The world of Human Resources is an ever-changing one with new ideas, strategies, practices, and technologies being introduced each day. To cope up with this and to remain relevant in the job market, HR professionals should commit themselves to lifelong learning. Whether it is a physical book, an audiobook, or an e-reader, professionals can choose the format as per their preferences as long as they learn and gather the knowledge shared between the covers of the books.
The following five books are recommended:
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently:
This book, jointly authored by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, provides insight into the practices of the most successful managers in the world.
The book stresses the fact that the greatest and the most efficient managers give more importance to talent than experience. It projects front-line managers and their importance in steering companies towards growth and success.
HR From the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources:
Filled with stories, instances, and survey data, this book is the storehouse of valuable insights for HR leaders. Written by Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank, and Mike Ulrich, it talks about six competencies that every HR professionals must possess.
It focuses on turning the external business trends and the expectations of the stakeholders into internal actions. The book provides guidelines to HR leaders on how to value employees, organizations, investors, communities, and customers.
Why Employees Don’t Do What They’re Supposed to Do and What to Do About It:
This book is The New York Times bestselling guide on how to get the best out of each employee. The recent version has been introduced keeping in mind the modern workspaces and their requirements. The author Ferdinand F. Fournies, gives simple and proven methods helping HR leaders to better handle situations where employees underperform or do not perform as they should.
The book features reasons and solutions to this very common problem. Budding HR individuals should consult this book for improving their people-management skills too.
Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy:
The HR department of any company needs to initiate and implement programs that are in tune with the principal business strategies. Written by Linda Holbeche, the book focuses on how HR can be transformed into a strategic partner.
It throws light on particular strategies related to areas like recruitment, employee development, retention, and succession planning. A major part of the book involves case studies of different HR strategies that have worked wonderfully.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t:
This book authored by Jim Collins explains why leaders should not be satisfied with mediocre teams. This is a great book for anyone willing to grow along with the team or the company that he or she is a part of.
The book provides the six fundamental features of companies that have emerged from good to great. It also highlights the journeys of companies like Wells Fargo, Philip Morris, Gillette, Kroger, etc.
