What was the last book you read? Was it just for fun, for school, or to help you on the job? Whatever your reason, reading is one of our favorite ways to discover new ideas and learn from others. And, one of the most common questions we get asked from people new to employer branding is, “what books or blogs would you recommend?” So, in honor of the bookworms on our team, the new employer brand pros, and the World Book Day holiday, here is our 2021 list of book recommendations.
Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski, Ballantine Books, 2020
Since we bring our whole selves to work, if we’re burnout, we can’t be good colleagues or partners at work. There’s no doubt the past year has left many people feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Burnout is a book for anyone who can’t do it all but still worries about doing more.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Pocket Books by Simon and Schuster, 1936
This is a classic business book. It is suited for any role you might find yourself in, but is especially useful in the highly collaborative employer brand function. You may be the most technically qualified person in employer brand, but you must be just as adept at navigating the people in an organization. This book will help you with the ins and outs of navigating the people side of employer brand so you can ensure all that hard work you’re putting into the brand can see the light of day.
Hiring for Attitude: A Revolutionary Approach To Recruiting And Selecting People With Both Tremendous Skills And Superb Attitude by Mark Murphy, McGraw Hill, 2011
We often talk about “culture fit” in employer brand and how important it is to find the talent who will thrive within your organization. When you’re selecting new team members, don’t just focus on finding the candidate with the most experience or the most technical aptitude. You can teach someone a technical skill, but you can’t always teach someone to have the right attitude. This book will help you spot the characteristics of a high-performer and weed out those who may look good on paper, but aren’t ultimately the best choice.
How We Work by Leah Weiss, PhD, Harper Collins, 2019
Team exaqueo’s 2019 #exaqueoretreat read! For many of us, now, more than ever, our personal and professional lives are blending into one. This book brings data and science together with philosophy and mindfulness into an easy read that highlights the integration of our whole self. This is a great book for a team book club and has a discussion at the back.
A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink, Penguin Publishing Group, 2006
For all the self-described right-brain thinkers of the world, this book celebrates the aptitudes of inventiveness, empathy, joyfulness, and meaning that Pink describes will drive business in this new Conceptual Age. He pointedly illustrates the value of six high-concept, high-touch senses—that employer branding professionals live every day—that enhance traditional thinking in business: Design. Story. Symphony. Empathy. Play. Meaning. In addition to a compelling narrative, this book also includes a collection of tools, exercises, and resources on each of the senses to drive your learning further.
Looking for more book recommendations? Check out our 2017 books to add to your reading list, as well as our 2019 list of books (and more) to help you grow in the employer brand profession. If you’ve got a book recommendation … we’d love to hear from you! Send us a tweet @exaqueo or email us at admin@exaqueo.com. Happy World Book Day!
