Human Resource is a field that is constantly evolving. From new hiring regulations to employee retention techniques, it’s crucial for HR professionals to continue learning and acquiring new skills. One way to do this is to read.
What are some HR books that are worth reading? We’ve asked 7 professionals to share their favorite human resource books to read for professional development. Take a look to find some weekend reads that will improve your skills as an HR professional.
People Skills: How To Assert Yourself, Listen To Others, And Resolve Conflicts
Any HR professional knows that people are the most important part of their job. This book, written by Robert Bolton, helps HR professionals develop the communication skills needed to better serve the people they work with.
Candi Luciano, Y Scouts
Working
Human Resources is about serving people. There’s no better book that captures how people feel about their work than Working, arguably the masterpiece of Studs Terkel’s storybook career. Working was written in the early 70’s, and uses oral history to document extensive interviews where people talk about what they do all day. No matter what page you turn to, there’s an excerpt that will cause any HR professional to gain a new perspective on the daily challenges a workforce experiences.
Brett Farmiloe, Markitors
Powerful
All of the leaders on our team got together to read Powerful by former Netflix Chief Talent Officer, Patty McCord. She outlines some of the early decisions that went into building the culture at Netflix, and the unorthodox principles that led to their success later on. We tend to hear the same ideas over and over in HR, but McCord stresses things like “radical honesty,” doing away with performance reviews, and creating “feedback days.” It’s a great discourse that challenges the traditional approach to culture, and one that every HR professional should take the time to read.
Zack McCarty, Qwick
The Talent Delusion
Written by Tomas chamorro-Premuzic, this book covers what talent is and isn’t, how to measure talent, how to engage it, develop it, the dark side of talent and the future of talent. A great read for anyone working in HR or the staffing industry!
Jon Schneider, Recruiterie
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People
The book I would recommend to anyone involved in leading and shaping an organization is Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People by Donna Hicks.
I believe that the success of any organization, whether government, business or non-profit, resides on how people treat each other. When people understand how to honor dignity, which is different from respect, and how to not unintentionally violate each other’s dignity, then not only do organizations flourish, but so do families, societies, nations and the world.
Philip Botha, Culture Advantage
Diversity in the Workplace & Closing the Gap: 5 Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture
It goes without saying that we all have miles to go in terms of diversity, inclusion and removing unconscious bias in our HR practices. I’ve recently read and enjoyed Diversity in the Workplace by Bärí A. Williams and Closing the Gap: 5 Steps to Creating an Inclusive Culture by Teresa Boughey.
Rosalind Smith, Mauve Group
The Infinite Game
In this book, Simon Sinek demonstrates how having an infinite game mindset can make a strong impact on the world around you.
Steven Brown, DP Electric Inc