Value

How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People

We could be filling this list entirely with books by prolific business author Jeffrey Pfeffer, but this one stands out . Although written in 2000, it stands the test of time. The “war for talent” is still raging, and the advice here is still apt. Pfeffer explains that through organizational changes and philosophies, a new hire can quickly become a star. Recruiters don’t have to look for superstars at the expense of ‘ordinary’ workers. Part of the role of HR is to nurture the under-engaged worker into the extraordinary one. You can find the book through Pfeffer’s website.

The Power of People

Learn How Successful Organizations Use Workforce Analytics to Improve Business Performance

At ApplicantStack, we’re all about the data. Numbers reveal greater truths about processes and organizations – if you know what you’re looking at. (That’s one reason we include so many customizable reports in our software.) If you didn’t think a business book could double as a beach read, you haven’t picked this one up. With entertaining stories, vignettes, and case studies, it’s an in-depth guide to leveraging data, storytelling, and visualization to build your company’s “dream team.” Buy it here.