Recruiting can be hard, especially in a competitive market and with the rapidly changing environment in recruitment technology.
Gone are the days where recruiters, whether in-house or agencies, could make hiring decisions based purely on a candidate’s resume. Now, there is software to help recruiters make important decisions. But all of this comes with a learning curve. And it’s more important than ever for recruiters to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices to make sure they’re making the right decisions.
To give you a headstart on making the best recruitment decisions in 2020, we’ve handpicked 15 must-read recruitment books. There’s a healthy mix of advice and tips from top recruiters around the world on subjects like technical recruiting, skills, and best practices.
Whether you’re recruiting for a small business, a large organization, or an agency, you’ll be able to find a book on this list that helps with your recruitment journey.
What’s in?
- The Robot-Proof Recruiter: A Survival Guide for Recruitment and Sourcing Professionals
- Full Stack Recruiter: New Secrets Revealed
- The Savage Truth: Lessons in Leadership, Business, and Life from 40 Years in Recruitment
- The Science of Talent: How to find, grow and keep the right people in your organization
- Talent Without Borders: Global Talent Acquisition for Competitive Advantage
- Strengths-Based Recruitment and Development: A Practical Guide to Transforming Talent Management Strategy for Business Results
- How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive
- Internal Recruitment: Getting The Basics Right
- Recruitment and Selection: Strategies for Workforce Planning & Assessment
- The Book of Recruiting; Da Costa Style
- Hack Recruiting: The Best of Empirical Research, Method and Process, and Digitization
- Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter, Second Edition: A Technical Skills Primer
- Evidence-Based Recruiting: How to Build a Company of Star Performers Through Systematic and Repeatable Hiring Practices
- The Problem Isn’t Their Paycheck: How to Attract Top Talent and Build a Thriving Company Culture
- D & I Has Died: How The Birth Of Socially Responsible Recruitment Erases Bias and Drives Profit
Let’s get reading! 🤓
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1. The Robot-Proof Recruiter: A Survival Guide for Recruitment and Sourcing Professionals
The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Katrina Collier is a modern-day recruiting guide that focuses on how to improve the candidate experience and use technology better.
This read revolves around a recruiter’s role with modern-day tools such as AI, robotics, and chatbots. As this kind of technology becomes commonplace in a recruiter’s toolkit, you must learn how to harness it to attract and recruit the right people effectively.
The Robot-Proof Recruiter takes a look at how social media and digital sourcing strategies are only part of the recruiting puzzle, and how posting a job or sending a LinkedIn InMail is no longer enough. Beyond that, it gives recruiters practical tips on what works (and what doesn’t), and how you can stand out and recruit effectively in a world of technology overload.
What do the reviews say?
“This book is for everyone that has the responsibility for hiring – this includes in-house HR and Talent Acquisition and Recruitment team members, Hiring Managers, HRD’s all the way up to CEO’s – your people make your company and Katrina covers every aspect of ensuring you are a people-centric company that will continue to grow and thrive in every competitive market.”
2. Full Stack Recruiter: New Secrets Revealed
Following up on “Full Stack Recruiter: The Modern Recruiter’s Guide,” author Jan Tegze published Full Stack Recruiter: Hidden Secrets for Top Recruiters and Sourcers. This pick is for recruiters who already have the basics nailed, and need a guide on how to learn other skills and new information about hiring top talent.
Written by Tegze, who is an experienced top recruiter with years of experience dealing with companies and candidates herself, this book is overflowing with unique insights for recruiters wanting to further their careers in the industry.
The book is a perfect fit for recruiters who:
- Already work in the industry but want to become a top professional recruiter
- Are looking for new, unique inside tips about the industry
- Want to learn how to source and find the best people in the business effectively
What do the reviews say?
“As someone that has been in Talent Acquisition for almost a decade, I quickly found that to be successful in this industry, and you have to be a voracious learner and having Full Stack Recruiter: New Secrets Revealed in your arsenal is a great way to stay sharp. I really enjoyed the first few chapters dedicated to creative sourcing on non-typical platforms like Medium, WordPress, and AirBnB, which really got me thinking outside of the usual Boolean strings. In addition, I enjoyed the chapters dedicated to recruiting, growth hacking, typography, content, and storytelling as they round out the book well. It is an easy read, and is worth picking up whether you be a Recruiting Coordinator on the first day of the job or a seasoned TA professional.”
