The field of Human Resource Management (HRM) is constantly developing. To remain relevant as an HR professional, you must stay updated on classic HR concepts, as well as the latest news and information. In this article, we list 26 must-read HR books that will help you do your job better, whether you’re a seasoned HR practitioner or just getting started in the field.
We’ve broken down this list of the best books on Human Resources into four categories: HR management, popular HR literature, HR books for beginners, and HR analytics. In addition to these great reads, our Ultimate HR Cheat Sheet is a helpful desk-side guide, perfect for quick answers, formulas, and reminders while you handle real HR challenges.
Now let’s dive into the book list!
Contents
HR management books
Popular literature on HR
HR books for beginners
HR analytics books
HR management books
The following HR management books provide overviews of the HR field and key HR theories and concepts. They explain and discuss HR’s main responsibilities and how to handle them effectively.
1. Work for Humans: Building Sustainable Employee Experience Strategies
Dr. Dieter Veldsman and Dr. Marna van der Merwe
Co-authored by AIHR’s Dr. Dieter Veldsman and Dr. Marna van der Merwe, Work for Humans: Building Sustainable Employee Experience Strategies provides an innovative look into employee experience (EX), a crucial aspect of HRM. It’s a must-read for researchers, academics, and professionals in industrial and organizational psychology, HRM and HR development, organizational leadership, and behavioral and social science-related disciplines.
2. Human Resource Management
Gary Dessler
Human Resource Management, written by Gary Dessler, is a 700-page HR bible and is arguably one of the most-read HR study books. Over the course of its 18 chapters, the book examines the key aspects of HR and provides a practical and step-by-step explanation of its cornerstones. These are defined in five parts: recruitment, placement and talent management, training and development, compensation, and employee relations.
3. HR from the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources
Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank, and Mike Ulrich
This well-researched book by Dave Ulrich and his esteemed colleagues is all about the competencies an HR professional should have, such as capability-building, being a technology proponent, being a change champion, and driving innovation and integration. In addition, since these roles sometimes conflict, they’re all placed within a larger strategic context that forms the final competency: the strategic positioner.
4. Victory Through Organization
Dave Ulrich, David Kryscynski, Wayne Brockbank, and Mike Ulrich
This book analyzes the HR function, using a competency study of over 30,000 HR professionals, business leaders, and associates. This research provides insight into how HR can add the most value, and how it’s created not only for HR and staff but also for the business, investors, owners, communities, and line managers. The book also covers themes like employee performance, integrated HR practices, and HR analytics.
5. The HR Scorecard: Linking People, Strategy, and Performance
Brian Becker, Mark Huselid, and Dave Ulrich
Based on authors Brian E. Becker, Mark A. Huselid, and Dave Ulrich’s ongoing study of almost 3,000 companies, The HR Scorecard lays out a seven-step approach to align Human Resources systems with overall business strategy (i.e., what they refer to as an HR Scorecard) and to measure HR effectiveness in ways that resonate with line managers and CEOs. The book also explains how to link and quantify people, strategy, and performance.
6. Strategic Human Resource Management: An HR Professional’s Toolkit
Karen Beaven
This functional guide is a comprehensive HR resource that explains how knowing yourself, your business, your industry, and your profession can help you add strategic value to an organization. Written by Karen Beaven, founder of London-based HR consulting agency PXI, the book redefines HR’s mindset from managing human capital to directing the people experience. It even covers how self-care and mental wellbeing can affect performance.
7. The New HR Leader’s First 100 Days: How To Start Strong, Hit The Ground Running & Achieve Success Faster As A New Human Resources Manager, Director or VP
Alan Collins
This book offers easy-to-follow steps and insights to guide new leaders to a productive first 100 days. It reveals how to confidently take charge in a new role, hit the ground running, earn respect, and make an immediate impact. Author Alan Collins, a former VP of HR at PepsiCo, covers 17 proven rules gathered from best practices he learned in his extensive experience coaching and working with people from every level of HR leadership.
8. HR Tech Strategy: Revolutionizing Employee Experience Through HR-Tech Synergy
Marlene de Koning
HR Tech Strategy explains how HR and technology can integrate to improve EX and achieve organizational success. Drawing from her experience as PwC’s Director of HR Tech & Data, author Marlene de Koning provides a practical guide on aligning tech-driven HR initiatives with business goals. The book includes real-world examples of HR-IT collaboration and offers strategies to combine advanced tech with people-focused HR practices.
