Looking for the best HR books in 2025 to up your game at work? Well, look no further. These HR reading list essentials will help you perfect your management style and learn from the insightful writings of those who came before you.
There are hundreds of books for HR pros floating around on the market, each with its own brand of wisdom to offer. Picking the ones you should start with can be confusing, especially when your busy schedule allows for only some time to sit down with a book. There’s always the option of settling down with audiobook versions if you prefer listening to reading, but getting your hands on these HR book recommendations one way or another can be beneficial for your career. Let’s get to our recommendations for the top HR books in 2025.
Want recommendations for the best HR books in 2025? Here’s our list of HR reading essentials that can help your career reach new heights. (Image: Pexels)
Best HR Books in 2025: Where You Can Start to Get Your Management Style Right
Reading is a very useful habit for a multitude of reasons. Nurturing the habit can give your mind a chance to focus on one task without distractions, gaining insights into the ins and outs of the industry that you might not find without direct access to other HR experts. Whether you’re at the start of your career or at the peak of it, these HR reading suggestions can help ensure your learning never stops.
Our list for the best HR books of 2025 covers a range of topics, from how to become a leader in HR to the art of empathy. Not all of these books are meant exclusively for HR experts, but they bring nuanced insights that can be essential for growth in this industry. Grab your kindles or find a library, so you can get your hands on these must-read books for HR.
1. The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
Why You Should Read: Best HR book for building culture and community.
HR responsibilities are just as diverse as the workforce they manage, but building a cohesive and collaborative team is perhaps one of their most central responsibilities. Daniel Coyle’s HR book cracks the code on what it takes to build stronger teams that thrive on united purpose without losing out on their personal goals. With the current climate of unrest and conflict within the workplace, deciphering how to connect employees with each other is a goal that should be a priority for HR professionals everywhere.
2. First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
Why You Should Read: Best HRM book for beginners who need a foundational understanding of management.
This research-based book takes all the surface-level perceptions of management and treats them with a healthy dose of research to solidify the reader’s understanding of what good managers do differently. The book has frequently been referred to as one of the most influential business management books around, taking interviews with 80,000 managers into account to debunk management myths and set things straight. If you hope to be an HR leader someday, there’s a lot this book can teach you about treating employees as individuals, building them up into success stories.
3. HR on Purpose!! Developing Deliberate People Passion by Steve Browne
Why You Should Read: To reconnect with the purpose of HR and find practical advice on operating in the industry.
Turbulent times can cause even the heartiest of HR veterans to lose their drive and disconnect from their profession. Featuring real-life examples and everyday stories with a fresh perspective, HR on Purpose is one of the best HR books of 2025 for those looking to reshape their idea of what it means to work in HR. For anyone feeling burnt out by the profession, this lighthearted take can rekindle some of that lost passion without verbosity getting in the way of seeing what truly matters.
4. 101 Tough Conversations to Have with Employees: A Manager’s Guide by Paul Falcone
Why You Should Read: HR reading list essentials for navigating tough conversations at work.
HR is a people-centric job and, unsurprisingly, it requires you to showcase impressive people skills while handling conversations repeatedly throughout the day. A single misplaced joke or comment can send employees into a tizzy with greater ease than you might like, making it extremely important to get the hang of saying the right things at the right time. If you need to improve your conversational skills and prepare yourself for some tough conversations, this is a must-read HR book you should get your hands on.
5. Artificial Intelligence for HR: Use AI to Support and Develop a Successful Workforce By Ben Eubanks
Why You Should Read: Level up your understanding of how AI is changing the workforce and the space HR holds in the workplace.
It’s no use hiding from artificial intelligence: the technology is here to stay. While staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in HR-AI technology will require a closer look at the news, Eubanks’ book sets the stage for how you can understand the arrival of AI and its implications for HR. Helping understand the technology in the simplest of terms, the book can help HR professionals look at AI as a tool rather than a threat, establishing a healthy mindset for the change that is to come.
6. Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
Why You Should Read: HR book recommendation for those who want insights on tried and tested methods.
Google is a successful business, there’s no doubt about it, and the company thrives partially due to its abundance of insights and analytics. Based on practices followed at the company, with data gathered over the years, Bock’s book is a light-hearted read that takes the management of people very seriously. From explorations of micromanagement to critical takes on how to reward performance, there’s a lot to learn from this must-read HR book.
7. Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: Getting Good People to Stay by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans
Why You Should Read: HR reading suggestion for improving employee retention.
