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Hiring season just ended, these are the ones that made the cut, and now it is time to teach them the ropes. Have fun!
As an employer or someone that has found themselves in the position of having to train employees, you know how hard it is to get the lay of the land through their often-thick heads. They just have so little attention span these days! Lord have mercy!
As a workaround to that, why not assign them some lectures with content that can prepare them for their new roles? Just like college does! Plus, even if they don’t read it, you can say that’s on them, at least gave them the materials 😉! Check these instructional books that you can give to new employees.
“The 4-Hour Workweek” should be given to all new employees because it teaches how productivity can be expanded without having to work more hours or drinking more coffee. In today’s day and age, mindfulness is becoming increasingly important in the workplace, and by working less and achieving more, quality of life becomes better –this is what “The 4-Hour Workweek” is able to convey.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereA great book to give to a new employee is Start with Why By Simon Sinek. The book delves into the vision and the core why many successful companies have that has allowed them to grow into brand name million or billion dollar enterprises. It gives employees a new mindset they can apply to your own company, where they can dig deep into the why of your own company’s mission and how they can contribute to and spread that why to help contribute to brand growth from a place of much deeper understanding.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis is a great book and great read, especially for minority men & women go getters in a corporate world. This book gives you real scenarios on code-switching and the importance of it for a minority to attain success in corporate America.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereI recommend this book because it was written for young professionals that are achievers. It is for the rising star and deals with the biggest career ending issues that they will face and the skills they need to deal with the difficulty issues. It is the type of topics that Matt Lauer, Kate Spade and many others have dealt with that lead to a tragic end.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereBlogger Mark Manson doesn’t embellish reality, and writes about it all without a filter, providing a good dose of raw truth that provides a refreshing perspective. The book is his response to that insane mentality that demands of us to feel nice and positive at all times.
The author proposes that we recognise and acknowledge our own constraints because only when we accept our problems, disadvantages, and uncertainties will we be able to discover the bravery, accountability, perseverance, and capacity to live the life we aspire to achieve.
Manson’s argument is supported by scientific research, philosophical and religious quotations and appropriate jokes, claiming that enhancing our life is not dependent on continual searching for happiness and avoiding failure and pain.
As far as welcoming gifts go, this one is perfect. It’ll show the employee that no one expects them to be perfect, but to do the best they can. It might also help them feel more positive and welcome, as the unconventional book might be seen as a reflection of the work culture. And that’s certainly not a bad thing.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book here“Small Mistakes, Big Consequences is a lighthearted look at the top 16 business mistakes that people make without realising the potential consequences. Learn how to identify these common character mistakes that can make or break your relationships. Avoid making these mistakes yourself and learn how to work with and manage these personality types.
Discover how to:
– Be perceived as sincere and trustworthy
– Empower your team for greater success
– Help team members take accountability for their actions
– Encourage others to listen to your perspective
– Present your best, most professional self
Small Mistakes, Big Consequences is filled with simple, actionable business tips to help you succeed. It’s your guide to navigating the speed bumps on the road to the corner office. ”
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereTailored for business school survivors and corporate lifers, this book is packed with hilariously candid insights on what makes a company tick and how you can keep your independence and your sanity while navigating the corporate workplace.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThe author shares ideas and strategies for making improvements in many aspects of one’s life. For a new employee at any company, it can often feel a bit overwhelming to adjust to the many changes that go along with starting a new job with a new employer. While the book covers various topics, the concept of “incremental improvements” can be applied in the workplace to many of the challenges facing the new employee, by taking the various corporate goals, and breaking them down into more manageable tasks and actions. The book includes lots of helpful ideas regarding personal development.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis book, despite its title, is relatable across all generations. For those hiring employees in the millennial generation, Y-Size Your Business discusses how to use the skills of these younger employees in the workplace to further business and productivity. For employees who are Gen Y and entering the workplace, this book can be enlightening as they develop new skills and motivations at work. They may find themselves relating to key points within this book as they progress in their roles and careers, and learn what they need as individuals to be fulfilled and become loyal to a company.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThe One Thing by Gary Keller is a great book for anybody, but for a new hire, it can be the tool that creates productive and driven employees. The book focuses on giving the reader the skills to focus on their ‘one thing’, that will generate extraordinary results. By giving this book to all new employees, you can create a culture of working in priority and efficiently achieving incredible results.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereI run a small business, so I need my team to be able to focus on core projects. I also want to enable a balanced work environment so that my employees don’t feel guilty for having a personal life. Gifting this book to every new employee is a core part of my on-boarding because it emphasises prioritisation and empowers readers to say no to projects/activities that will not be productive. I often reread this book with employees and discuss how we can make the best use of our time individually and as a team.