9. Weathering the Storm: A Guide to Building Resilient Teams
Julian Roberts
Weathering the Storm by Julian Roberts is a practical guide to building resilience in teams. An executive coach and leadership expert, Roberts uses his psychology background and corporate experience to provide actionable strategies to create a shared purpose, ensuring psychological safety, and encouraging authentic leadership. He also highlights the value of diversity, connections in remote work, and turning challenges into opportunities.
10. Immortal HR: The Death and Resurrection of Ms. H. (Harriet) R. (Rose) Job
Marc S. Miller
Immortal HR tells the story of Ms. Harriet Rose Job (representing the HR function), who tackles the challenges of COVID-19. It shows how HR professionals became crucial in helping organizations through crises by working with colleagues like Mr. Arturo Intelligenti (Artificial Intelligence) and Ms. Anna Lytics (Analytics). Drawing from lessons learned during the pandemic, the book helps HR professionals increase their impact and stay relevant in the field.
11. Learn Solve Thrive: Making a Difference That Matters in a Fast and Complex World
Kathryn Lee Hume
Learn Solve Thrive looks at the vital role of effective learning in “a fast and complex world”. Using insights from neuroscience, psychology, and real-world experiences, author Kathryn Hume shares strategies to boost learning abilities, improve mental and physical performance, and maintain motivation. The book highlights the importance of lifelong learning and is a useful resource for anyone working in a complex field like HRM.
Invest in long-term HR skills and knowledge development
HR job requirements have changed drastically over the years, and will continue to do so. Regularly upskilling can help you stay ahead of changing demands.
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✅ Unlock all HR resources, templates, and essential guides by signing up
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✅ Preview AIHR’s courses and certificate programs to help you decide which one to take.
Popular literature on HR
The Human Resources books in this section have wide appeal and real-world impact, because they are written by HR practitioners for HR practitioners.
12. The Talent Delusion: Why Data, Not Intuition, Is the Key to Unlocking Human Potential
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
The Talent Delusion is an easy-to-read book stuffed full of scientific facts about talent management. It covers what talent is, how to measure, engage, and develop it, and the future of talent. One notable insight is the difference between ‘normal’ and top performance. For some, there’s a big gap between the two, while for others, they’re similar. The book teaches you how to select the latter group of people for maximum business benefit.
13. Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead
Laszlo Bock
In his book Work Rules!, Laszlo Bock, Google’s former VP of People Operations, describes the company’s best HR practices. He stresses the importance of company culture, Google’s ability to consistently select high performers, the role of data in HR, why you should compensate “unfairly”, and how to handle HR mistakes. This book also outlines best practices you can replicate immediately in your own organization to improve people management.
14. HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different
Lucy Adams
This book examines the future role of HR and how HR teams can lead, manage, engage, and support employees in a radically different way. Author Lucy Adams discusses how disruptive HR is when it regards employees as adults, consumers, and, most importantly, humans. She also uses a series of interesting, recognizable examples from her role as the BBC’s HR Director to illustrate how to manage people better in a disruptive digital business environment.
15. Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World
Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall
Nine Lies About Work uses a science-based approach to debunk nine common myths, such as “the best plan wins” and “the best people are well-rounded”. Through engaging stories and insightful analysis, the authors posit the idea that team strength and cohesiveness, not company culture, matter most. The book also encourages focusing less on top-down planning and more on giving the workforce reliable, real-time intelligence.
16. HR Rising!!: From Ownership to Leadership
Steve Browne
In this book, bestselling author Steve Browne inspires HR professionals to move beyond a support function mindset and embrace intentional leadership. Browne explains and positions his formula of People + Processes = Results as an alternative to the model of working backward from results to processes, with people as an afterthought. The book’s storytelling and fresh insights will help you start leading from where you are right now.
17. Belonging at Work: Everyday Actions You Can Take to Cultivate an Inclusive Organization
Rhodes Perry, MPA
This book clarifies how, despite being separate concepts, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging must work together. The author also argues that a sense of belonging is essential to the future of work, and explains how to create this atmosphere for employees. Using personal stories and actionable strategies, the book outlines tactics that anyone in any role can use to create an equitable organization that reflects its communities and customers.
