Best personnel management books according to redditors

Here we go!

https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/human-resource-management

Dig in!

Or, here's a real textbook:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Human-Resource-Knowledge-HRBoK/dp/111937488X/ref=zg_bs_491602_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WD1DQMXTAQ9BH5XEKCJX

> Learners don't have a preferred style. The theory was co-opted and now everyone has identified as a visual learner.

Many learners have preferred style. However, there are two problems:

1. Learners are ill-equipped to evaluate how they learn best. They may think they learn best in a certain style (and thereby prefer it), but in actuality, they don't.
   
2. Research has demonstrated that people learn best when material is presented in multiple modes so that you learn by seeing, hearing, and doing, not just one of the above. Clark and Mayer have an excellent book that summaries the literature on how to construct effective multimedia lessons (with emphasis on multi).

If the author of this flyer means it in a serious way (and not a trolling way), I imagine what they mean is more about culture than race, like this:

• The typical culture of white people in the US has a lot of problems related to race and prejudice.
  
• This is about culture and how people live their lives, not about literal genetics or actual ethnic heritage.
  
• This is related to how the idea of a "white" race is made up - white people come from many heritages and backgrounds, but often have lost touch with those backgrounds because of pressures (both inside and outside families, both conscious and unconscious, both by choice and not by choice) to reject ethnicity and adopt whiteness.
  
• If you are a white person, it's important for you to think critically about how society has taught you to think about whiteness and people of color.
  
• You can learn to adapt your thinking - you can learn to be actively anti-racist, and work to change culture and support people of color.
  
• If you are a white person who is working to learn about this by reading books, studying in your classes, watching documentaries, listening to people, learning about your family history, etc, that's helpful - it's a way of being anti-racist and "anti-white".
  
  Hopefully that is helpful - I don't know if the author of the flyer really meant all that exactly, but it's a common set of ideas for people who are concerned about racism.
  
  There are some good books about this kind of topic if you're interested! I bet the UCSB library has some. For example, "So You Want to Talk About Race" by Ijeoma Oluo and "White Fragility" by Robin J. DiAngelo.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/111828917X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1415366063&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

This is the book I used. I have also recommended it to others who have passed (some on the SPHR).

So You Want to Talk About Race

I read this one a few months back. It's pretty basic, but it has a lot to say about things we take for granted. It's an eye-opener about race relations, including microaggressive language.

Always My Child: A Parent's Guide to Understanding Your Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, or Questioning Son or Daughter - Kevin Jennings

The GENDER Book - Mel Reiff Hill

The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes - Diane Ehrensaft

Gender Diversity and Non-Binary Inclusion in the Workplace: The Essential Guide for Employers - Sarah Gibson, J. Fernandez

Helping Your Transgender Teen: A Guide for Parents - Irwin Krieger

The Transgender Teen: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Teens - Stephanie Brill

Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children - Rachel Pepper

There are! Of course, there isn't any way to do it directly - if there were, there would be a lot fewer trades around here!

The way that I generally favor is to buy the person trading for amazon giftcards ebooks equal to the value of the transaction - there are a few books available for right around $60, believe it or not. From there, you send that gift to the email address of the person's amazon account. They can choose to redeem the ebook or refuse it for amazon giftcard credit directly to your account. You can read up more on this here. Their statement says that it can take up to a week for the credit to be given, but in my experience it was nearly instant.

In addition, you can also buy prime for people. I haven't done this before to know how it works but I assume its similar in that the person on the receiving end can refuse it for amazon credit equal to the value of prime.

I believe you can use the ebook process with other digital media, but I don't know enough to give advice on that.

HR Made Simple: Recruit. Engage. Comply. It's That Easy! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945670312/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sM6cAbDB9DFXQ

I haven't read it yet, but I hear great things about it. It's on my wish list.

I'm interested in doing this too (getting an undergrad degree in game design right now). I feel like it has a lot of potential when implemented well. I don't believe the Extra Credits video does a super good job of explaining the concept, because it focuses too heavily on reward systems (more on that in my comment to u/notjawn), which should not be the core of a gamification experience.