3. The Savage Truth: Lessons in Leadership, Business, and Life from 40 Years in Recruitment
The Savage Truth by Greg Savage takes a unique look at the recruitment industry from someone who has been in the trenches.
The book is split into two parts. The first details Savage’s early life and career path while reflecting on how much business has changed over the past 40 years. The second part looks at Savage’s learnings and advises those in the recruitment industry. Savage talks about how to scale a start-up, preparing for, surviving, and managing a recession, building a personal brand, recruitment marketing, hiring great people, and the attitudes that shape success.
But most importantly, Savage talks about what it takes to make a great recruiter. Although it’s written from a first-hand perspective, the book is littered with historical facts, and Savage is upfront about the mistakes he has made—so you can learn from them.
What do the reviews say?
“The Savage Truth could be regarded as a ‘bible’ for how to succeed in business. I, for one, will make this compulsory reading in my own organization – it is exciting and inspirational.”
4. The Science of Talent: How to find, grow and keep the right people in your organization
As a recruiter, you likely hear every day how vital talent is for the overall success of your business. But what does “talent” mean, and how does it happen?
In the recruitment world, it can be difficult for anyone who wants to know more, to really understand what is done and why it is done in a particular way. In “The Science of Talent,” Kate O’Loughlin takes a more in-depth look into some of the more daunting questions recruiters face:
- Should you get rid of appraisals?
- Should Millennials be treated differently?
- Should you tell people they are ‘talent’ and others that they are not?
O’Loughlin uses science to take a deeper look at the theories behind these ideas—and what alternatives are available to you as a recruiter.
What do the reviews say?
“This powerful book completely demystifies the subject of talent management, examining the research behind different approaches and looking at the end to end process required to manage it well. Comprehensive and insightful. I particularly liked the mini case studies bringing every part of the process to life!”
5. Talent Without Borders: Global Talent Acquisition for Competitive Advantage
We all know that talent is one of the most critical resources for our company. But you also know that sourcing that talent is hard, and it boils down to finding it at the right place at the right time.
In Talent Without Borders, recruiters can learn how they can survive this in the modern working environment by identifying, attracting, hiring, and retaining talent through the effective use of global recruitment and staffing. The book by Robert E. Ployhart, Jeff A. Weekley and Julian Dalzell uses a century’s worth of science and gives recruiters a practical approach to acquiring talent globally.
In this book, you will learn how to implement global staffing solutions and the importance of using analytics and data to enable evidence-based decisions. You will also learn how to build a hiring strategy focused on culture and competitive advantage while looking after the entire talent life cycle, from attraction through retention.
What do the reviews say?
“I’ve been a Chief Human Resource Office for many years and am now an HR faculty member. If this book had been around in the past, it would have been required reading for my HR team, and it is now my textbook of choice for my selection/staffing class. It is thorough and comprehensive, a great tool for practitioners as well as those who want to learn more about the ins and outs of staffing organizations. One of the key strengths of this book is laying out the case and methods for tying the staffing process to the organization’s goals and strategy. It is definitely not a ‘light read’ (like many business books); it requires the reader to think and pay attention, but you will be glad you did.”
6. Strengths-Based Recruitment and Development: A Practical Guide to Transforming Talent Management Strategy for Business Results
Strengths-Based Recruitment and Development by Sally Bibb looks at how the recruitment strategy is used by companies like Saga, Gap, Starbucks, and SABMiller to retain top performers.
The idea of the strategy is to shift the focus of what a recruiter looks for. Instead of looking for what people can do, strengths-based recruitment encourages recruiters to look at what candidates naturally enjoy doing. The book claims companies who use this approach have reported results, including a 50% drop in staff turnover, a 20% increase in productivity, and a 12% increase in customer satisfaction within a matter of months.
The book is overflowing with case studies and interviews with executive board level leaders to back-up their claims. This gives recruiters a unique insight into how top-performing companies and have implemented the strategy, and what it has meant to their company’s performance—and bottom line.
What do the reviews say?
“The subject of Strengths falls within the auspices of the growing field of Positive Psychology, which is gathering momentum. Part of this momentum relies heavily on truly practical applied applications of the subject – which this book gives in abundance. This is a must-read for anyone who is seeking to engage and develop people – including themselves. Technically brilliant and written with passion and authenticity.”
