Managing people has never been easy. Especially in the hustle and bustle of a startup, the situation goes overhead.
The HR professionals have to set up the policies, ensure that each initiative aligns with the goals of the organization, and clean the mess as well(if any).
Creating these HR policies is an end-to-end process that requires every aspect of the organization to be covered- more like guidelines ensuring smooth operations of repetitive tasks.
Here are a few basic policies that are common among most companies:
- Recruitment: what are the benefits you can offer to the employees, what commitments can you give, offering better working conditions, ensuring prospects, and more.
- Managing performance reviews: an entire process to review every employee’s performance- quarterly or yearly.
- Employee well-being: using several measures to ensure that employees are satisfied and motivated while working for your organization.
- Growth: companies need to ensure that their employees keep learning and excelling in their fields or trying something new. They need to offer effective training and learning resources that will help them grow.
We are a startup too, and we know what you are facing. Hence, we are extending a helping hand through this curated list of resources you can use for creating an end-to-end HR department set up for your startup: ebooks, podcasts, everything in one place.
Make sure to check the list regularly for the latest updates and newest resources.
Here we go!
🎧 Podcasts
HR Policy Podcast
How much more evident could it be, right? What’s the take? The podcast invites government officials and experts on public policy as their guests. Conversations feature quality discussions on HR policies and the entire mechanism behind them.
HR Happy Hour
This is one of the longest-running HR podcasts, launched in 2009. Inviting people across all HR domains, this podcast talks about different HR practices and technology. It is hosted by leaders of H3 HR Advisors (Human Capital Management consulting and advisory firm) and is trying to make a global impact.
NineToThrive HR
This podcast consists of interactions as unique as its name. Listen to leading HR practitioners from Fortune 1000 companies. They cover all different aspects of HR: leadership, Talent Acquisition, and so much. Their latest episodes talk about ‘the evolution of learning.’
DriveThruHR – HR Conversations
As they creatively describe themselves as “easy-to-digest, occasionally irrelevant,” this creativity extends to their episodes’ agendas. For example, one of their recent episodes had an open-mic agenda where eventually, they ended up discussing union organizing at Starbucks, Amazon, and Apple and dress codes.
Keeping the fun intact, this podcast ensures a valuable addition to your playlist to know more about all things HR.
HBR IdeaCast
Alongside offering great insights into the world of management through articles, Harvard Business Review went a step further to ensure best practices in workforce and business management software. It is hosted by two senior editors of Harvard Business Review and includes discussion around captivating topics like “working with colleagues,” “DEI isn’t enough,” and “Learning from Regrets.”
HR Works
Know about caregiving solutions for employees, the future of the office, preparing it for the new normal, and a lot more in this exciting podcast. With 250+ episodes, we are sure you’ll be able to find what you are searching for.
HRUprising
HR is an amalgamation of different areas of people management: L&D, well-being, employee engagement, and more. Too overwhelming? HRUprising has done the hard work for you.
Among the Top 30 UK Podcasts by Feedspot (2021), this podcast offers interactions segregated according to their discussion topics. If you are an L&D manager, you will find all the episodes under the L&D section. How much more convenient and time-saving can it get, right?
HRunConfidential
A podcast that touches upon interesting topics like working parents, recovery in the workplace, and the needs of the latest workspace. It was launched in 2018 and co-hosted by friends and former colleagues Gina Flaig and Turiya Gray.
All About HR
The Academy to Innovate HR aims to innovate the future landscape of HR. Along with their training programs, the All About HR podcast and talk show is one such step towards the same. It involves exciting conversations with industry experts and thought leaders about how the HR domain looks like new innovations and the latest trends that can make a difference.
CIPD
The association for HR professionals, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, is helping them explore the field of HR, dive deeper into different aspects of it, and work towards building better workspaces.
The Shape of Work
This podcast gives insights into the future of the workspace and how Hr software solutions hold a valuable contribution towards the same. It consists of more than 200+ episodes and 15K+ downloads, inviting industry experts across the HR domain. Spotify
📝 E-books
Human Resource Policy by Mike Fazey
One of the most significant ideas behind this book is showcasing how policy works as a link between strategy and practice. It entails a detailed understanding of how HR policies target the organization’s overall growth and its goal and culture.
This book can be used by HR professionals/students for guidelines around building a complete HR policy function. What is the best part of it? This book is more practical-oriented, revolving around how these policies can be created and implemented.
It analyzes ten different possible HR policy segments and what policies to create.
