Human resource management is the fulcrum of a company and its work structure. HR recruiting and management is a crucial process that creates an impact on all other processes of the company. Therefore, it is important to hire experienced and knowledgeable HR professionals for the team. If you are someone who wants to go ahead in the Human resource management sector, you not only depend on your college education but look towards expanding your knowledge base. If you want to expand the knowledge base, a good resource to start from is books. As a future or working HR manager, here are the must-read books you need to read for a secure future.
The Best Books for HR Managers
1. Work Rules!
Written by Laszlo Bock, the book is a resource based on human behavioral patterns. The book helps HR managers in working with people based on the different behavior they show. The Work Rules! Book also discusses HR management around behavioral economics. The book has examples from different work environments and industries of the world. Therefore, you can use these real-life examples as inspiration to better your problem-solving approach. Moreover, the book provides insights into the work culture of Google to the reader. This helps in a better understanding of a balanced work environment. The book shows an approach to creating a balance between creativity and structure for employees in the workplace. Hence, there is a lot to learn from this book.
2. Can I have it all?
Written by Anuranjita Kumar, the book is a memoir of the Chief Human Resource Officer of Citi. Therefore, when you pick this book up for a read, you can be sure that you will get insights about HR management from the best HR management officer of a leading global company. As a woman leader in the HR management sector, Kumar brings a perspective that is seldom discussed in public. In fact, the book discusses how working women can handle every aspect of their lives and the go-ahead to be leaders too. If you want to bring gender equality to the workplace, definitely read this book.
3. I am HR
The book is a refreshing pick among the current bestsellers. If you are among the new-age HR managers who are trying to make their own mark in the sector, definitely read this book. The book is written by the founder of LFR Inc. Thus. You get to see HR management through the eyes of someone who belongs to the corporate world. The book addresses the different stereotypes attached to the profile of HR managers. When you read the book, you will be able to know why HR management is seen as a boring and thankless job. The book also talks about the revival of HR management to make it more fun and employee-friendly.
4. Don’t Hire the Best
The book is written by Abhijit Bhaduri, the chief learning officer of Wipro. The book talks about hiring fresh human resources and how HR managers can approach it judiciously. The nook talks about why the right fit for a job may not be the best of the lot always. Sometimes, HR managers have to choose the right person for the job unconventionally. The decision to hire someone depends on how the HR managers look at the process and the result. The book talks about small startup scenarios and global organizations from the hiring perspective. Thus, the reader gets a complete view of the corporate world and how to handle different work environments. The book helps in understanding the process of hiring from the perspective of the company culture, the people, and the role you want to hire for. As hiring is a major responsibility for HR managers, you might want to tap into this one.
5. Quote me if you can
The book is written by NS Ranjan, the Group CHRO of Tata Sons. This specific book is one that holds a compilation of quotes from the author. It emphasizes the need for a happy working place for employees. It helps HR managers in creating a balanced and productive workplace at their companies. As the author is a leader in HR management, you get to read his words and be mentored by them.
6. Friend and Foe
The bestselling book is written by Columbia and Wharton business school professors. The book presents an academic perspective with some research-backed facts. That book talks about healthy competition in the workplace and how competition and cooperation can be balanced in the workplace. The book talks discuss the mechanism of creating a friend out of a foe and how the workplace environment affects this process. You can learn a lot about trust and cooperation building from the book. Since the book is research-backed, you can be assured of what you learn from it.
7. Good to Great
The book widely talks about what makes a company successful and includes human resource management in it. Whether you are in an HR management position or a leadership role, this is a book you must read. The book is authored by James C.Collin. The book goes in-depth into hiring the right people, leadership, and work culture. Moreover, this book will help you understand the culture of freedom and culture of discipline in the workplace. The book discusses how HR managers can balance each aspect of the work culture to create a highly productive workplace.
8. People Skills
This book is an old one, originally published in 1979. This book focuses on the importance of communication and interaction skills and how to use them. As communication and people management skills are of foremost importance for HR managers, this is a very useful book to read. Therefore, this book will help an HR manager in slipping into leadership and management roles. It helps you build speaking and listening skills in the workplace. It also helps you in the peaceful resolution of conflicts at work. The book discusses verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills in the workplace. This book is like the all-in-one guide to effective communication and HR management in your workspace.
These eight books are the bestselling, useful books that every HR manager should read at least once. Moreover, these books will help you in upskilling and upgrading your skillset in the role.