Best Human Resource Management Books

Humans are the most complex species and their potential needs to be utilized properly to run a successful organisation. Every organization has a Human Resource department for this very reason. So if you are an individual related to the department or even if you just want to improve your skillset to become more eligible for better jobs and give your career a boost, we have provided some books for you to try. Take these as personal advice and suggestions from a range of successful people who write from their own valuable experiences and learn from the best to keep pace with the changes taking place in the business ecosystem. In this blog, we will provide you with an exclusive list of HRM books to refer to for a successful career in HR, so keep reading!

Also read – Top 10 Human Resource Management challenges

List of HRM Books

These books will help you improve your approach and help you a lot so here are some HRM Books by Indian authors as well as international authors for you

Author or Publisher	Book	Source
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing	Human Resource Management	Online also available as E- Book
Dr. Nick H.M. van Dam	21st Century Corporate Learning & Development	E – Book available here
Ruth L Randall	Employee Wellbeing and Stress Management	Buy E- Book
Perry Timms	HR2025: Human Resource Management in the Future	Buy E – Book
Lesley Sage Lynne Walley	Maximizing People Potential	Buy E -Book
Manmohan Joshi	How to Deal with your Manager	Buy E- Book
Dr. Nick H.M. van Dam Dr. J. Brassey	Learning & Development: Staying Relevant	Buy E – Book
Manmohan Joshi	Supervisory Skills	Buy E- Book
MTD Training	Dealing with Conflict and Complaints	Buy E- Book
Manmohan Joshi	Training and Development	Buy E- Book
Jen Renee’ Kirby	Embracing a Culture Driven By Feedback	Buy E- Book
Eric Garner	Delegation and Empowerment	Buy E- Book
Christina Evans	HR2025: The Future of Employee Engagement	Buy E- Book
Gemma Dale Tim Scott	Effective Performance Reviews	Buy E – Book
V. S. P. Rao	Human Resource Management	Buy Here
by Jeanne C. Meister and Kevin Mulcah	The Future Workplace Experience: 10 Rules For Mastering Disruption in Recruiting and Engaging Employees	Buy here
Bjørn Z. Ekelund	Unleashing the Power of Diversity: How to Open Minds for Good	Buy here
Christopher Mulligan and Craig Taylor	Talent Keepers: How Top Leaders Engage and Retain Their Best Performers	Buy here
Sharon Armstrong & Barbara Mitchell	The Essential HR Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional	Buy here
Lucy Adams	HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different	Buy here

Also read – Understanding the human side of business

Best HRM Books for HR Professionals

We have also made a list of the best HRM books which every person in HR should definitely read –

Generation Z: A Century in the Making

By: Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace

With Generation Z entering into the workforce HR professionals need to focus on how the youngest generation, their experiences, interactions and functions within the workplace. This book will provide all HR representatives to create encouraging spaces for inclusivity and diversity. 

Unleashing Capacity: The Hidden Human Resources

By: Rita Trehan

In Unleashing Capacity: The Hidden Human Resources, is the second book on our list of HRM books because of its great potential in unravelling the new unique and hidden capacity of humans. The book is written by Rita Trehan who talks about how HR professionals can rise up in their careers and develop discernible skills to achieve their goals. 

Talent Wins: The New Playbook for Putting People First

By: Ram Charan, Dominic Barton, and Dennis Carey

Another great addition to our list of HRM books for human resource managers and aspirants; Talent Wins talks about the need to place people at the centre of all HR activities and break the age-old traditional practices that act as obstacles in the path of human capital management. The book provides insights from start-ups and companies in Silicon Valley and how they have used their human resource in an effective and efficient manner. 

First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently

 By Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Another brilliant addition to our list of HRM books is First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham. The book is based on hard facts and empirical data collected from studying hundreds of companies & organisations and millions of workers to ascertain different managerial actions that can help a company grow and advance.

Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead

By Sheryl Sandberg

Authored by Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook talks about the absence of women in workplaces and how women need to challenge themselves to reach their goals. The book is based on Sheryl Sandberg’s personal experiences intertwined with the dark reality of gender inequality in the workplace.

Also try out – Competitive exam books

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

By Kim Scott

 “Reading Radical Candor will help you build, lead, and inspire teams to do the best work of their lives. Kim Scott’s insights–based on her experience, keen observational intelligence and analysis–will help you be a better leader and create a more effective organization” says Sheryl Sandberg.

HR from the Outside In: Six Competencies for the Future of Human Resources

By Dave Ulrich, Jon Younger, Wayne Brockbank, Mike Ulrich

“This definitive work on HR competencies provides ideas and tools that help HR professionals develop their career and make their organization effective” says Edward E. Lawler III, Professor, USC

HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different

By Lucy Adams 

HR Disrupted sheds a unique light on the HR Industry and argues that the industry needs to transform in order to maintain its relevance and for proper potential utilisation. The book is based on the personal experiences of the author Lucy Adams who provides a radical perspective on the activities of contemporary HR departments. 

Unleashing the Power of Diversity 

By Bjorn Z. Ekelund

In an ever changing world of diversity, this book highlights how to make sure your company is working to improve communication between people from various cultural experiences. It talks about the importance of diversity in contemporary workplaces and how it can be used to better the organisation at large. 

Bring Your Human to Work

By Erica Keswin

A bestselling HRM book that talks about the importance of creating safe workplaces where individuals can enjoy their work and strive in a positive environment. This book will surely change your perspective on human resource management. 

Talent Keepers: How Top Leaders Engage and Retain Their Best Performers

By Christopher Mulligan and Craig Taylor

Talent Keepers is an excellent HRM book for those who wish to learn the mechanisms on how to utilise and sustain your talent and provide them with opportunities to grow in the company. 

The Power of Stay Interviews for Engagement and Retention

This book helps in hiring of good human resource personnel for the small businesses and goes a step further to explore the practical value of stay interview in order to retain employees. This book guides the small business owners to proactively address potential issues that might affect potential morale and potential loss of staff. This book also helps to create less costly solutions to address retention and engagement issues in the workplace.

Also read – Personality development: Skills, book and tips

FAQS on HRM Books

Read: Masters in Human Resource Management

There are dozens of lessons for HR professionals to learn after the global situation we have had last year due to the pandemic. These are some of the books which would be a good start for you to learn new skills and add them to your arsenal to tackle the unique challenges your organization may be experiencing or the individual skill sets you’d like to learn to boost your own career. Check out Leverage Edu for career advice and much more.