The 39 Must-Read Books to Ignite You and Your Recruitment ...

[Pages:22]The 39 Must-Read Books to Ignite You and Your Recruitment Business

. - Essential Reading for Recruitment Leaders

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The 39 Must-Read Books to Ignite You and Your Recruitment Business

- Essential Reading for Recruitment Leaders

Great leaders love learning and reading great books is one of the best ways to learn. I've been fortunate enough to read some brilliant books over the last 20 years or so books that have truly inspired me and changed the way I do things and see the world. I've created this recommended reading list for recruitment business owners so that you too can be inspired by new ideas, gain momentum with new knowledge and take action with new strategies. The list starts with my ultimate top ten, but after that there is in no particular order. So there's no best place to start, just pick one, buy it and read it! I've included links to the US and UK Amazon websites so that you can purchase hard copies although all of these are also available in the various digital versions too.

1. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business - from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed - and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.

Roy: This book made a massive difference to the way I run my businesses. I loved it so much I travelled to the US to meet with the author, Michael Gerber and learnt first-hand how to grow any business. This is a must-read for any recruitment business owner. I make everyone of my in-house consulting clients read it before I commence any work with them.

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2. ReWork: Change the Way You Work Forever by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson

From the founders of the trail-blazing software company 37signals, here is a different kind of business book - one that explores a new reality. Today, anyone can be in business. Tools that used to be out of reach are now easily accessible. Technology that cost thousands is now just a few pounds or even free. Stuff that was impossible just a few years ago is now simple. That means anyone can start a business. And you can do it without working miserable 80-hour weeks or depleting your life savings. You can start it on the side while your day job provides all the cash flow you need. Forget about business plans, meetings, office space - you don't need them. With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who's ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs who want to get out, and artists who don't want to starve anymore will all find valuable inspiration and guidance in these pages.

Roy: I LOVE THIS BOOK! Written by the mavericks that grew a three person start up in 1999 into the award winning (and highly profitable) technology company, 37 Signals. Most business books are full of business platitudes and written in a cheesy way. This refreshing book rips that idea up (and some). This is a must read for any recruitment entrepreneur who knows that they are different from the norm.

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3. Purple Cow: Transform your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin

What do Apple, Starbucks, Dyson and Pr?t a Manger have in common? How do they achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and-true brands to gasp their last? The old checklist of P's used by marketers - Pricing, Promotion, Publicity - aren't working anymore. The golden age of advertising is over. It's time to add a new P - the Purple Cow. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat-out unbelievable. In his new bestseller, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for anyone who wants to help create products and services that are worth marketing in the first place.

Roy: I could have listed EVERY book written by Seth Godin on this list. This is the ONLY marketing guru to read and follow. I love his very clear message about honesty/ transparency with `permission based' marketing and recruitment businesses all over the world are adopting Seth Godin's principles in their droves.

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4. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwel

New Yorker Malcolm Gladwell looks at why major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Ideas, behaviour, messages, and products, he argues, often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a few fare-beaters and graffiti artists fuel a subway crime wave, or a satisfied customer fill the empty tables of a new restaurant. These are social epidemics, and the moment when they take off, when they reach their critical mass, is the Tipping Point. Gladwell introduces us to the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of new ideas and trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children's television, direct mail, and the early days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious, and visits a religious commune, a successful high-tech company, and one of the world's greatest salesmen to show how to start and sustain social epidemics.

Roy: OK I'm a fan of Malcolm Gladwell. I know he looks a little odd but the man is a genius AND he's a Brit! Like Seth Godin, I could have listed and recommended ALL of Malcolm's books here but this (and `The Outliers ? the story of success') tops my list. I love anyone who forces me to look at the world in a different way. Anyone who is looking to challenge the traditional recruitment model and swim against the tide of conformity should read this book.

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5. Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins

Are you in charge of your life? Or are you being swept away by things that are seemingly out of your control? In Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins, the bestselling author of Unlimited Power, shows the reader how to take immediate control of their mental, emotional, physical and financial destiny. The leader in the science of peak performance provides a step-by-step program teaching the fundamental lessons of self-mastery that will enable you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life and harness the forces that shape your destiny.

Roy: This is the first self-development book I ever read and I have remained a Tony Robbins fan since, reading his books, listening to his audio programmes and attending his live seminars. I've encouraged so many of my clients to experience Tony's work and few have been disappointed. If you really want success in your life/ recruitment business and are ready to take massive action this book will give you the best chance of getting there!

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6. The Greatness Guide by Robin S. Sharma

The Greatness Guide is a strikingly powerful and enormously practical handbook that will inspire you to get to world class in both your personal and professional life. Written by Robin Sharma, one of the planet's top success coaches and a man whose ideas have been embraced by celebrity CEOs, leading entrepreneurs, rock stars and royalty, as well as by many FORTUNE 500 companies, The Greatness Guide contains a proven formula that will help you meet your highest potential and live an extraordinary life.

