Outside of digging in and learning on the job, my go-to way to find ideas, discover new strategies and be inspired is by reading. Books have helped me frame pitches and ideas in new ways, facilitate meetings more purposefully and carve out more distraction-free time to be creative. As the future of work changes at a rapid pace, I find it easier to stay up-to-date with a few good books on my shelf.
Here are 5 books you may want to add to your 2019 reading list to inspire ideas, strategies and programs for the new calendar year:
This is Marketing by Seth Godin
Seth Godin is one of the leading voices in the marketing profession. He is a creative professional who often comes at challenges in unorthodox ways. His new book, This is Marketing, is a rallying cry for marketers to realize their potential to “cause a change you’d like to see in the world.”
Why it’s relevant for Recruitment Marketers:
Chapter 15, “Reaching the Right People,” is especially relevant to Recruitment Marketers. This section focuses on the importance of better defining the differences between brand marketing and direct marketing.
Both serve a purpose in Recruitment Marketing, but as we experiment with new ways to attract talent to our organizations, it’s good to understand how activities and results are unique to sharing things like your EVP (brand messaging) versus sharing job ads (direct marketing).
Godin’s short essays share thoughts on how to find the smallest viable audience for your message to make sure you’re connecting with the people who really care about what you are offering.
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The Power of Moments shares compelling examples of how organizations and individuals can create better moments and experiences using the techniques of elevation, insight, pride and connection.
Why it’s relevant for Recruitment Marketers:
So much of Recruitment Marketing centers around experiences: creating better ones for prospects, candidates and employee ambassadors. This book provides a ton of inspiring ideas to create great experiences to attract candidates and succeed in your initiatives in 2019.
Many of the moments we influence are what the authors refer to as “transitions” and “milestones.” Think of ways to elevate these experiences by surprising and delighting people as they move into a new job – or even recruiters as they hit milestones important to your organization.
The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Did the last meeting, conference or event you attended disappoint you? It may have been due to a lack of thought about why and how that group needed to come together.
In The Art of Gathering, Parker takes readers through a series of questions to consider when you’re charged with planning a group event. She starts with the importance of establishing a “why” for the event and the benefit of eliminating people from the invite list if they don’t really need to be there (and how to nicely tell them that). Her examples cover a wide range of industries and types of gatherings, leaving the reader with a multitude of takeaways for future events.
Why it’s relevant for Recruitment Marketers
When planning your next training, recruiting event or even team meeting, remember that the beginning and end of gatherings tend to be remembered most. Think of intentional ways to bring your group together from the start and avoid ending on logistics or letting the event fizzle out without leaving the attendees with something to remember. Help them leave excited, energized and engaged.
When by Daniel Pink
In Daniel Pink’s When, we learn that science can tell us when people may be best prepared to hear our messages and effectively participate based on the time of day. Science can also tell us how to manage projects so the inevitable lull in the middle doesn’t derail results. Pink shares study after study to help readers discern the optimal timing behind our schedules, projects and even personal life decisions.
Why it’s relevant for Recruitment Marketers:
As Recruitment Marketing professionals, we are often connecting with people to brainstorm ideas, share updates or influence decisions. In general, Pink says that the time after lunch is good for taking care of business tasks like responding to emails or checking in on things (could be a good time for candidate outreach or social posts). The late afternoon is a peak creative time for many people, which could lend itself best to distraction-free hours to get work done.
It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Is one of your new year’s resolutions to be less stressed or crazy at work? If so It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work could be the book for you in 2019. This book shares ideas you can experiment with to help you manage your work life in a new way.
Composed of small essays, It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work shares stories and tested approaches to reducing the craziness many have come to experience at work.
While a lot the key ideas can be applied at the individual level, managers or team leaders may get even more out of the book and find new ways to reduce distractions and help their teams focus on what matters most.
Why it’s relevant for Recruitment Marketers:
All the new collaboration tools we have at our disposal can make it hard to get your job done during work hours. How many of us have spent early mornings or late evenings trying to get our real to-do list done?
If you’re the person everyone goes to for help with their LinkedIn profiles, or the go-to content marketing specialist in your organization, you may feel like you are getting pulled into online and in-person conversations at random. Consider scheduling “office hours” at certain points throughout the week so people can join you when you’re prepared to answer their questions. This way you’ll have more time during the day to tackle your individual priorities.
I’d love to hear what you’re reading and how it has helped you become a better Recruitment Marketer. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter to share your recommendations!
