10 best books on personnel

Best Book Ratings

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Successful and competent managers are not born, but become. To do this, a person needs to gain certain knowledge that will allow him to competently manage the team and train it.

Leader authority is usually built on a solid foundation, including the ability to negotiate diplomatically, deliver a speech, and set goals for oneself and employees. You cannot stop personal growth, otherwise you can quickly fall out of the cage and lose the established contact with your subordinates. In such a situation, it will be almost impossible to get productivity from them.

To prevent this from happening, we recommend that you read the literature selected by us. The experts have compiled a rating review of the 10 best books on personnel, thanks to which any manager will choose the most suitable strategy for himself.

Rating of the best books on personnel

Nomination a place book rating
Rating of the best books on personnel 1 Valuable Personnel: How to Build an Effective Training System in a Company 5.0
2 Emotional Leadership. The art of managing people based on emotional intelligence 4.9
3 Competencies at work: models for maximum performance 4.8
4 What really motivates us 4.7
5 Rejection of change 4.6
6 The art of recruiting. How to rate a person in an hour, 4.5
7 Successful recruitment techniques 4.4
8 45 manager tattoos. Russian leader rules 4.3
9 Why don't they work? A new look at employee motivation 4.2
10 How to move Mount Fuji? Approaches of the world's leading companies to talent search 4.1

Valuable Personnel: How to Build an Effective Training System in a Company, K. Maltsev

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 5.0

K. Maltsev, Valuable Personnel: How to Build an Effective Training System in a Company

The manual sets out the thoughts of a person who gave work at the enterprises of Philip Morris, Coca-Cola for more than one year. In the early 2000s, the author was the first to organize a training program for trainers.

In this guide, he explains that success is about the continuous professional growth of employees. Managers know this fact, but for some reason many do not include training programs in the company's development plan. And if they do, they are unable to evaluate the process and improve its efficiency.

Konstantin tells in detail what the training system for subordinates includes; lists the criteria that are important in the selection of trainings and trainers; proposes specific assessing methods of achievement so that the money spent does not go down the drain.

The main advantage of the book is the real experience. He implemented the ideas outlined here, which means that the leader will not need to check whether the theory works in practice or not. The time saved is money that is better spent on other purposes. Pay special attention to the following axioms for development and learning. They once again confirm that all ingenious is simple. It is also worth noting that the manual is aimed at the Russian reader, since we are talking about the analysis of our market. The nuances of the approach are different from the western ones.

The book is worth reading, as it gives an understanding of how good your training system is, whether it meets the company's requirements. After reviewing, you will start using resources productively. It is suitable for consultants and coaches who will find helpful advice on how to conduct training on the pages.

Emotional Leadership. The Art of Managing People Based on Emotional Intelligence, D. Goldam

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.9

D. Goldam, Emotional Leadership.  The art of managing people based on emotional intelligence

Leaders with emotions have the ability to energize people. When such a leader spreads energy and demonstrates dedication, then the company thrives, and if negative comes from him, leading to discord, then the business goes to the bottom. The book contains long-term observations of large world organizations, through which the author shows that emotional managers are professionals and shrewd masters, as well as excellent diplomats who are able to establish contact with people, give inspiration, inspiration, awaken excitement and maintain high motivation among employees.

The manual explains in detail why there is a lively response from staff to the actions of leaders and how the latter manage to stimulate activity. The pages describe how to put these leadership opportunities into practice for an individual leader, team, or the whole company.

The author has already published two books that have become popular among managers. But this guide supplements them, so feel free to buy, even if you read the previous ones.

The book deals with six leadership styles within the framework of the emotional intelligence model: idealistic, teaching, comradely, democratic, ambitious, authoritarian. EQ is broken down into self-awareness (self-confidence, accurate self-esteem), social sensitivity (helpfulness, business awareness, empathy), self-control (restraint, adaptability, openness), relationship management (influence, inspiration, teamwork, assistance in self-improvement and change, cooperation ). The final section looks at the development of leaders and organizations in general.

Goldam proposes to use a model of self-guided leadership training, which includes five steps: me in the future (who ideally want to be?), Self-identification (who am I?), Developmental program (closing the gap), putting the acquired skills into practice, developing a new level of relationships with others.

Although there is nothing revolutionary in the manual, the reader will benefit. A newcomer to management will learn a lot, and a seasoned leader will repeat the basics. The book is addressed to the general public, managers of any level, as well as teachers and students of educational institutions that train managers.