The state of diversity recruiting in 2020
7. How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive
Just how important is diversity when it comes to your recruitment strategy?
In How To Be An Inclusive Leader, diversity and inclusion expert Jennifer Brown gives recruiters a step-by-step guide on how they can create an inclusive workplace for every member of their team. The result? Everyone is welcomed, valued, respected, and heard.
Diversity is becoming more and more important in the way recruiters hire talent. On the flip side, the talent pool in which we are hiring candidates is becoming increasingly diverse. So it’s more important than ever for recruiters to fully understand how they can support inclusion and diversity in their hiring processes.
In this book, Brown shows recruiters like you how you can become an inclusive leader through four developmental stages: unaware, aware, active, and advocate. At the end of the journey, you will be able to drastically change the day-to-day reality for your colleagues and the trajectory of your organization.
What do the reviews say?
“How to Be an Inclusive leader is a book that EVERY leader must own. Everyone wants to be more inclusive, but few understand what that entails and how to get started. The goal of being more diverse and inclusive has become the new exercise routine, you know you have to do it, but actually doing it is rare, because it requires discipline and change. Jennifer will guide you in this process and help reveal opportunities for growth that you’ve never thought of before. The future of our business world is demanding this behavioral shift, and this book will help you begin the process to be the inclusive leader that you truly want and need to be.”
8. Internal Recruitment: Getting The Basics Right
In Internal Recruitment: Getting The Basics Right, Paul Myers argues that there’s no big secret to recruitment, so we should all be getting it right.
This book strips back recruitment to basics so recruiters can re-visit what’s important: identifying a vacancy, analyzing the requirements, attracting and engaging with talent, reviewing applications, screening, shortlisting, and hiring the best candidate. Myers says modern-day recruiters are being replaced by technology and tools that are designed to make the process more efficient. However, AI and recruiting tools shouldn’t impact the candidate’s experience.
In this book, recruiters will get a crash course on the basic foundations in recruitment, and how these can significantly increase recruitment efficiency and performance.
What do the reviews say?
“I have been working in recruitment for a long time and found some great tips in this one which I had not thought about before, highly recommend!”
9. Recruitment and Selection: Strategies for Workforce Planning & Assessment
Are you struggling with your recruitment strategy?
Carrie Picardi’s Recruitment and Selection: Strategies for Workforce Planning & Assessment explores, in-depth, the best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating strategies for hiring top talent.
The book focuses on a job analysis framework, which teaches recruiters how to find and assess the right candidates accurately and ethically. We’ve put this one on the list as it’s a healthy mix of theory and practical tips, so you can instantly put the practices into place to start improving your hiring processes.
What do the reviews say?
“This book reads like a user manual, thorough and concise. It gives an outline for recruiting and hiring personnel. It helps gauge employee packages in relation to their experience. Recruitment strategies; both internal and external. I would say that this book more than covers most businesses hiring needs.”
10. The Book of Recruiting; Da Costa Style
A controversial addition on our list is our next pick: The Book of Recruiting; Da Costa Style. Written by Dean Da Costa, who has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences, including Sourcecon, Talent42, and Recruiting trends, the book provides tips, tricks, methods, and philosophies for beginner recruiters.
Costa calls the book a “great quick reference guide,” filled with his advice from more than 20 years in the recruitment industry. It’s an ideal read for those who want to see how another recruiter built processes from the ground up, and how they can use the examples to make positive changes in their business.
What do the reviews say?
“Great book to have in your recruiting library. There’s lots of useful information for both new and experienced recruiters. If you’re stuck in a search and need some new ideas, this is great. Dean is one of the top tool guys in the industry, and there’s a ton of good info here.”
11. Hack Recruiting: The Best of Empirical Research, Method and Process, and Digitization
The recruitment game is changing. Recruiters are embracing tools like AI and pre-assessments.
In Hack Recruiting, Victor Assad explores research from psychologists on how to best match candidates to jobs and shows how to use it alongside today’s digital technology. The book looks at how recruiters can make improvements in their processes like reducing recruiting cycle times, costs, and selection biases. It will also walk you through how to improve candidate experience and collect insightful analytics that can supercharge the way you hire digitally.
What do the reviews say?
