Books are arguably the greatest resources known to man. They contain an immeasurable wealth of knowledge that can be useful in many fields or life endeavors. One of such fields is recruiting talent for organizations. Interestingly, the recruitment industry is abuzz with emerging insights, trends, and strategies.

This makes it a niche one can't afford to slack in. The only way to keep up is by updating one's knowledge and expertise. This begs the question, "How does a recruiter stay relevant in their profession regardless of the changes that occur?"

The answer is not far-fetched. By reading books, HR personnel, and recruitment agencies will sharpen their skills in identifying and attracting top talents for specific job roles. So, what are the must-read books for recruiters? There are some recommendations, and that's what this article will be exploring.  

Top 20 Recruitment Books to Keep On Your Bookshelf

1. Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People By Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald

If a positive review from the Washington Post doesn't earn this book enough credit, its status as a New York Times Bestseller should. Banaji and Greenwald, renowned psychologists, flaunt their expertise as they reveal hidden human biases that have been cultivated throughout one's lifetime. 

The title, “Blindspot," is symbolic of the part of one's mind that conceals inherent biases. Additionally, the authors use their experience with the Implicit Association Test to prove that everyone has biases lurking in their subconscious. 

The book teaches readers how to gain awareness of these biases, overcome them, and be fairer to people. Wondering how this applies to recruitment? Think about it. A fair recruiter selects talents that are best suited for the company regardless of how they perceive them. 

Amazon rating: 4.5 stars. 

2. Never Split the Difference By Chris Voss

This is a book with a difference. Never Split the Difference is authored by a former international hostage negotiator. That's some pedigree right there! Voss gives readers a field-tested approach that works in any negotiation situation. This book will equip anyone with the skills to thrive in any profession, including recruitment. Voss shares nine effective principles in his practical guide, which one calls the gateway to god-like intuition and emotional intelligence.  

Amazon rating: 4.7 stars

3. Bet on Talent By Dee Ann Turner

According to the author, the most important decision a business leader makes is about people. When one gets it wrong, everything in the organization could follow suit. Coming from someone with over three decades of experience in the recruitment business, these are words to take seriously. Turner shows readers how to create an awesome workplace culture, create company loyalty, and nurture and sustain talent. 

Amazon rating: 4.7 stars.

4. Exceptional Talent By Mervy Dinnen and Matt Aider

In 2015, CAP conducted a study that revealed that the average cost of employee attrition is 20% of a mid-level worker's yearly salary. It further revealed that the same cost is 213% of a high-level worker's salary. In summary, that's an expensive mistake that this book can help one avoid. Exceptional Talent assesses how changes in communication, employee preferences, and technology impact recruitment. This should teach hiring managers how to use various platforms to source for the right talents. 

Amazon rating: 4.7 stars

5. Recruit Rockstars By Jeff Hyman

Jeff has hired over 3,000 talents over the course of his recruiting career. Surely, he deserves one's attention. His book, a 10-step playbook, explains why ineffective recruiting makes up 90% of a company's problems. Furthermore, one can learn how to build a company with massive potential and hire the best of the best. 

Amazon rating: 4.6 stars

6. 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire By Paul Falcone

Falcone focuses on behavioral and situational inquiries to reveal a candidate's skills, values, and potential contributions to the organization. Every candidate seems promising till they are hired. This book will help recruiters craft questions that will get them the talents their company deserves.

Amazon rating: 4.6 stars

7. The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees

Geoff Newman's book offers practical, experience-based strategies for effective and ethical recruitment, including his unique Six Tests of Recruitment to determine if hiring is necessary. It guides businesses of all sizes through attracting better applicants and selecting the best candidates using proven methods while avoiding common mistakes.W ith over 25 years in the field, Newman aims to make recruitment less stressful and more successful by providing actionable advice tailored to every stage of a business's life cycle.

Amazon rating: 4.9 stars

8. Hire With Your Head By Lou Adler

The book, first published in 2007, provides valuable insights and practical advice on effective hiring strategies. Lou Adler, a renowned recruitment expert and CEO of Adler Group, encourages employers to prioritize skills, motivation, and performance over traditional hiring criteria.

Amazon rating: 4.5 stars

9. The Employee Experience By Tracy Maylett and Matthew Wride

This book exposes the secrets to building a highly engaged workforce. Tracy and Matthew, both executives of DecisionWise, joined forces to show readers how to build extraordinary companies. The glowing reviews will make one think twice when they discover that this book has just ten chapters, a testament to its quality. 

Amazon rating: 4.5 stars

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10. Recruiting in the Age of Googlization By Ira S. Wolfe

This book comes at talent hiring in the digital age from a unique perspective. Ira recognizes that recruitment is the niche most affected by changes in demographics and technology. It pinpoints the impact of automation on the future of jobs and the reconstruction of work concepts. Anyways, the book then offers a blueprint founded on recruiting best practices and new ideas that will work for any organization. No wonder Human Authority tagged it "One of the best Human Resources books of all time.”