Competence at Work: Model for Superior Performance, Lyle M. Spencer, Syne M. Spencer

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.8

Lyle M. Spencer, Syne M. Spencer Competence at Work: Model for Superior Performance

The assessment method of competence is a particularly accurate and impartial forecasting of work performance. The manual includes a vocabulary of competencies; practical guidelines; various interviewing techniques to obtain behavioral examples; general competency models predicting sales success in social, technical and management areas.

Finding the person who can do the job better than anyone else is difficult. The wrong selection will certainly lead to the destruction of the moral climate within the team, as well as increase turnover, reduce productivity and require large financial costs for employee development. The authors in the book describe a methodology to maximize the efficiency of recruitment. The given evaluation method is based on twenty years of research.

The executive manual describes in detail the organization of the interview; explains how to apply a vocabulary of competencies and use ready-made models that are explained in detail.

We recommend the book to executives and managers who are looking for new people and are interested in the effectiveness of their work for the prosperity of the company.

What really motivates us, D. Pink, Drive

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.7

D. Pink, Drive.  What really motivates us

Managers build a workflow with staff based on motivating a subordinate with money, bonuses or other goodies in the hope that they will show good results. In world practice, this approach has already become a classic, and everyone takes it for granted. In fact, everything is far from so optimistic.

When only money serves as a prize at the finish line, people lose their keen interest in the activity. The reward provides a short-term boost in performance, just like a dose of caffeine adds a few hours to alertness. The effect comes to naught, and sometimes completely reduces long-term motivation for successful work.

D. Pink's scandalous book shows that the information age is incompatible with such an approach, since motivation based only on rewards is not only useless, but also leads to opposite results when personnel do not achieve the required results. All this directly harms the prosperity of the company.

You can push employees to achieve goals and beat competitors by focusing on their natural commitment to excellence. It is necessary, according to the author, to hire only those who initially have strong intrinsic motivation. There is nothing difficult in this, when Pink's book is at hand, in which clear and simple tools are given, thanks to which you can build a new system in a short time. We are all born with the ability to overcome difficulties, apply and develop abilities, learn and explore.

The manual will be of interest to business leaders of all levels. Also suitable for HR specialists.

Rejection of Change, R. Keegan, L. Lehi

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.6

R. Keegan, L. Lehi, Aversion to Change

Harvard professors bring to the attention of readers their research, thanks to which anyone can overcome inertia when it comes to change.

According to data collected from American patients of cardiology departments, even those people who are warned by doctors about death if they do not change their lifestyle, observe proper nutrition, play sports, do not use tobacco and alcoholic beverages, do nothing. Only one person out of seven is really ready for a major change.

When the stake is life, but even it is unable to pull the individual out of the comfort zone, then how can managers in companies expect success from the transformations they bring, even if the staff wholeheartedly supports them? This question is answered by the manual, in which the authors explain that this is not a problem of will, as is commonly believed. Failure to close the gap between desire and ability is the main challenge. All psychologists of our century are thinking about how to eliminate it. Keegan and Lehi will show you the tools you can use to build immunity to change and, therefore, take your firm to the next level.

the content is divided into three parts. In the first, the reader is introduced to a new understanding of change; in the second, they show the value of the author's approach to employees, teams and entire companies; in the third, they suggest trying the methods in practice, starting with oneself.

The book is intended for managers and executives interested in personnel self-training.

The art of recruiting. How to evaluate a person in an hour, S. Ivanova

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.5

S. Ivanova, The Art of Recruiting.  How to rate a person in an hour

The book was written by a woman, Ph.D. in Psychology, a respected recruiting expert, as well as a partner and head of LUT SRC. Svetlana consults, conducts business trainings. Several manuals have already come out from under her pen.

On the pages you will find effective modern appraisal methods for the selection of employees. Thoughts are presented succinctly, and the practical benefits are priceless. The book includes time-tested authoring technologies; tools and detailed descriptions of interviewing techniques; multiple examples as well as practical exercises. These techniques will help you give an error-free assessment to candidates while saving as much time as possible.

The author summarizes techniques, ideas and advice; leads tables, diagrams, graphs for more ease of perception. In the reviews, they write exclusively laudatory reviews. HR-specialists spoke especially flatteringly, who after reading it realized that they worked at 20% of the possible 100%.

Ten-page resumes are far less than the personality traits that can be felt in an interview. Knowing how to do this competently, you will not miss out on rough diamonds and will not be seduced by fake diamonds, having recruited unnecessary people that cannot benefit the company.

We recommend reading for recruiters, managers, entrepreneurs, heads of recruitment agencies, students and teachers of universities with an economic and managerial focus.