“Hack Recruiting is a well researched strategic (and tactical) guidebook for anyone who believes that every great company is built from its great people. Attracting candidates, sourcing the right fit for the right role, and hiring them to become successful employees within your organization is not art, it can be strategically mapped out and measured. Victor Assad not only provides excellent case studies, research, and analytical findings, but provides guidance to allow others to execute these processes and techniques within their organizations. A must-read for anyone in talent acquisition or executive who values that their great employees drive great customer acquisition and retention!”
12. Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter, Second Edition: A Technical Skills Primer
The last book on our list written by Obi Ogbanufe is geared towards technical recruiters. Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter looks at factors of technical recruiting such as programming terms, big data vocabulary, operating system jargon, and other crucial skill sets.
The book covers a slew of technical recruiting tops, such as:
- Sample questions to ask candidates
- Types of networks and operating systems
- Software development strategies
- Cloud systems administration and DevOps
- Data science and database job roles
- Information security job roles
The best part about this read? It makes technical recruiting less intimidating. Once you can tackle the acronyms and jargon that go along with technical recruiting, you’ll be able to analyze candidate requirements with confidence.
What do the reviews say?
“Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter does what it says it does – makes technology simple for the IT Recruiter. If you are giving your first steps in IT Recruitment, or wanting to learn more about a specific IT role, this book is definitely the right choice. I also found it really good because it glues it all together and gave me a deeper perspective over technical areas that I (thought) I knew. I advise you to check the chapters on Software Development Lyfe Cycle, Database Technologies and the Technical Resume, but I strongly advise you to read the whole book.”
13. Evidence-Based Recruiting: How to Build a Company of Star Performers Through Systematic and Repeatable Hiring Practices
In this book, Atta Tarki explains how you can design, implement and execute a data-driven hiring strategy that will help your business gain a competitive edge. You will discover the best technologies and know-how to build a consistent, repeatable recruitment process and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Evidence-Based Recruiting also shows you how top companies such as Google and Netflix drive their business success through systematic hiring practices.
The book is perfect for recruiters who want to take advantage of data in their recruiting efforts and learn how to best use recruitment technology to achieve their goals.
What do the reviews say?
“This book was super helpful in developing a stronger, strategic approach to finding the right people for my company. Atta breaks down not just “why,” but “how,” to create an improved process in your organization, and develop a company/culture of star performers. Highly recommended!”
14. The Problem Isn’t Their Paycheck: How to Attract Top Talent and Build a Thriving Company Culture
The author Grant Botma explains why money isn’t the ultimate motivator for employees. Instead, he points out three other elements that top performers want from their employers – freedom, affirmation and purpose.
Written in an informal and relatable style, The Problem Isn’t Their Paycheck will help you build a great team through transforming your recruitment and management practices.
If you want to start building and nurturing a culture which puts your employees first, giving them autonomy they desire and also stimulates their productivity, this book full of actionable advice is a good place to start.
What do the reviews say?
“Grant has a unique ability to graciously challenge common views of what a “healthy” work culture looks like in American society while presenting a radically different, yet easily applicable model to live by. Society taught me to think a job is to make a paycheck in order to get what I want in life. Grant flips this worldview on it’s head and invites you into a brand new perspective, one that I’m working to implement in my business. Check this book out! It’s worth it!”
15. D & I Has Died: How The Birth Of Socially Responsible Recruitment Erases Bias and Drives Profit
With twenty years of experience in talent acquisition, Desmund Adams challenges the traditional understanding of diversity & inclusion. He aims to open a discussion about what true inclusion means and how organizations can achieve it through social responsibility.
D & I Has Died explores the perceptions of diversity & inclusion by both majorities and minorities and also links inclusion to business profit and innovation. Talent professionals who are looking for a new way forward with their D&I initiatives will get a lot of inspiration from this book.
What do the reviews say?
“I think this novel approach to recruiting is a big part of the key to making corporate America more inclusive and reflective of what society looks like.”
Wrapping up
Phew, that’s a wrap! Hopefully, there are enough books on our list to keep you reading until 2021. With the ever-changing game of recruiting, it’s essential to keep your skills up to par. This list covers everything from recruiting basics, to learning more about new technologies and tools in the industry.
If you still need more reading material, check out this list of 12 more excellent recruitment books!
The state of diversity recruiting in 2020