Have you heard about ClassRealm? From what I've seen/read, its creator has had a lot of success with it. However, don't be fooled - it might seem easy, but gamification can be very difficult to implement correctly.

I've read some good books on the subject that I highly recommend: The Gamification of Learning and Instruction and The Multiplayer Classroom.

Additionally, I don't know where you are in your schooling right now, but NYU has a great graduate program in this vein.

EDIT: For anyone looking for an overview of true gamification, here's a quick and simple slideset. It is much more than just giving out points.

I've read some threads, many recommend the following book: Reed/Bogardus PHR Study Guide
 
I would search through some of the previous threads for more advice.
https://www.reddit.com/r/humanresources/comments/1kxykw/phr_study_options_and_personal_experience/
 
https://www.reddit.com/r/humanresources/comments/71ssqj/affordable_good_phrsphr_study_materials_andor/

First, congratulations!

It's different work and while it's still technical it's now about people but it can be learned. Find a mentor who is not your boss. Seriously. It's good to have one or more advocates in the organization because there are limits to what "push" vs "pull" can achieve but it's their advice that you need to reduce your mistakes and effectively review them afterward.

I'll add to the book recommendations already here (The Phoenix Project, Team of Teams, Leaders Eat Last) and suggest:

• Peopleware by DeMarco, et. al.
  
• Drive, by Pink
  
• Influence, by Cialdini
  
• Seeing the Big Picture, by Cope
  
• Getting to Yes, by Fisher
  
• Behind Closed Doors, by Rothman & Derby (efficiently summarizes a dozen other books).
  
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Horowitz. (your boss probably read this, get insight into their thinking)
  
  Good luck!

https://www.amazon.com/Recruit-Rockstars-Playbook-Winners-Business-ebook/dp/B076J4D891

My manager recommended this book and it was a great read. Even though the author’s background is in agency recruiting, his approach can be fully or loosely applied to fit your situation with success.

I'll second Shermer's books.

Also add in Denialism by Specter

Snake Oil Science by Bausell, is a great look at research methods.

Why We Make Mistakes by Hallinan is a good look at some of the unconscious factors that go into our thinking.


Edit: Removed Lehrer from list.

This is a great book -- PHR book by Ann Bogardus. I used it to study for the SHRM-CP and PHR, and didn't fail me!! There's an updated version for 2019. Good luck!


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119068134/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Getting the PHR certification is definitely worth it. You need to review the requirements to find out which one you qualify to sit for: https://www.hrci.org/our-programs/which-certification-is-right-for-you

The jobs you hold don't help or hurt your chance of passing. You need to review the body of knowledge required for the exam in order to be prepared to pass it. Check out this book (https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Human-Resources-Certification-Deluxe/dp/1119068134/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E3ZQKV9CRWSB4ADQ78EV) and classes in your area if you need more structured learning tools.

I can recommend books.

• How to Win Friends and Influence People - required reading
  
• Behind Closed Doors - management and leadership
  
• Its Your Ship - management and leadership
  
• One Minute Manager - management and leadership
  
• Mythical Man Month - IT specific
  
• Peopleware - IT specific
  
  Don't look at this as something mandated, look at it as an opportunity to learn. If the class you mentioned covers general leadership and management you should consider it, direct reports or not. If it's just how to file HR paperwork and stuff, ya don't bother.

I appreciate it. The biggest thing is to take each section individually and only study that. It makes things much more managable. Ice included the links below. I think they've gone up a bit since I bought them last year.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/111828917X/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1459107253&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=phr&dpPl=1&dpID=51qz3qmRIOL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1610725077/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1459107294&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=phr+flash+cards&dpPl=1&dpID=51jyfTfcmWL&ref=plSrch

It was about 8 or 10 questions on each of maybe 10(?) general topics in HR. All the questions were multiple choice. You have to take it on a computer in a testing center. You'll need to have basic math/graph reading skills, know legislative pieces such as COBRA and other Acronyms/Executive Orders, know basic psychology principles.. its all pretty basic. I've only heard bad things about the Assurance study guides, so I suggest using a PHR guide instead This is the one that I suggest. The overview in the first section is all you really need, but if doesn't hurt to study the whole guide. It makes a great resource for other things later on as well.