Techniques for successful recruitment, T. Baskin

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.4

T. Baskina, Techniques for successful recruitment

Another book talks about how to select the right personnel, interview and assess the compliance of qualifications with requests. The author suggests using modern tools in combination with traditional ones. Search technology has been successfully used by ANCOR, the leader of the Russian recruitment market, for over 20 years.

The manual is not written in dry scientific language, so even people who are far from the topic will understand it. The material is structured and easy to use in practice. Adapted for target audiences – recruitment managers. Includes a ton of examples from the experience of large companies, many assistive applications that are relevant for both beginners and professional recruiters. For beginners who are taking their first steps towards building a successful career, the book will help them avoid making a number of common mistakes.

In the reviews, the manual is called the manager's primer, because it provides clear instructions for working with personnel. Links to sources will allow you to study the material in more depth, if necessary.

In the second edition, new chapters have been added, devoted to searching through the global network, the specifics of remote hiring, personnel assessment.

The book is suitable for recruiters, managers. It will be of interest to staff members.

45 manager tattoos. Rules of the Russian leader, M. Batyrev

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.3

M. Batyrev, 45 manager tattoos.  Russian leader rules

The author of the book writes about tattoos, but puts in the stories not just artistic meaning, but his managerial experience. The chapters are tattoos that remain in memory and are imprinted in the heart. On the pages, the reader learns about everyday and organizational events that happened in life. The set of rules and truths tells how, according to the author, one should act with colleagues, act in a given situation in order to achieve the cherished goal – success.

Each chapter describes the ups and downs, unpleasant layoffs, successes and failures, sorrows and joys. Here the reader sees not a soulless manager, but a real hero who smiles when everything worked out and is sincerely upset if everything does not go according to the plan.

Advice will not help everyone. For some, the book will seem useless, but most will gladly learn about the author's experience, which is very close to many managers. Recognizable situations are understandable and make you feel the full range of emotions. Everyone's business is to challenge or accept.

We know a lot, but we often forget to apply it in life. With this manual, over and over again, the reader will return to simple truths that are so obvious, but easily fade into oblivion.

The book is recommended for managers and those who wish to achieve success.

Why don't they work? Reimagining Employee Motivation, S. Fowler

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.2

S. Fowler, Why Don't They Work?  A new look at employee motivation

Another book that touches on the issues of motivation. The author talks about a completely new approach. Fowler has been researching the patterns and psychology of motivation for people from several countries, including Russia, for more than ten years. Here she explains that money isn't always inspiring; leaders do not know how to motivate; what role does awareness play in all of this and how to develop it; where to get energy at work; where is the line between imposed duty and personal responsibility.

The manual will teach managers of all levels to identify staff motivation and use it for the benefit of the organization. It is important to understand what motivates the subordinates, then the found lever will allow them to manage their work activities. The ideas have already been tested in practice and applied in companies.

After reading, you will receive an answer to the main question – why the carrot and stick method does not work. The author explains the reasons in detail. All humans are born with three basic needs: competence, belonging and autonomy. Based on research, staff work more efficiently when they are able to independently turn off the conveyor, covering the need for autonomy. This is logical. In the same way, Fowler describes two other basic needs, bluntly saying that there is no need to come up with any complex motivation schemes. It is enough just to rely on the nature given to people – development, investing energy in business, building relationships.

The book is recommended to a wide readership and to all employees in the field of management, including managers of different levels.

How to move Mount Fuji? Approaches of the World's Leading Companies to Talent Search, W. Poundstone

Category: Recruitment

Book rating: 4.1

W. Poundstone, How to Move Mount Fuji?  Approaches of the world's leading companies to talent search

Prior to this tutorial, the author has written nine books, including the popular Great Mysteries series and Carl Sagan – Life in Space. It has been published many times in such eminent magazines as New York Times Book Review, Harper's, Esquire, The Economist. The works were twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Tricky and quick-witted tasks are popular all over the world. They have been used for many decades, for example, when they enroll children in math classes. Successful students later develop into engineers, mathematicians, scientists, who join the ranks of modern geniuses of technical thought. Even Landau recruited graduate students, asking for one integral. The book tells how to solve problems in an unusual and creative way, being in a stressful situation and having a limited amount of time.

The creative approach to the search and selection of people has already established itself in the USSR, America and a number of other countries. This can be explained by the fact that the new conditions open up other techniques and practices for the individual that he would not have remembered about if he had not been in a stressful situation.

The manual will help to prepare for the interview for both employers and job seekers; arouse interest in intelligence training for their own development and enjoyment; will inspire with examples of great minds and successful people who grew up on puzzles and logic problems.

The book is addressed to a wide range of readers. It will certainly be beneficial and will serve as an impetus for personal development.


Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

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