Five Must Reads for Every HR Professional

Exceptional HR professionals add tremendous value to a company. The best of them understand that a business has no greater asset than its staff. Thus, building healthy relationships with employees not only reduces turnover, it allows companies to retain top talent and attract the industry’s best and brightest.

The following books and websites should be at the top of the list for every human resources pro. They offer timeless wisdom and priceless lessons from a variety of experts in the field.

1. 1001 Ways to Reward Employees

   By Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

   Now in its second edition and 58th printing, Bob Nelson’s hallmark book on motivating employees to succeed has remained a standard in the world of human resources since it was first written in the mid -1990s. Until then, the concept of a no-cost or low-cost reward outweighing a conventional raise or financial incentive was a completely foreign concept. Thanks to Nelson, it has now become a mainstream element to corporate success.

2. Got a Minute? The 9 Lessons Every HR Professional Must Learn to Be Successful

   By Dale J. Dwyer and Sheri A. Caldwell, Ph.Ds.

   An anecdotal chapter-by-chapter accounting of employee challenges, Got a Minute? should be in every HR professional’s arsenal. The lessons learned in this fascinating collection of accounts vacillate from humor to discomfort and from shock to understanding. Chock full of ideas and solutions, Dwyer and Caldwell’s 9 lessons are as insightful as they are invaluable.

3. The Big Book of HR

   By Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem.

   In every industry, there is that one universally known book that everyone has read. In the world of human resources, this is that book. The Big Book of HR is the complete guide to people management, from the big-picture decision making to the muck-and-mire basics. This book should be within easy reach of every HR employee, particularly the pros.

4. Human Resources at About.com

   By Susan M. Heathfield.

   About.com is one of the Internet’s most widely read content sites because it offers guidance from experts in a variety of fields. Human Resources at About.com provides a staggeringly large cache of articles and blogs about the continuing evolution of modern HR. Heathfield, a well-known HR expert, has operated the human resources site for About.com since 2000. Featuring a variety of blogs, articles and interactive content, the site is geared toward newbies and veterans alike. If, for some reason, the site’s content does not answer your question, Heathfield is eminently approachable simply by clicking on her byline.

5. Society for Human Resources Management

   SHRM.org is one of the nation’s leading membership groups for human resources professionals. Since the categories within HR are so vast and specialized (benefits, consultancy, employee relations, labor agreements, etc.), SHRM provides insight into each of the various disciplines by offering articles, news, hot topics and white papers for all of them. Bookmark this site and refer to it frequently for information on the latest happenings and best practices in the HR industry.