I graduated with an HR degree and used this book and felt over prepared. Just make sure to review all aspects of the test they have it out online and have a base knowledge of how processes should work.

So, first, define what you want in a background check.

Are you looking for just criminal history? Are you looking for civil history (lawsuits, judgements, liens)? Are you looking to corroborate address history/job history/data on application? Do you need MVR records? Education verification? Interviews with former associates?

Next, realize that there is really no such thing as a 'nationwide search' for anything. My favorite example of this is Georgia - most of the 'nationwide criminal history checks' contain less than 4% of counties in Georgia. So if you want actually cover areas where the person might have lived, you need to check the counties that the check actually covers; and frankly a lot of the services won't tell you. If it isn't automated, you need a service that will send someone to the clerk of court in a given state to look it up. That won't be quick. You'll also want to make sure that your provider understands the FCRA, to keep you out of trouble.

A couple of resources:

• A blog post I wrote about databases, background investigations, etc.
  
• The Safe Hiring Manual
  
  Finally, if these are positions of trust (i.e. handling money, interaction with childen, entering peoples homes) you need to be rechecking folks on a regular basis. (every 12-24 months)
  
  

People have already gave some great suggestions. A couple of books you may like:

• Design for the Way People Learn by Julie Dirkson
  
  
• E-Learning and the Science of Instruction by Clark and Meyer / kind of the "textbook" for e-learning instructional design

Give your life meaning again by becoming a great boss. Your job isn't telling people what to do. Your job is to remove obstacles for your employees so they can do their job.

Read "behind closed doors". It's an easy read that walks you through the habits of a good boss by a series of examples.

• Lost and Founder by Reid Fishkin (a startup CEO’s candid reflections on building a company)
  
• Powerful by Patty McCord (the Netflix’s HR person who brought you the infamous culture deck)
  
• Work Rules by Laszlo Bock (the book by the pioneer of HR at Google)
  
• Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz (really good advice on company management)
  
• The Essential HR Handbook by Sharon Armstrong and Barbara Mitchell (nice primer)
  
• HR from Now to Next by Jason Averbook (also a good thought leader)
  
• Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux (incredibly progressive, but I like the thinking)

Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (Pragmatic Prog... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0976694026/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_AJq.AbZ0VT2WA

Have you read "Punching In"?

During a two-year urban adventure through the world of commerce, journalist Alex Frankel proudly wore the brown uniform of the UPS driver, folded endless stacks of T-shirts at Gap, brewed espressos for the hordes at Starbucks, interviewed (but failed to get hired) at Whole Foods, enrolled in management training at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and sold iPods at the Apple Store.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000W939RK

> Why does part of the application include a 1 hr pointless test for a minimum wage position?

The book Punching In describes this and why many large companies do it. The short version is that the companies have found what works and what does not work when hiring workers, therefore they're going to look for people who will do well at that company. The sort of worker who will do well at WalMart has a different personality than the sort of worker who will do well at Ann Taylor.

I've been looking forward to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/297265509/koe-a-jrpg-with-japanese-at-the-core-of-gameplay for a while.

What you've done is kind of an interesting concept, but I think it needs more of a schtick to it if it's going to be a used for more than a couple of minutes by someone. Even though it's interactive, it's very passive. What reason do you have for people to recall the words after playing? Educational games need to actually ask questions as well as be fun, otherwise the retention level will be very low.

I'd check out http://www.amazon.ca/The-Gamification-Learning-Instruction-Game-based/dp/1118096347

I took the exam last spring and used three different books.

PHR/SPHR for Dummies - I did not use this as much as I used the books listed below.

PHR/SPHR Exam Study Guide 2016 - This was more of a summary of the areas covered. I got some good information out of it and it was a quick read.