Roy: Robin Sharma was the author behind the phenomenally successful book, `The Monk who sold his Ferrari'. I like this one as much because it specifically addresses my business as well as providing inspiration for my personal life. It's also worth checking out Robin's website for loads of really useful free resources

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7. The Mind Gym: Give Me Time by The Mind Gym

The problem of not having enough time is as old as time itself, and so are most of the proposed cures. The trouble is, they don't seem to work. The Mind Gym: Give me time proposes a radically different approach to time and how we use it. Combining extensive psychological research with five years of testing amongst The Mind Gym's 100,000 members, this book offers practical solutions that will make you feel great about how your time is spent. The book is packed with techniques including *how to achieve more by slowing down * tiny time investments that deliver massive returns * how to say `no' and be loved for it * simple ways to get other people to want to do your work for you * how to get time with people who haven't got time for you And there's no need to read this book from cover to cover. The questionnaire at the start guides you directly to the chapters that will help you most.

Roy: The number one question I get asked by recruitment business owners is how can I get more out of each day (better time management). I have read (almost) every book on time management that has ever been published, attended every seminar and tried every app I could find. None of them worked for me because the simple fact is that `there is never enough time in a day'. Instead of trying to change what I do I had to learn how to change my attitude (OK it's a work in progress).

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8. Buyology by Martin Lindstrom

Most anti-smoking campaigns inadvertently encourage people to smoke. The scent of melons helps sell electronic products. Subliminal advertising may have been banned, but it's being used all the time. Product placement in films rarely works. Many multi-million pound advertising campaigns are a complete waste of time.

These are just a few of the findings of Martin Lindstrom's groundbreaking study of what really makes consumers tick. Convinced that there is a gulf between what we believe influences us and what actually does, he set up a highly ambitious research project that employed the very latest in brain-scanning technology and called on the services of some 2000 volunteers. Buyology shares the fruits of this research, revealing for the first time what actually goes on inside our heads when we see an advertisement, hear a marketing slogan, taste two rival brands of drink, or watch a programme sponsored by a major company. The conclusions are both startling and groundbreaking, showing the extent to which we deceive ourselves when we think we are making considered decisions, and revealing factors as varied as childhood memories and religious belief that come together to influence our decisions and shape our tastes.

Roy: I had the pleasure of meeting Martin last year and was blown away by the guy. I came back to my desk buzzing with knowledge on how people buy and what I (and my clients) needed to specifically do (and avoid doing) to tap into those strongest of desires.

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9. Spin Selling by Neil Rackham

SPIN Selling is essential reading for anyone involved in selling or managing a sales force. By following the simple, practical, and easy-to-apply techniques of SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need- payoff), readers will be able to dramatically increase their sales volume from major accounts. Rackham answers key questions such as "What makes success in major sales" and "Why do techniques like closing work in small sales but fail in larger ones?" SPIN Selling is the key to understanding and producing record-breaking high-end sales performance.

Roy: This book significantly changed the way I sold recruitment services. It was, in part responsible for me changing my business from 100% contingency fees (success only) to 100% retained fee structure. I must admit I had to read it a couple of times to really understand the premise but once I had it, no turning back!

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10. Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

Every idea in this book is focused on increasing your overall levels of productivity, performance, and output and on making you more valuable in whatever you do. Each of the twenty-one methods and techniques is complete in itself. One strategy might be effective in one situation and another might apply to another task. All together, these twenty-one ideas represent a smorgasbord of personal effectiveness techniques that you can use at any time, in any order or sequence that makes sense to you at the moment. The key to success is action. These principles work to bring about fast, predictable improvements in performance and results. The faster you learn and apply them, the faster you will move ahead in your career.

Roy: I'm often guilty of procrastination and as a business owner you don't always have someone to keep you on task/accountable to. This book is the `kick in the butt' I give myself whenever I need one.

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11. The Jelly Effect by Andy Bounds

Like throwing jelly at a wall, poor communication never sticks. Too much information and not enough relevance is a problem that pervades almost all business communication. So what's the answer? More relevance and a lot less jelly. `The Jelly Effect' teaches simple, memorable and costless ways to win more attention and more business. By the time you close the final page of this book, you will be armed with practical, proven techniques that will help you be more effective in all your business dealings.

Roy: Andy Bounds grew up partially sighted (blind in one eye) and with a blind mother. He learned very quickly to communicate descriptively and succinctly in ways most of us never have to. I really enjoyed Andy's unique insights into effective business communication.

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12. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realises that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles", and much more.

Roy: Steven Covey sadly passed away in 2012. What a legacy he left us with perhaps the most successful self-development book ever written. I love the simplicity of 7 directives that not only will impact your recruitment business but more importantly improve the quality of your life and relationships.

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13. Breakthrough! How to explode the production of experienced consultants by Steven M. Finkel

This book is an absolute must read if you are serious about your career in recruitment. The fully updated 2008 edition available to buy on Amazon US and the information it contains on working tough markets has even more relevance today than when it was first published in 1994. Steven M. Finkel helps you uncover how to identify time wasting search assignments, build real clients that will give you repeat business, deal with reluctant candidates, and much, much, more.

Roy: This was one of the first books written specifically for recruiters available in the nineties when my recruiting career really took off. Steve gives brilliant practical and tactical advice on running a successful recruitment desk.

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