Best Human Resource Books to Prepare You for 2020
Among habits that never go out of style, reading is right up on the list. It is a great way to learn new skills, brush up on your understanding of a subject, and pick up the brightest new ideas out there. In this list of best human resources books, we discuss seven titles that combine pragmatic expertise with outside-the-box innovation.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. In this hyperactive world of continuous data bombardment, tranquil pursuits like reading continue to remain relevant. By finding time to step back from the world and pour yourself into a meaningful piece of writing, you can imbibe an incredible plethora of ideas, beliefs, histories, philosophies, and innovations. This is why reading is still a highly recommended activity for working professionals.
So, as an HR professional looking to refresh your library this holiday season, what are those essential titles that belong on your reading list? Here’s our selection.
Learn More: 5 Unmissable HR Books to Read on Book Lovers Day – With Inputs from Voxy, CorpU & SilkRoad Technology
The 7 Best Human Resource Books that Demand Your Attention
It’s always difficult to come up with a list of the best HR books. We looked at contemporary relevance, subject matter criticality, tech impact, and long-term business goal intersection when we created this list of best human resources books (in no particular order).
1. Humanity Works: Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce of the Future
by Alexandra Levit
Alexandra Levit’s best-selling “Humanity Works” considers our dynamic age when technology is transforming how we work. Levit discusses the true picture of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and automation-driven workplace.
She also looks at how mankind’s most important behavioral traits – empathy, creativity, sensitivity, morality, and judgment – will be “the glue” to hold these many forces together. Packed with inspiring case studies, Humanity Works inspires you to rethink how the H in HR could really make a difference.
Image source: Amazon.com
2. Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter
by Obi Ogbanufe
As recruiters traverse the complex and burgeoning tech landscape, the various tools/technologies they have at their disposal can sometimes feel a little daunting. This holds particularly true for technical recruiters who must have a clear understanding of the multiple hiring parameters, literally at their fingertips.
Obi Ogbanufe’s book is the technical skills primer that every technical recruiter needs by their side. From big data vocabulary, network lingo, and tech acronyms to sample questions, this is a ready reckoner that covers this dense terrain with deceptive simplicity and precision.
It is a highly recommended HR book for young technical recruiters eager to learn well and fast.
Image source: iUniverse.com
3. It’s the Manager
by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter
There’s no denying the importance of a great manager – building teams, enabling collaboration, adhering to long-term goals, and understanding unique employee needs. Clifton is Gallup’s chairman and CEO, and Harter is chief scientist of workplace management and well-being for Gallup.
Together, they have culled 52 key findings from Gallup’s study on the future of work, redirecting these ideas towards the future of modern management.
With case studies on how managers succeed (or fail), discussion on Gallup Access (its new workplace platform), and a panoramic analysis of today’s multifaceted work environment, this one is a must-have for HR leaders looking to understand strengths and manage weaknesses of their employees.
Image source: Gallup.com
4. We Can’t Talk about That at Work!
by Mary-Frances Winters
The HR professional must now be able to deal with several thorny conversations. Diversity & inclusion, sexual harassment, politics, and mental health – HR teams have to handhold employees across several sensitive areas.
But how do you talk about these issues without sounding vague, superficial, or possibly, invasive? Can a book teach you how to articulate these difficult conversations that are now happening every day in workplaces across the globe?
Winters’ new work is a guiding light of sorts, helping you to understand the nuts and bolts of effective communication, and how the right culture in any organization is that vital change agent. In her words, “come from your heart, learn from your mistakes, and continue to contribute to making this a more inclusive world for all.”
Image source: Amazon.in
5. Financial Analysis for HR Managers: Tools for Linking HR Strategy to Business Strategy
by Steven Director
A big part of being a successful HR professional lies in your ability to manage the financial aspects of your job. This includes assessing the fiscal impact of HR in long-term business objectives, preparing the most meaningful total rewards packages for employees, and ensuring that HR plays a key role in larger enterprise profitability.
Director’s book is an exhaustive how-to guide, covering almost every aspect of the financial element in HR today.
Full of illustrative examples, a breakdown of financial numbers into easy-to-understand elements, and a step-by-step primer towards designing a successful HR and financial roadmap – this is a great read for those looking to gain an absolute buy-in from CFOs.
Image source: Amazon.in
6. Rituals for Work: 50 Ways to Create Engagement, Shared Purpose, and a Culture That Can Adapt to Change
by Kursat Ozenc and Margaret Hagan
HR teams are always looking to improve employee engagement and foster a sense of purpose and meaning. Ozenc’s Rituals for Work almost steps back in time, reimagining our civilizational history of rituals to offer 50 innovative workplace rituals, geared to boost engagement.
These could significantly impact employee behavior and productivity, engender a more refined value system, and address workplace conflicts more intelligently.
At a time when HR teams are renewing their focus on employee engagement and experience, books like these are genuinely helpful because of three clear reasons:
- A variety of case studies demarcating best practices, crises, and errors in judgment
- A visually rich and creative breakdown of HR essentials to help you design a plan for engagement
- A fresh take on core HR concepts, invigorating your daily activities
Image source: Amazon.com
7. Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials
by Claire Madden
Claire Madden is recognized as one of Australia’s leading social research scientists, and Hello Gen Z deep-dives into the minds, motivations, and ambitions driving the Gen Z worker. As often discussed, Gen Zers are a whole new breed – even more evolved and more hungry and restless for change than their millennial counterparts.
Hello Gen Z is a telling wide-angled view of the world of the Gen Zer: an exciting, hyper-connected, and agile space powered by technology, innovation, and a relentless desire for growth.
If you’re looking to figure out the Gen Z mindset and you want to create a workplace environment conducive to this emerging employee segment, Hello Gen Z offers a discursive and enlightening 360-degree look into their lives and aspirations.
Image source: Clairemadden.com
Learn More: 5 Must-have HR Competencies for the 21st Century
Closing Thoughts: 3 Evergreen Titles that Refuse to Age
The seven books listed here are among the most popularly recommended HR and behavioral management titles. However, there are also other interesting books – eternal favorites that deserve mention:
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: A classic handed down through the ages, discussing life, spirituality, and the nature of the universe around us
- The Art of War by Sun Tzu: An ancient Chinese martial handbook, now every manager’s go-to for strategic interventions
- The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman: His bestselling work, chronicling the birth of the new global, hyperconnected workforce
While these books may not directly relate to the HR function, they are a great study of the human experience, the art of organization, and the world as it is today. Together, these ten books should give you a lot to think about as you prepare your HR game plan for 2020.
What is, in your opinion, the best human resources book you have ever read? Tell us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. We’d love to hear your views!