If your organization is struggling with retention and wondering where you’re going wrong, this is a top HR book for you to read in 2025. We’ve all seen data—hiring is an expensive process, and it costs a business significantly more to replace an unhappy employee. Retention may not be a top concern for businesses at the moment, considering employees are unlikely to quit right about now. But active retention is a far more preferable outcome than employees passively showing up at their workplace. With simple strategies for building a more engaged workforce, this insightful guide takes up a permanent spot on our bookshelves.
8. HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different by Lucy Adams
Why You Should Read: Best HR books in 2025 for how to understand the industry and the employees who make it.
The HR Disrupted podcast holds a prime spot in the list of the best podcasts to listen to in 2025, and this book is no different. Taking a closer look at how to humanize the profession and the people that HR professionals manage, the book dives into tangible solutions on how to build a workforce with an empathetic approach and drive success in the workplace. Capturing many key issues faced by HR, Adams makes insightful suggestions on how to lead change.
9. The Big Book of HR by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem
Why You Should Read: Keep up with the evolution of the workplace with strategic insights into HR-related issues.
With ten editions out on the market, The Big Book of HR has evolved into a classic piece of literature for the HR industry to glean insights from. Always showcased on every list of recommendations of the must-read books in HR, it covers an expansive range of topics related to the industry. From conversations on flexible work policies to the importance of protecting workers within the workplace, there’s something for everyone. If there’s one book that stands out as “essential reading” for the industry, this is it.
10. Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Why You Should Read: Learn to navigate remote work policies in an era of RTOs.
If you are determined to award your workers with remote work options despite the rising pressure to bring them back into the office, this can be a heartening read for any HR professional. Convincing executives that remote work options still hold some benefits is part of the challenge. Empowering workers to perform under these circumstances also takes work. This book helps with suggestions on how to do both. If you’re looking for HR reading suggestions on remote work discussions, this might be perfect for you.
Additional Reading for HR Professionals
Of course, books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Atomic Habits, and other similar titles frequently come up when you talk about individual success and reshaping your performance to become a better leader. These make great reading material for HR professionals as well, but you may be looking for something new.
If you want more HR reading list essentials that take a closer look at the HR industry or the skills essential to operate within it, here are some additional must-read books for HR professionals.
The Way of the HR Warrior by Monica Frede and Keri Ohlrich: Recommended HR reading for those who want to transform their departments at work and meet the workforce head-on.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni: Understanding the chaos that prevails among employees is a great way to get started on strategies to address them. This is team management made easy.
The Drama-Free Workplace by Patti Perez: Learn to address workplace conflicts and minimize their effects on your team.
Bring Your Human to Work by Erica Keswin: Find insights into building connections with employees and recognize how to customize company culture in a way that respects the people you work with.
Badly Behaved People by Zena Everett: This new release tackles people problems at work, and how you can navigate the challenges that arise with them.
General Reading Recommendations for HR Professionals
Not all readings for Human Resources have to stem from management books with HR-specific insights. There is a whole range of non-fiction books that present insights into the human mind that could be very useful for those who aspire to understand and help people better. Here are some HR reading suggestions that come from outside the industry.
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg: If your communication style needs some work, this book is a great aid to navigating complex conversations and building up a repertoire of conversation skills that will serve you well.
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday: While this is not strictly an HR book, Holiday’s insights into the human mind can be very useful in understanding yourself and altering your dealings with people.
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson: A helpful guide for entrepreneurs and small business owners, Rework also doubles as a useful book for HR professionals who want to change how their workplace operates and to find the success their leaders are looking for.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein: Unsure of whether to specialize or stay a generalist? This book provides global insights on why being a generalist in your field might be good for you.
On Emotional Intelligence by Harvard Business Review: Ten articles from experts in the field break down the idea of emotional intelligence and why leading with empathy might be the key to success.
And There You Have It, Our Top Picks for the Best HR Books in 2025
Whether you’re looking for the best HRM books for beginners or more HR reading suggestions to elevate your competencies to advanced levels, our HR reading list essentials should have something to offer. Not only is reading a great way to widen your perspective, but it can also help you further your career in ways that you might not yet have imagined.
Enrolling in skill-building courses and training programs is a great idea, but if you want to start small and increase your capacity for daily learning, these are some of the must-read HR books that can help you get on the right track in 2025. For more updated information on how the industry is evolving, scroll through our website to see the latest updates on HR!
Subscribe to The HR Digest for more recommendations on how to widen your horizons and gain insights into workplace trends, layoffs, and the changes you can expect with the advent of AI.