HR Books to Remember

3 min read

We like to call ourselves “bookaholics” because we enjoy reading a lot. And so are most of the HR Hub community members.

That`s why we challenged them to share their favorite HR books read so far. The result? Sixteen wonderful recommendations.

We`ve listed the titles below, for other HR bookaholics to enjoy them:‍

1."Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office" by Bill McDermot

Bill McDermot,  the CEO of the software company - SAP ilustrates what it takes to enable people and equip organizations to achieve audacious goals.

2.“Office Politics: How to Thrive in a World of Lying, Backstabbing and Dirty Tricks” by Oliver James

Using top research and  interviews, Oliver James highlights the vicious practices that catapult people to the top and shows how industries and cultures are fostering these behaviors.

3. "People as Merchandise: Crack the Code to Linkedin Recruitment" by Josef Kadlec

This book can be seen as an unorthodox LinkedIn recruitment guide for those who want to become top headhunters.

4."The shape of Engagement" by Scott Gould

Scott Gould breaks down engagement into seven simple shapes that explain what makes people form enduring connections with ideas, brands, organisations, and each other.

5.”Transformational HR: How Human Resources Can Create Value and Impact Business Strategy” by Perry Timms

This book puts transformational HR in context, exploring what has and hasn't worked. It sets out a vision of what HR can be, providing examples of and lessons from HR thought leaders who have begun to transform their workplaces.

6."Extendable Rationality. Understanding Decision Making in Organizations" by Davide Secchi

“How do people make decisions in organizations?” is the question at the core of this book. Davide Secchi applies concepts and theories from cognitive science, organizational behavior, and social psychology to explore the dynamics of decision making.

7. "The power of habit" by Charles Duhigg

Habits aren't destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

8. "Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us” by Daniel Pink

Daniel Pink analyzes the three elements of real motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose and proposes techniques for putting these into action.

9."Thinking, fast and slow" by Daniel Kahneman

A book containing practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives.

10."Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers and Challengers" by Alexander Osterwalder

Co-created by 470 "Business Model Canvas" practitioners from 45 countries, the book features a beautiful, highly visual, 4-color design that takes powerful strategic ideas and tools, and makes them easy to implement in your organization.

11. "Hire with Your Head: Using POWER Hiring to Build Great Companies" by Lou Adler

Hire With Your Head introduces the Performance-based Hiring system, a methodology designed in response to the needs of top recruits and based on how they actually look for and accept offers.

12."Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace" by  Ricardo Semler

The autobiography of Semler, who turned his family's business, the aging Semco corporation of Brazil, into the most revolutionary business success story of our time.

13."We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World" by Simon Mainwaring

Mainwaring is using case studies of powerful brands to cover a disputed subject “How to practice capitalism in a way that satisfies the need for both profit and a healthy, sustainable planet?

14."How will you measure your life?" by Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth and Karen Dillon

The book is full of case studies and instruments that can help the reader find a personal  path to fulfillment.

15."Armstrong`s Handbook of Human Resources Practice" by Lewis A. Armstrong

A great resource for HR students and professionals, it includes in-depth explanations of the key areas essential to the HR function, such as performance management, organizational behavior, employee relations and health, safety and welfare.

16."The organized mind"by Daniel Levitin

The Organised Mind, first published in 2014, is a detailed road map for the new age of information overload we are living in.

If you`ve read a great HR book lately and is not listed above, please share it with us using the comment box.