Human Resource Management
If you are an HR professional or aiming to be one, this book is your one-stop solution to understand everything about Human Resource Management.
Starting from the very basics, what is the HRM, what skills one needs for HRM, how to create an HRM plan, and a lot more.
This free ebook talks about different sectors, including recruitment, diversity, compensation, benefits, and more- from explanations behind the significance of these areas, what they are, and how you can implement them within your organization.
The Essential HR Guide for Small Businesses and Startups
This book is the most helpful solution to an HR practitioner’s daily life, especially for a startup, from listing down the essential tools, resources, and some effective practices.
Why a startup/small business? This book provides recommendations for organizations that cannot meet the financial requirements to invest in a proper HR department.
You will find the best practices around creating policies, performance management, building culture, and managing performance within this guide.
Modern HR Playbook
Getting into the HR field to just help people is not enough. “You have to get your motivation and your drive from really connecting to the business.”
This book consists of first-hand experiences of the customers of the CultureAmp (publisher), an organization striving to create an ideal employee experience through its engagement tools.
As the name suggests, this book talks about Modern HR- creating an HR tech stack at the workplace, people analysis strategies to get better insights and make actions, performance reviews, and the growth of the overall concept of employee experience.
📕 Books
International Human Resources Management (Global HRM)
This book will give you insights into international human resource management for multinational enterprises in a “highly engageable and approachable way.” It talks about why IHRM is a key essential for businesses to achieve heights and a detailed explanation of its theory and practices.
The SHRM Essential Guide to Employment Law
Your one-stop solution to any information you need around employment law. It guides HR professionals, employers, and even small business owners on managing their relationships with the employees. It consists of more than 200 topics under US workplace laws.
Workplace Safety: How to Make It Not Suck!
A book that tackles confusions and blunders around workplace safety. It offers some of the most practical, real-life examples to engage workers and inculcate a safety culture within the workplace.
The HR Scorecard
Revolving around the ongoing study of around 3,000 firms, this book is written by three HR experts. It explains a 7-step process to incorporate the HR framework into the overall strategy and create an HR scorecard that will be compelling to the managers and CEOs.
Predictive HR Analytics: Mastering the HR Metric
We all know why HR metrics and data are important to figure out the “what next” and identify trends. But how to use this data? The potential to use it at its best is still lacking, and that’s what this book offers. It offers clear guidance on picking this data and using it correctly in the right areas using SPSS, a statistical software.
Human Resources Kit For Dummies
Do you want to set up an HR framework for your organization but don’t know how to? What can make it easier than an entire human resource kit incorporating ready templates and forms for immediate changes and practices?
Strategic Human Resource Management: An HR Professional’s Toolkit 1st Edition
The “Business Book Awards 2020 – HR & Management Category” finalist, this resource comes with exercises, tools, and case studies for more competitive advantage. However, this book is more than just another toolkit, from honing personal and professional skills to building competitive awareness.
📌 Tools
There are numerous HR tools present in the market in various shapes and sizes. So how to decide the right one for your organization? Check out some amazing tools here:
HRMS (Human Resource Management System)
Monday.com
Found in 2012, Monday.com is a workplace solution across teams, workflows, and business types. It helps organizations conduct project management, remote working, recruitment, and even creative marketing at ease.
Sapling
Describing themselves as “the missing puzzle to your HR piece,” Sapling offers a customizable HCM platform. It helps improve employee experience, automate repetitive tasks, and use your culture for branding purposes.
HRCloud
This tool targets overcoming business challenges and increasing competitive advantage. It understands the relevance of people management in the overall growth of a business. It offers automation of manual processes, onboarding tasks, and driving engagement.
Darwinbox
With more than 1.5 million users, Darwinbox helps organizations make more informed decisions. It offers an understanding of how employee empowerment is a key essential to a competitive advantage over other organizations.
Keka
Keka is “everything you need to create a high-performance culture.” It reduces time spent on manual tasks and encourages data usage for more informed decision-making and creating an ideal work environment.
Gusto
Gusto is an all-in-one people platform, incorporating services like taking care of full-service payroll, recruitment, talent management, employee benefits, and more. Why use multiple tools for different purposes when you have one solution for all.
Performance Solutions
BambooHR- This tool is focused on data-driven insights to achieve great results in people management. It caters to small and medium businesses and assists in the collection and organization of data accurately to put it to correct usage.
15five
This software is built using the positive product design method using positive psychology research. Their motive is to empower managers to build well-engaged and high-performing teams.
Lattice
This solution aims to “turn employees into high performers, managers into leaders, and companies into the best places to work.”