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis book is very helpful for anyone who wants to perform on a higher level of conscious relationship building, which is especially important when starting a new position. In addition to a skill set, workplace behaviours are important in order to be accepted, respected and trusted by colleagues, team members, direct reports, and supervisors or managers. The 9DCS model, exercises, tools, and tips will provide a structured approach to clarify purpose, raise self-awareness and accelerate relationship building. The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success will help identify and evaluate personal workplace behaviours and barriers that affect how others see your strengths and weaknesses. A great book for both young and experienced professionals to better understand social awareness and then modify behaviours in the workplace that can affect career success and advancement.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereIn the workplace often times it is the little things that new employees should be aware of so they can easily fit in with their co-workers. A great way to help is to give them a simple book to read in 10 minutes that will remind them of the things to do and not to do as a new employee. The roughly 30 simple life lessons in the book are delivered in a fun and entertaining way. Things That Happen By Chance is a book about taking a closer look at the little things in life and sharing simple life lessons with everyone. It was originally written as a children’s book but adults are finding it useful as a pleasant reminder of what to do and not to do in their daily lives.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereGetting employees off to the right start needs the right approach and attitude. We give them a copy of “Don’t Make Me Think” not just to help them learn about UX design, but to make sure they are grounded in a customer-first approach in everything they do.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereWe are no longer in a time where employees should just ‘do’; for a company to be successful all employees need to think creatively and on their feet. Although nearly a 50-year-old book, Lateral Thinking will help your employees do just that. It stresses the need to approach problems creatively and look for solutions outside the box and to not use the standard ‘vertical approach’. If dealt with creatively, no problem is insurmountable, and Lateral Thinking will teach employees how to approach tough problems.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis may not be a typical choice as it is not a ‘business book’, but new employees stand to learn a lot from it. Harari covers 21 topics, ranging from AI to climate change to terrorism. And this is relevant to all employees because Harari makes a case that any of these can affect our day-to-day lives and work. How should an employee be adaptable so as to best work with new technology, making sure it complements his work? What is the use of ‘big data’ and how can employees use it to improve their quality of work? These are just some of the questions Harari answers.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereWhile acknowledging the irony of reading a 270 page book about something that can be summarised in a single sentence, this book is just one of the many sources to help people understand the pervasiveness of what we call the Pareto Principle.
This phenomenon can be observed in all areas of life from nature to online marketing, and – most importantly for companies – in work efficiency. You do 80% of your work in 20% of your time, 80% of your profits will come from 20% of your customers, etc.
When we say we need to 80/20 a task at our company, we know to aim for the highest quality output with the least amount of effort. An employee or team member applying the Pareto Principle to their work will learn how to prioritise and execute them with incredible results, while not wasting time on minor issues with little impact on the overall business.
It’s a heavily recommended, eye-opening book for people who would stop to properly color and format each cell in their spreadsheet while the main goal is to enter some sales data. I speak from personal experience.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereA Revised 30th Anniversary Edition, this comprehensive book (362 pages cover-to-cover) has sold more than 6 million copies in multiple editions, and was co-authored by Dr. Goldratt, an internationally recognised expert in the development of revolutionary business concepts and management systems (that Fortune magazine once called a guru to industry). Unusual for a business book, ‘The Goal’ is written as a fast-paced novel about a plant manager, Alex, who’s under the gun to improve his plant’s performance in order to prevent its imminent closure. Alex has just three months to turn things around, and receives timely help and advice from his former college professor who helps him break free from conventional modes of management thinking. Once begun, a great many readers will find it difficult to put this engrossing business novel back on their bookshelves.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereA critical component of our business strategy is category creation and domination. This book helps new employees to understand what a category is, learn the steps that go into launching and dominating a category, and recognise the importance of employee alignment across the organisation with the initiative.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereWe believe self-management and personal development play a critical role in an employee’s performance. Before they can lead others, they have to be good at leading themselves.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereCohesive teams play an important role in driving employee engagement and achieving business results. This easy-to-read book shares the five reasons why most teams struggle, along with practical steps to improve team cohesion.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book hereThis book is a must-read for any employee in a company that wants to understand and implement OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). I really like this book, and by implementing the strategies it really helps to keep all employees on the same page and following the same goals. The author has the philosophy of ideas are easy, execution is everything and that point comes across strongly throughout the book, which is great as it’s a fundamental part of business. If your employees help to implement the strategies in this book, your business will be in a much stronger position.
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Book Depository (International)Waterstones (International) Read more reviews and buy the book here
