Continuous learning is paramount to your growth as a recruiting specialist. That’s why we have spent hundreds of hours going through lists of must-read books on recruitment, looking at reviews, recommendations, ratings, and excerpts to shortlist the best ones for you.
Compiling This List
We considered the following factors for each of our picks:
- The book’s history
- University recommendations
- The author’s background
- Key points made
- The ideal knowledge beneficiary
- Available formats
- The book’s ratings
- Quotes from the book
Let’s take a look at our findings.
10 Best Books on Recruitment Tech
1. Talent Management Systems: Best Practices in Technology Solutions for Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Planning
Talent Management Systems was published in 2004 and is written by Allan Schweyer, a well-known author and the co-founder of DEI360, a diversity and inclusion organization.
In Talent Management Systems, the author talks about the importance of adopting new web-based technologies to position your organization to attract and retain the best talent. Even though times have changed since 2004, the book still presents a certain style of thinking that, when adopted, can help present-day organizations just as well.
Amazon rating: 3.6
Available formats: ebook, hardcover
2. The Future of Recruitment: Using the New Science of Talent Analytics to Get Your Hiring Right
The Future of Recruitment is a relatively new book, released in Q1 2022. The lead author of the book is Dr. Franziska Leutner who teaches Occupational Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London. The other authors are Reece Akhtar and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic.
One of the main objectives of the book is to help readers understand the past, present, and future of recruitment. The authors highlight the latest trends in tech, such as recruitment software, that are shaping recruitment with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence.
Amazon rating: 3.7
Available formats: ebook, paperback
3. The Robot-Proof Recruiter: A Survival Guide for Recruitment and Sourcing Professionals
The Robot-Proof Recruiter was a finalist at the Business Book Awards 2020 in the HR & Management Category. The book is written by Katrina Collier, a mentor, and best-selling author.
The book urges readers to go beyond Linkedin and other social media in sourcing. It specifies the specific tools and apps you can use to cut through all the noise and attract the right talent. More than being tech-focused, this is a book that teaches recruiters to thrive in a technology-obsessed world.
For recruiters who find themselves confused among a plethora of digital recruiting tools and need a direction to move forward with clarity, this is the perfect book. Much like our guide to buying the right software for HR, which is another great resource to help you along the way.
Amazon rating: 3.7
Available formats: ebook, paperback
4. Social Media Recruitment: How to Successfully Integrate Social Media into Recruitment Strategy
Social Media Recruitment by Andy Headworth was published in 2015. Headworth is a best-selling author and the deputy director of talent acquisition at HMRC.
In this book, the author highlights the value of formulating a social media recruitment strategy for your organization. The book deals with topics at the intersection of HR, recruitment, and marketing such as social strategy, social ROI, and more.
The book presents actionable guidance and insights from industry leaders to provide a thorough understanding of what social media can do for an organization’s staffing needs.
Social Media Recruitment is a great read for recruiters who would like to fully leverage the power of social media in their hiring strategy.
Amazon rating: 4.1
Available formats: ebook, hardcover, paperback
5. Recruiting in the Age of Googlization Second Edition: When the Shift Hits Your Plan
The first edition of Recruiting in the Age of Googlization was hailed by BookAuthority as one of the best recruitment books ever written.
Written by Ira S. Wolfe, the book was published in 2020 and is divided into two parts. First, the author alludes to the topic of his TEDx Talk: “Make Change Work for You.” He refers to the Age of Googlization as an era of immense disruption.
In the second half, he offers a plan for enhancing the candidate experience at your organization, the basis of modern recruitment philosophy.
Amazon rating: 4.1
Available formats: ebook, hardcover, paperback
6. High-Tech High-Touch Recruiting: How to Attract and Retain the Best Talent By Improving the Candidate Experience
High-Tech High-Touch Recruiting sits at the intersection of a people-centric approach to recruiting and the usage of the latest tech to optimize that effort. Published in 2020, the book is written by Barbara Bruno, a well-known international speaker, author, and trainer.
The book shows readers how to build an end-to-end process for recruiting top talent that would convert to engaged employees once they’re hired. The author highlights the advantages of using modern tech, such as recruitment software or the best applicant tracking systems. with a human-centric approach.
Amazon rating: 4.4
Available formats: ebook, paperback
7. Evidence-Based Recruiting: How to Build a Company of Star Performers Through Systematic and Repeatable Hiring Practices
Big data and analytics have disrupted many industries, but recruitment in many organizations is still intuition based. Evidence-Based Recruiting by Atta Tarki provides a framework to change that. The author is the founder and CEO of ECA Partners, an executive search firm guided by data science.