PHR/SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Deluxe Study Guide - This was the most thorough of the books I purchased and I'm confident I can use it for PHR exam too, without having to worry about buying additional study materials.

I don't remember too much about the exam, but I wish you the best of luck!

*Note: I made flashcards off of information from the books and used those to study, once I finished reading the books.

aPHR Certification Study Guide: aPHR Study Guide & Practice Exam Questions for the Associate Professional in Human Resources Exam [Updated for Current Exam Content Outline] https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628456345/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZQPADb22H3XV7


I'm getting it in my unique situation because a Bachelor's may not be possible for me right now, but I have experience in office admin/HR onboarding/hiring/recruiting with an Associate's in Business. In my opinion, I think the $400 investment will be worthwhile until I'm eligible to apply for the PHR exam. I'm taking the aPHR in about 6 weeks, and my study materials are being delivered today.

Welcome il_mostro! I'm deffinitely going to have to pick up The Happiness Advantage as that's right up my alley! I really enjoy self betterment and increasing my understanding of how my mind works. Assuming you're similar could I recommend Why We Make Mistakes. It's a very well sourced and well written look at why we do certain things. It's a great read. Also I added both books to my list.....if I'm one of those fortunate enough to be blessed with your good graces!

I believe this book represents the newest study materials and it is direct from HRCI for the first time. amazon.com/Guide-Human-Resource-Knowledge-HRBoK/dp/111937488X/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Human-Resources-Certification-Practice/dp/0071840915/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467305007&sr=1-9&keywords=phr+exam+prep

https://www.amazon.com/PHR-SPHR-Professional-Resources-Certification/dp/111828917X

Passed PHR in January with these two.

I do plan on applying for any entry level positions I find.

Does anyone have any insight into studying for the Aphr? If I use two textbooks recommended on the exam prep resources and that phr prep book thats popular on amazon: PHR / SPHR Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide https://www.amazon.com/dp/111828917X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DRQ.ybRD6T0TZ

Would that be enough? Where can I find aphr practice tests? Should I purchase the one from HRCI? Should I just purchase the HRCP aphr prep??

I'm taking the aPHR in May as well. I'm only using this book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1119068134/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687462&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=111828917X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=12Q4N2AD64PS3WSZHW0Y

considering it's really really meant for entry-level HR positions, I suspect it will be a very general test and probably won't be excessively detailed.

I'm planning on the SHRM-CP this summer as well. Can't take the PHR until next summer.

Best of luck!

This isn't necessarily new. But, I've seen it all over the forums as a great study guide. https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Human-Resources-Certification-Study/dp/111828917X

I'm in the process of studying, primarily using the Anne Bogardus book, which came highly recommended. It's $30.32 with Amazon Prime, and it includes access to online versions of the opening assessment test, the end-of-chapter quizzes and a practice exam, and it also has flashcards. I purchased David Siler's audiobook last night, $20. I'm also using the free version of the PocketPrep app, and I may upgrade for $35 at some point. I also plan to seek out more test exams and test questions for further practice, hopefully at low cost. :)

Depending on where you live, there may be some resources within your local library and/or its larger network. If you have a SHRM chapter nearby, try to connect with someone about materials and studying. I know my chapter is supposed to start a fall study group at some point, and I'd be willing to bet lots of folks have books you can borrow.

My advice may not be as helpful since I'm still studying, but I hope it gives you some direction!

edited for clarity, words

Congrats! I passed the test myself this month and had a similar experience. The testing center I visited was pretty small, and I had to laugh about the biometric palm reader. I scanned both hands at one desk, walked about five steps to another desk and had to scan both hands again - I guess to confirm that an imposter hadn't somehow taken my place in those 10 feet.

I had a similar study plan - I exhausted Pocket Prep (paid version) and used these two books. The Dummies book comes with online tests, which I used extensively - great value for the money I think. I did spend $85 for one set of the HRCI questions and sort of regret it. They didn't really teach me too much I hadn't learned by that point. Maybe they just gave me a measure of confidence about the format.

