Here are the top 10 books on recruitment based on recent publications and industry acclaim:
Recruiting Unicorns
This unique book offers a narrative-driven approach to recruitment, detailing the careers and strategies of 50 top recruitment specialists.
It’s not just a how-to guide but an inspiration source, showing how these professionals adapted to various challenges, including economic downturns, technological shifts, and cultural changes in the workplace. Each story provides practical lessons on creativity in sourcing, candidate engagement, and building lasting employer brands.
The Robot-Proof Recruiter by Katrina Collier
Collier explores the balance between automation and human interaction in recruitment.
She provides insights into using AI and other tech tools to enhance, not replace, the human elements of recruiting.
The book includes case studies, tools for candidate experience mapping, and strategies for making recruitment processes more human-centric in an increasingly automated world.
Amazon
Hire With Your Head: Using Performance
Based Hiring to Build Great Teams by Lou Adler – This book is a manifesto for performance-based hiring. Adler introduces the concept of hiring for outcomes rather than just skills or experience.
It includes detailed advice on how to define job success, assess candidates through performance-based interviewing, and avoid common hiring mistakes. It’s packed with templates, scripts, and real-life examples.
Amazon
Recruiting for Attitude
A Revolutionary Approach to Recruiting and Selecting People with Both Tremendous Skills and Superb Attitude by Mark Murphy – Murphy argues that while skills can be taught, attitude is harder to change.
The book presents a methodology for assessing attitude during recruitment, including specific interview questions and techniques to identify cultural fits and predict job performance based on attitude. It’s backed by extensive research from Leadership IQ.
Amazon
High-Tech High-Touch Recruiting by Barbara Bruno
Bruno’s book is about enhancing the recruitment process with technology while not losing the personal touch.
She discusses how to use social media, applicant tracking systems, and other tech tools to streamline hiring while ensuring candidates feel valued and engaged. The book includes practical steps for improving candidate experience and managing remote recruitment.
Amazon
Evidence-Based Recruiting:
How to Build a Company of Star Performers Through Systematic and Repeatable Hiring Practices by Atta Tarki – Tarki provides a framework for hiring top talent, focusing on passive candidates.
He introduces a data-driven approach to recruitment, with detailed methods for each stage of the hiring process. The book is particularly useful for understanding how to hire for critical roles where talent is scarce, using evidence rather than intuition.
Amazon
The Executive Recruiter’s Playbook by William J. Seweloff
This book is tailored for those involved in executive search. Seweloff breaks down the recruitment process into actionable steps, from understanding client needs to post-hire integration.
It includes templates for client agreements, candidate assessments, and strategies for managing the delicate balance of confidentiality and transparency in executive hiring.
Recruiting Is Easy!
This book demystifies recruitment by breaking it down into simple, actionable steps. It’s aimed at both new recruiters and those looking to optimize their methods.
The author emphasizes practical tactics over theoretical knowledge, offering tips on everything from where to find candidates to how to sell the job opportunity effectively.
David Perry’s work
Recruiting Reimagined
This book takes a forward-thinking approach to recruitment, discussing how to adapt traditional methods to current and future workplace dynamics.
It covers topics like the gig economy, the impact of remote work on hiring practices, and how to leverage data analytics for better recruitment outcomes.
It’s a blend of strategy, innovation, and practical advice for the modern recruiter.
this one by Scott A. Scanlon
Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street
Focusing on reducing hiring errors, this book introduces the “A Method” for hiring, where “A” stands for Acquire, Assess, and Adapt.
It provides a structured, repeatable process for hiring, including how to clarify job outcomes, score candidates systematically, and integrate them into the company culture. It’s known for its practical tools like scorecards and interview guides aimed at making hiring more scientific and less subjective.
These books are selected for their comprehensive coverage of recruitment practices, from the integration of technology in HR to strategic, attitude-based hiring, making them essential reads for anyone in the recruitment field.