This book is for aspiring and experienced recruiters who are interested in adopting a data-backed approach to hiring. In it, Tarki demonstrates the value of data-driven recruitment with the help of examples from innovative organizations like Google and Netflix. It shows you how to build systematic and repeatable processes to achieve better hiring outcomes consistently.
Amazon rating: 4.4
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, hardcover
8. Candidate Experience: How to Improve Talent Acquisition to Drive Business Performance
Published in June 2022, Candidate Experience is among the latest entries on our list. The book demonstrates how talent acquisition is more than just recruitment. It provides expert guidance for each stage of the funnel including attraction, application, interviews, job offer, and employee onboarding.
Moreover, the book provides solid guidance on how to use metrics, data, and KPIs to track and improve candidate experience. It also offers insight on winning the talent war in the post-Covid world.
The lead author of the book, Kevin W. Grossman has over 23 years of experience in the talent acquisition industry. The book is a product of over a decade worth of research and insights from over 1200 companies.
Amazon rating: 5.0
Available formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover
9. Introduction to HR Technologies: Understand How to Use Technology to Improve Performance and Processes
Introduction to HR Technologies by Stacey Harris helps cut through the clutter of countless technological innovations in HR by helping you focus on exactly what you need to achieve your goals and add business value.
Harris leads Sapient Insights as the Chief Research Officer and Managing Partner. Her valuable insights are packaged into a warm and friendly storytelling style that keeps readers hooked.
Amazon rating: 5.0
Available formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover
Pro tip: Technology can supercharge your organization’s recruitment function, but these solutions are expensive. If you’re skeptical, we suggest testing the benefits of HR tech without making a financial commitment first, by using free tools. For example, one of the free applicant tracking system subscriptions you’ll find in our free ATS guide.
10. Artificial Intelligence for HR: Use AI to Support and Develop a Successful Workforce
Artificial Intelligence for HR, written by Ben Eubanks, is a great read for HR practitioners. It talks to solution providers who want to understand the scope of AI and Big Data in the context of recruitment. It dispels any irrational fears about AI as well. After all, AI-based recruiting is not something to be worried about.
Ben Eubanks is the Principal Analyst at the Lighthouse Research & Advisory and a sought-after speaker. With this book, he helps to clarify the HR technology landscape for different specializations in the field, such as recruitment, compensation, and benefits.
Amazon rating: 4.0
Available formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover
Our 19 Best Books on Recruitment
1. Who - The A Method for Hiring
Published in 2008, Who is a New York Times best seller. It is recommended by Rutgers. The book's co-authors are Dr. Geoff Smart, founder and chairman of the ghSMART leadership consulting firm, and Randy Street, Managing Partner at the same firm.
Who is great for hiring managers who want to build an effective recruitment process. It outlines a method for managers to think of hiring as a priority instead of a last-minute necessity.
Amazon rating: 4.5
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
2. Recruit Rockstars: The 10 Step Playbook to Find the Winners and Ignite Your Business
Recruit Rockstars was published in late 2017. The author, Jeff Hyman, is the Chief Talent Officer at the Strong Suit Executive Search in Chicago.
The book emphasizes the need to hire A-players and demonstrates how most business problems are actually recruitment problems in disguise. He outlines his 10-step hiring process to recruit and retain top talent.
“There are no secrets. I’ve held nothing back. It’s simple, but it’s not easy”, he says.
Amazon rating: 4.7
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
3. Hiring for Attitude: A Revolutionary Approach to Recruiting and Selecting People with Both Tremendous Skills and Superb Attitude
First published in 2011, Hiring for Attitude is written by Mark Murphy. He’s the founder and CEO of Leadership IQ, a top-rated research and training company.
Hiring for Attitude talks about the importance of prioritizing attitude over skills when making hiring decisions. It does so with the help of case studies from companies like Google, Ritz Carlton, and Southwest Airlines.
The book is designed to help hiring managers understand the value of the right attitude for a given job role. “The right attitude is as unique as the organization to which it belongs.”
Amazon rating: 4.5
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
4. How to Spot a Liar: Why People Don't Tell the Truth...and How You Can Catch Them
Don’t you wish there was a way to tell when someone’s lying on their CV or to your face? In How to Spot a Liar, Gregory Hartley teaches you how to do just that by leveraging his background as an interrogator for the military and law enforcement.
Published in 2005, How to Spot a Liar gives you the tools and tactics that allow you to figure out when someone’s bluffing so you can gain the upper hand. Be it in a salary negotiation or a job interview, knowing when you’re being deceived can prove to be a distinct advantage and tilt the power dynamics in your favor.