Amazon rating: 4.4 stars.

11. People Over Profits By Dale Partridge

Plucked from the same flock as Hiring For Attitude, People Over Profits adopts a similar approach to hiring talents. Partridge unveils seven beliefs that can enable an organization to thrive if they prioritize human resources above their desire for profits. Apparently, what he's sharing aren't utopian concepts but tried and tested nuggets that have built him a multi-million dollar firm. What company executive wouldn't want that?

Amazon rating: 4.6 stars

12. Hiring for Attitude By Mark Murphy

The content of this book is validated by the shocking reports of research carried out by Leadership IQ. The study revealed that 46% of new employees fail within the first 18 months. Wait for the shocker! The study further revealed that 89% of those hires failed not for lack of skills but for behavioral reasons. 

In this book, Murphy reveals how to hire candidates who are the right fit for your organizational culture. 

Amazon rating: 4.5 stars.

13. Recruiting 101 By Steven Mostyn

Mostyn is a bestselling author with top-tier experience in sourcing for and recruiting talents. Naturally, his book shares knowledge that can be useful to every recruiter. It identifies fundamental recruitment skills as the difference between successful and struggling hiring managers. In a step-by-step guide, the author shares 15 skills that every new recruiter must make second nature. 

Amazon rating: 4.4 stars

14. Recruiting Sucks...But It Doesn't Have To By Steve Lowisz

Lowisz tackles the major problem plaguing recruiters today. It's none other than the adoption of practices that are out of date. According to the author, recruiters initially focused on the interviewing process. However, the current landscape has shifted focus to the talents. Lowisz's book is a wake-up call to hiring managers to update how they recruit talents.

Amazon rating: 4.3 stars

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15. Leading from Purpose By Nick Craig 

It's not every day one gets an insightful book from an author with a decade of industry experience forged from working with over 10,000 company executives. Craig explains where the true purpose lies and reveals where it doesn't. Additionally, he pinpoints three pathways that can help one assess where they are and where they should be going. In a recruitment context, such a book will help the hiring manager identify talents who are energized by their purpose. 

Amazon rating: 4.3 stars

16. Who: The A Method for Hiring By Geoff Smart and Randy Street

One obvious fact about this book is its peculiar title. According to The Economist, unsuccessful hiring is the single biggest problem in business today. This is backed up by reports that the average recruiting mistake costs a company at least $1.5 million annually. This magnitude of the loss is much larger when one factors in the thousands of hours wasted. 

This is a problem that Smart and Street have proposed a simple and practical solution to. The A Method for Hiring contains fundamental elements that any recruiter can implement to achieve desired results. Numerically, we're talking about a 90% success rate. Not surprisingly, this book is The Instant New York Times Bestseller. 

Amazon rating: 4.5 stars. 

17. The Recruitment Bible By Josh Wellman

According to a critic, The Recruitment Bible is the perfect manual for everyone new to recruitment. Readers will learn how to find the right talents as well as the laws and regulations that affect the recruitment industry.

Amazon rating: 4 stars

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18. Hiring Smart By Pierce Mornell

This is a must-read for every interviewer. Pierce reveals how to assess a candidate's suitability not just for the job role but the organizational culture. He highlights valuable information that's often neglected in the interviewing process. 

Amazon rating: 4.1 stars

19. Recruited: A step-by-step guide to CV/Resume selection By Sean Brown

As the title implies, this book is methodical and straight to the point. Interestingly, Brown didn't restrict his target audience to just recruiters but included applicants and employees as well. Indeed, Recruited: A step-by-step guide to CV/Resume Selection is a comprehensive guide. 

Reading this will help one enhance their CV/Resume and job applications. For recruiters, it will help them polish their interviewing skills. For employees, it will help them negotiate an exit from their current job role. A sure-fire recommendation! 

Amazon rating: 4 stars. 

20. Learn Recruitment By Gary Romano and Alison Larocca

Gary and Alison are on a mission to simplify recruitment by unveiling certain tricks known only to a privileged few. They emphasize identifying the right requirements, effective interviewing, using your personal network, and curating job post ads to attract and retain top talents. The ultimate selling point is introducing a scoring system that will streamline the applicant pool and make the process fair.

Amazon rating: 4.1 stars

21. Creative Hiring By Ozan Dagdeviren

Creative Hiring is one of a kind. Ozan educates recruiters on how to listen beyond the rehearsed and seemingly intelligent answers to assess candidates' abilities. This book contains a seven-step process that combines communication studies, psychology, and sociology to help one reveal valuable information from the applicant. 

Amazon rating: 3.8 stars

Conclusion

These are just a drop in the ocean of learning resources. There's no limit to how much one can know and implement in their recruitment journey.

A hiring manager can't afford to stay stagnant because new ideas are always emerging. Read more, know more, and execute more to benefit the organization's workforce. 

Read also: 15 Best Instructional Design Books - The Ultimate List in 2024