The only other practical advice I can add is just to breathe, take your time and don't get shaken. I found the process of navigating 175 questions on the computer to be mentally and physically taxing. After about 100 questions I started taking mini breaks at my chair (didn't want to ask the proctor to get up). I would look up at the ceiling, breathe deeply for a minute or two and refocus. I did this a lot towards the end and it worked.

As tough as the pressure is, it sounds like a great environment to cut your teeth. What I've learned working directly in sales and marketing departments is to balance detail with speed, protect my calendar rigorously, and how to keep the team updated on progress so they don't get itchy and prematurely ask for results.

Show Your Work by Jane Bozarth helped me to stay well ahead of what people asked for.

Still... because this group has lower expectations about quality than you do, it doesn't sound like the environment where you might achieve the types of things you want to achieve in your career.

Being immersed with sales & marketing is great, but it sounds like you should seek something out where you get to work in a team with other data scientists.

Hopefully, you can get the best of both worlds: face to face communication with your "customers" and a team that can support the great things you want to accomplish.

I'm not selling anything. Here is one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manage-People-Your-Remote-Team-ebook/dp/B00TSAJNKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467569978&sr=8-1&keywords=How+to+manage+people+in+your+remote+teams

There are good and bad ways to do everything.

Yet ANOTHER racist "unpopular" opinion.

My GOD you people NEVER, EVER stop:

1. Forgetting essentially all history
   
2. Thinking short-term, selfishly and reject valid lived experienced of brown people around the world or EVEN YOUR OWN COUNTRY (ahem, Greece)
   
3. Missing the factors that contribute to your COMPLETE blindness on these topics of race. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/16/white-fragility-racism-interview-robin-diangelo
   
4. "Too often whites at discussions on race decide for themselves what will be discussed, what they will hear, what they will learn. And it is their space. All spaces are"- Ijeoma Oluo THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING WITH THIS so-called opinion.
   
5. Lacking empathy to see that what is REALLY required here is to grasp that your European cultures spread mass genocide, disease and cultural appropriation across the globe.
   
6. YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO YOUR IGNORANCE: https://theconversation.com/no-youre-not-entitled-to-your-opinion-9978
   
   Because Europeans enslaved each other, it really ONLY shows the pervasiveness of this kind of behavior in European culture generally, which they would be aided greatly in decimating enormous populations of brown people by way of diseases like smallpox, which they uniformly attributed to "God"; even while committing mass genocide.
   
   So "white guilt" is better shown by the German example. They are EXTREMELY AWARE of the problems of fascism, how it arose in their country and they are even reluctant to take leadership positions to moderate the widespread right-wing nature of politics today, because few people are eager to see them in "a leadership role in Europe" based on the events of the last century. THIS IS AN INTELLGENT AND HUMBLE WAY TO ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUES THERE. "Feeling Guilty" IS NOT ENOUGH- you must be HUMBLE. This assertion about "white guilt shoudn't exist" lacks that.
   
   However, EVERY SINGLE MAJOR EUROPEAN COUNTRY has committed mass genocides of people, but those people WERE NOT WHITE EUROPEANS. Thus, the logic seems to be, that THOSE genocides mean almost nothing in comparison to someone who killed millions of white people. If this isn't racism, I don't know what is.
   
   If you can't see why GENOCIDE is not something your country's legacy should rightly humble people in it, then you're a country of genocidal psychopaths. But, this is pretty much par for the course for European countries.
   
   WORSE THAN THIS is that Greece ITSELF was the victim of the Pontic genocide, perpetuated by Turkey, and so the perspective of a Greek person might be rightly equated with the mass genocides of brown people throughout the world. On the other hand, they committed genocides in many Persian countries in the time of Alexander The Great.
   
   EDUCATE YOURSELF. https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Talk-About-Race-ebook/dp/B07QBNKJTZ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V8UAC3F490IE&keywords=so+you+want+to+talk+about+race+ijeoma&qid=1563860972&s=gateway&sprefix=so+you+want+to+%2Caps%2C250&sr=8-1
   
   Stop posting uninformed and ignorant opinions.