Amazon rating: 4.4
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
5. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball is a bestseller and can be considered one of the best recruitment books out there, especially if you’re a recruiter who’s interested in Baseball.
Even though Moneyball is about Baseball on the surface, what it really teaches is the value of Big Data and metrics in recruitment. Published in 2004 and written by the best-selling author and financial journalist, Michael Lewis, Moneyball’s key message is about efficiency. “Don’t pursue the best performer. Pursue the best performer you can afford.”
Amazon rating: 4.7
Available formats: audiobook, ebook, hardcover
6. Recruiting Sucks...But It Doesn't Have To: Breaking Through the Myths That Got Us Here
Published in 2019, Recruiting Sucks…But It Doesn't Have To is written by Steve Lowisz, a successful entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Qualigence International.
The key message of the book is about focusing on people instead of processes, to prioritize behavior over skills. The book includes specific and practical steps to follow to inspire employees, embrace diversity, and more.
Amazon rating: 4.2
Available formats: ebook, audiobook
7. The Talent Fix: A Leader's Guide to Recruiting Great Talent
The Talent Fix was published in 2019 by the SHRM. It’s written by Tim Sackett who has over two decades of talent acquisition experience with a number of Fortune 500 companies in various industries.
The Talent Fix offers great advice on how an organization can recruit and retain top talent by optimizing talent acquisition. The book uses real-life examples of success stories from innovative organizations to make its points.
Furthermore, the book talks about the simple fixes, organizational designs, and technology that can supercharge the recruitment function.
Amazon rating: 4.7
Available formats: ebook, paperback
8. Power Hiring: How to Find, Assess, Hire, and Keep Great Talent
Power Hiring by Lou Adler was published in 2014. The author draws upon the 25 years he spent as a seasoned recruiter to outline a simplified approach to hiring. He talks about how the old and traditional ways of recruiting no longer work.
The book teaches readers how to build a Performance Profile, a practical, step-by-step guide on how to spot the best people for your organization every time. The book is especially useful for students who would like to understand the true value of recruitment for an organization’s success.
Amazon rating: 3.8
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
9. Hire by Design: A Hiring Blueprint with Design Thinking
If you’re interested in the concept of Design Thinking, this book is for you. Hire by Design is written by Jodi Brandstetter, and was published in 2020. Brandstetter is a best-selling author who is passionate about using Design Thinking in recruiting.
The book discusses various aspects of talent acquisition strategy and then talks about how they can be improved with Design Thinking. Furthermore, the author provides templates to allow readers to implement Design Thinking into their recruitment strategy for effective hiring.
Amazon rating: 4.8
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
10. Righteous Recruiting: Essays on Reinventing Talent Acquisition for People
Righteous Recruiting is written by Elizabeth Ryan and was published in 2020. Elizabeth Ryan is the CEO of Human Workplace and is a former Fortune 500 HR Senior VP.
In Righteous Recruiting, the author starts by demonstrating how talent acquisition is a space that’s ripe for reinvention. She goes on to address individual topics in recruitment and lays out a plan for building a people-centric recruitment culture across the organization.
Righteous Recruiting is a great read for managers looking to overhaul the recruitment function at their organization.
Amazon rating: Not available
Available formats: ebook, paperback
11. Hiring for Diversity: The Guide to Building an Inclusive and Equitable Organization
Hiring for Diversity is an excellent read for HR managers looking for an actionable plan to build a comprehensive diversity hiring strategy.
The book was published in August 2021 by Wiley and written by Arthur Woods. Woods is a well-known social entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ leader working in areas of equity, inclusion, and technology. With the help of examples from some of the most innovative organizations and inclusive leaders, the author teaches readers how to identify the most high-impact diversity hiring opportunities.
Amazon rating: 4.9
Available formats: audiobook, ebook
12. Hire Right, Fire Right: A Leader’s Guide to Finding and Keeping Your Best People
Hire Right, Fire Right is written by Roxi Bahar Hewerston and was published in 2020 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. The author has over three decades of leadership experience in higher education, business, and nonprofits.
In Hire Right, Fire Right, Hewerston lays out an actionable plan for organizations to prepare them with the right tools they need to hire, develop, or fire employees. She outlines the Acquisition, Retention, and Closure lifecycle of each employee and discusses the tactical and strategic adjustments required to ensure each of these stages is executed seamlessly.
Amazon rating: 4.5
Available formats: audiobook, ebook, hardcover
13. Hiring Success: How Visionary CEOs Compete for the Best Talent
Hiring Success was published in February 2020 and written by Jerome Ternyck. Jerome is an entrepreneur passionate about recruiting and technology. He’s the founder and CEO of SmartRecruiters, a global talent acquisition suite.
