Top 5 Books Every HR Professional Should Read

For HR professionals at small to midsize businesses (SMBs), success often means wearing multiple hats—compliance officer, recruiter, benefits specialist, and culture builder, all rolled into one. Without the deep HR departments of large corporations, SMB HR pros must be adaptable, resourceful, and strategic.

The right books can provide fresh insights, practical solutions, and the confidence to navigate the complexities of HR in an SMB setting. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro looking for new perspectives, these five books are essential reads.

Top 5 Books for HR Professionals at Small to Midsize Businesses

1. The New HR Leader's First 100 Days by Alan Collins 

If you’re stepping into HR leadership at a small business, this book is a roadmap for making an impact from day one. Alan Collins, a former VP of HR at PepsiCo, breaks down the critical actions HR leaders should take in their first 100 days to establish credibility, understand business priorities, and avoid common pitfalls.

Best Takeaway: HR’s success in an SMB depends on quickly earning the trust of leadership and employees alike—this book teaches you how to do that.

2. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillian, and Al Switzler

HR professionals frequently navigate high-stakes conversations—whether it’s handling employee conflicts, discussing compensation, or addressing performance issues. Crucial Conversations provides a framework for approaching tough discussions with confidence, ensuring conversations are productive rather than confrontational.

Best Takeaway: Learn to recognize when dialogue is breaking down and restore it by fostering psychological safety, staying calm, and focusing on shared goals—key skills for any HR professional.

3. HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion by Steve Browne

This book challenges HR professionals to move beyond policies and paperwork and embrace their role as culture shapers. Written by a seasoned HR leader, HR on Purpose is a refreshing reminder that HR should be about people first.

Best Takeaway: Small business HR teams have the opportunity to create workplaces where employees feel genuinely valued—this book will help you get there.

4. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

Dysfunctional teams can cripple a small business much faster than a larger one, where problems can be absorbed. Lencioni’s engaging leadership fable breaks down the five common dysfunctions that derail teams—absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results—and provides actionable solutions.

Best Takeaway: Small businesses rely on strong, high-performing teams to succeed, and HR plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration—this book gives you the blueprint.

5. Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock

While Google operates on a much larger scale than most SMBs, its innovative HR strategies—data-driven hiring, employee engagement, and continuous learning—can be applied to any organization. Laszlo Bock, Google’s former Head of People Operations, shares how the company built one of the world’s most successful workplace cultures and how HR professionals can adapt those principles to fit their organizations.

Best Takeaway: Even small businesses can take inspiration from industry leaders like Google to build better HR practices that attract, develop, and retain top talent.

Whether you’re improving company culture, refining your hiring process, or learning to lead confidently, these reads will help you take your HR game to the next level.

Additional Resources

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• BernieU—free online HR courses, approved for SHRM and HRCI recertification credit

• BerniePortal Blog—a one-stop shop for HR industry news

• HR Glossary—featuring the most common HR terms, acronyms, and compliance

• Resource Library—essential guides covering a comprehensive list of HR topics

• HR Party of One—our popular YouTube series and podcast, covering emerging HR trends and enduring HR topics

• Community—the HR Party of One Community forum, a place devoted to HR professionals to ask questions, learn more, and help others