18. The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
Amy C. Edmondson
This book defines psychological safety as a “climate in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves”. Drawing from 20 years of research, author Amy C. Edmondson delves into the connection between psychological safety and strong performance, using real-life public and private sector case studies. She also provides practical steps leaders must take to build psychological safety to nurture a fearless organization.
19. The Way of the HR Warrior: Leading the Charge to Transform Your Career and Organization
Monica Frede and Keri Ohlrich, PhD
Authors Monica Frede and Keri Ohlrich intend this book to inspire a revolution within the HR profession and demonstrate its true power in an organization. They use a witty, tough-love approach to walk readers through their CHARGE™ model, which explains the essential qualities of Courage, Humility, Accuracy, Resilience, Goal-Orientedness, and Exemplary, which all HR pros must have and can apply to their own organizations.
20. Putting The Human Back Into HR: Success as an HR Professional Begins With You
Su Patel
This book provides practical advice for maintaining the balance between meeting employee needs and creating business value. It covers the five areas (partnership, process, productivity, performance, and progress) that HR professionals must become proficient in to be their most effective. Based on nearly three decades in HR, author Su Patel offers insights on how to be a valued, respected partner who helps create a desirable work environment.
HR books for beginners
If you’re just starting out in the HR field, the following books will bring you up to speed on facts and strategies to help you perform your job well. Although these are among the best HR books for beginners, established HR professionals can also find them useful.
21. The Big Book of HR
Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem
The 10th anniversary edition of The Big Book of HR is an updated, comprehensive guide to HR issues, processes, and best practices. Written by two experienced HR professionals, the book reflects on changes in HR and explores current and emerging trends. It also covers both the strategic and functional aspects of managing talent, including information on topics like DEIB, managing remote workers, and the impact of changing technologies.
22. The Essential HR Handbook
Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell
This bestseller offers ideas and resources for all critical HR functions. The updated 10th anniversary edition contains current tips, checklists, tools, and sample forms to help you navigate different HR challenges. Each chapter covers a core HR element and concludes with a “Main Message for Managers” section. These summaries provide quick access to the key points to refer to when real-life situations relevant to the subject matter arise.
23. Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice
Michael Armstrong with Stephen Taylor
This book is a classic resource for HR students and practitioners seeking to understand and implement HR. It offers thorough explanations of all key HR areas, including employee relations, performance management, and organizational behavior. This updated version of the book includes expanded information on recent HRM developments, new employment law information, and an exploration of international concerns within HRM.
HR analytics books
Data-driven decision-making has become crucial in HR. The HR analytics books in this section focus on helping HR professionals make decisions based on factual information using data.
24. Predictive HR Analytics: Mastering the HR Metric
Kirsten Edwards and Martin Edwards
HR analytics classes often use this book as reading material. Using case studies, the authors explore metrics and analytics related to DEIB, employee turnover (including predictive turnover analytics), attitudes, performance, and recruitment. Using detailed examples, the text provides a comprehensible framework to help HR practitioners measure progress and effectively apply people analytics and statistical techniques.
25. Investing in people: Financial Impact of Human Resource Initiatives
Wayne Cascio and John Boudreau
In this book, the authors take a highly structured, data-driven approach to solving common HR problems and dive deep into strategic HR measurement. While it’s fairly technical, the book is still understandable to the layperson. It explores case studies on absenteeism, employee turnover, employee wellbeing, engagement, and more. It also offers tools and a structured approach to measure the cost and impact of interventions.
26. The Practical Guide to HR Analytics: Using Data to Inform, Transform, and Empower HR Decisions
Shonna D. Waters, Valerie N. Streets, Lindsay McFarlane, and Rachael Johnson-Murray
This book describes how to use data to find solutions for HR challenges. Through examples of common business obstacles, the authors explain how to identify areas where analytics are useful, and how to understand, implement, and maximize the impact of different metrics and analytics. The book outlines four levels of data analytics complexity and uses an easy-to-follow format to teach you how to use data analytics as a problem-solving tool.
The benefit of books
Challenging yourself with continual learning is essential to professional growth. For HR professionals, reading books on HR is an excellent way to do this. By drawing from in-depth information and fresh perspectives from experts in the field, you’ll gain insight that will help you thrive in your HR role Building your knowledge, generating new ideas, and keeping up with the constantly changing world of HR puts you in a better position to advance your career.
Happy reading!