In Hiring Success, Jerome challenges traditional methods of hiring. He achieves this by demonstrating how a modern recruitment team needs a change in mindset. He believes recruitment teams need to think like marketers and embrace innovative approaches to attracting and engaging top talent.
Furthermore, the book stresses the need for smart hiring metrics to achieve an effective hiring process. Accordingly, one of the key messages of the book is “Evaluate candidates by what they will do, not by what they already have done.”
Amazon rating: 4.4
Available formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover
14. Full Stack Recruiter: The Ultimate Edition
Full Stack Recruiter is a great read for junior recruiters, as well as those who have spent a few years in the industry. It is especially useful for recruiters with some practical experience but little to no theoretical knowledge of talent acquisition.
The book was published in mid-2020 and written by Jan Tegze. Tegze is an accomplished talent acquisition professional with expertise in start-ups and fast-growth environments.
Full Stack Recruiter teaches readers all about sourcing and recruitment, with the first part of the book dedicated to sourcing strategies, while the second half deals with hiring methodologies.
The book offers actionable advice on various elements of recruitment including candidate engagement, marketing, and building an employer brand.
Amazon rating: 4.6
Available formats: ebook, paperback
15. The Holloway Guide to Technical Recruiting and Hiring
The Holloway Guide to Technical Recruiting and Hiring is a solid guide on attracting, engaging, and retaining top-quality software engineers. The book is written by and for recruiters and hiring managers.
The Holloway Guide was published in mid-2020 with Osman (Ozzie) Osman as its lead author. Osman has spent over a decade building engineering teams at large organizations.
The book is packed with advice from experienced industry leaders on how to effectively build a technical team. A key message of the book is that when recruitment is done well, it creates a positive impact on every stakeholder in the organization.
Amazon rating: 4.4
Available formats: paperback
16. Hire With Your Head: Using Performance-Based Hiring to Build Outstanding Diverse Teams
The second book by Lou Adler on our list, Hire With Your Head, was published in 2007, making it one of the older books featured here.
In the book, the author outlines a practical approach to sourcing, hiring, and retaining the best people throughout the organization.
The author’s approach to hiring can be seen in the following quote from the book: “Recruiting the best is not about selling or charming. It’s about providing big challenges and career opportunities and a little money thrown in.”
Amazon rating: 4.5
Available formats: Audio CD, audiobook, ebook, hardcover
17. Ready Set Recruit: The Hiring Manager's Guide to Recruiting with Confidence
Ready Set Recruit is a fantastic new entrant on our bookshelf. Published in 2022, the book is written by Amy Lee Miller who is a top-notch executive recruiter and the Principal Owner of Troika Talent Acquisitions.
The author manages to put an entertaining twist on her approach to solving recruiting problems for organizations. The book offers practical step-by-step guidance on identifying problems and implementing solutions.
Specifically, readers can expect to learn more about establishing a solid foundation before commencing a talent search, crafting the right employer brand image to attract the best talent, and more.
Amazon rating: 5.0
Available formats: ebook, paperback
18. Bet on Talent: How to Create a Remarkable Culture That Wins the Hearts of Customers
Bet on Talent was published in 2019 by Baker Books. It’s written by Dee Ann Turner who’s a former Vice President of Talent and Sustainability at Chick-fil-A. Her thoughts on recruiting are based on over thirty years of experience in her profession.
The book demonstrates how to build an organizational culture that attracts top talent and, as a result, improves the quality of service delivered to the customer. Furthermore, the author demonstrates the value of nurturing internal relationships, creating customer loyalty through building company loyalty, and more.
Amazon rating: 4.8
Available formats: audiobook, ebook
19. 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire
Ever interviewed someone who seemed like an amazing candidate but turned out to be underwhelming later on? The key to avoiding this situation is to ask the right interview questions. Best-selling author and the principal of Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting, Paul Falcone demonstrates how to achieve that in this book.
In 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire, he arms you with the questions you need to ask to discover whether your candidate meets the criteria and has the desired qualities you’re looking for.
Amazon rating: 4.6
Available formats: ebook, audiobook, paperback
Wrapping Up Your Reading List
The world of HR is changing quickly. This continuous innovation can be attributed to technological advances, better access to data, and the dedicated research of passionate HR leaders - like the authors on this list.
Going forward, anyone hoping to build a career in recruitment would have to keep up with the latest developments in HR Tech and recruitment. Failure in doing so would mean risking obsolescence.
We hope our recommended reads maintain your sharp edge as a recruiter. For real-time expert insight into the recruitment and HR tech landscapes, we highly recommend signing up for the SSR Newsletter, and joining our online community of HR leaders.