They follow a different approach of focus: to make work and working hours more meaningful by helping organizations hit their business goals with the help of tech solutions and high engagement.
Culture Amp
Culture Amp offers engagement, performance, and development tools and collects insights to build a well-defined culture. It provides solutions that turn managers into leaders and employees into high performers.
Recruiting tools
SpringRecruit
SpringRecruit is a free-forever applicant tracking system that gears up your hiring process and helps hire talent before other companies do. It offers a customizable board view, automates reminders, and enhances your employer branding. It is your comprehensive solution to the entire recruiting process.
Greenhouse
This software aims to optimize every aspect of the hiring process. From beginning the search for good talent, improving diversity, to improvising team efficiency- they touch and enhance each step in the way.
Recruitee
This hiring software builds ‘winning teams.’ It offers more efficient evaluation of candidates and boosts the entire hiring process. What’s new? This tool encourages collaborative hiring- hiring in teams for long-lasting and faster results.
Breezy HR
Breezy HR offers easy and accessible management and HRIS integration (Human Resources Information System). It eases the long and tedious process of finding and eliminating candidates and choosing the best ones for your organization.
TalentLyft
The uniqueness TalentLyft holds as a hiring software is that it ensures an enhanced candidate experience and improvises on employer branding ideas.
Recruiterflow
Recruiterflow is an all-in-one recruitment agency software built for executive search firms and headhunters. It is a modern applicant tracking system and executive search software that can assist recruiters in hiring faster and reducing tedious work.
Employee self-service portal
SP Employee Self-Service Portal
This self-service platform is used as a central space to access cross-functional resources and documents. It can be used to submit time-offs, travel requests, and expense reports.
InStaff
InStaff is “built to sync into your payroll system.” It is an HRMS portal that reduces the efforts behind administrative tasks and acts as a repository for all common files and an employee directory as well.
ScienceSoft
This platform ensures seamless onboarding, time management, compensation, security, etc. It takes pride in the ease of usage and access, and confidentiality.
HR Analytics Suite
intelliHR
This tool is an excellent resource for organizations to streamline the entire people operations process and support human-centered performance and engagement.
It offers a trusted ecosystem with a configurable API and helps managers empower their teams.
Leapsome
Leapsome is “the only platform that closes the loop between performance management, employee engagement, and learning.”
It helps in driving performance, increasing engagement, and automating processes.
Humantelligence
Humantelligence is a “Culture-as-a-Service (CAAS)” platform that helps you optimize your culture. It improves the overall cooperation, drives team performance, and focuses on culture-based hiring.
Remote workforce collaboration app
Slack
Slack is the go-to answer for most remote companies. It presents a virtual workspace connecting people from all over the world and offers them the necessary tools and integrations to make work easier.
MS Teams
Though this tool does not require much introduction, MS Teams is a group chatting software mostly used for organizations to be connected with each other, chat through videos, and share content.
Trello
Trello is a simple place to manage projects in a healthy, efficient manner. It allows teams to collaborate and work seamlessly.
Zoom
Zoom is yet another solution that needs no introduction. One of the most used video conferencing platforms, Zoom is a great solution to host calls with a bigger number of attendees.
Google Drive
One of the most commonly used platforms to store and share all different types of files. Most companies use Google Drive as a repository for all common files.
Payroll and Benefits management
Paylocity
This tool offers automation of HR processes to contribute toward an ideal employee experience. They are “built for employees” and are an all-in-one solution for all HR and payroll challenges and connect you with the latest trends.
Qandle
If you are an HR executive, Qandle helps you supervise employees in a healthy manner and manage employee activities easily. And, if you are a CEO, Qandle helps ensure that your employees get what they deserve. Either way, Qandle is a great tool to help you organize and conduct your people operations seamlessly.
Zoho Payroll
Zoho helps you invest less time in your payroll process so that you can focus more on building and growing your business. It can cater to different salary structures and runs payroll through automatic calculation.
Employee Engagement
Trivia
Fun games, quizzes, virtual coffee interaction, and so much more- Trivia is your answer to all engagement-related challenges. Encourage healthy competition, necessary breaks during work, and interactions among your employees.
EngageWith
Instill rewards and recognition within your organizational culture through this simple tool that allows your employees to give kudos/shoutouts to each other with a single click. These kudos are not just verbal – employees can redeem points/money out of it, which can be used for purchasing anything of their choice.
👨👦👦 Communities
Subreddits
Ask Human Resources
This community is one of the most popular among all other HR communities. HR professionals can be a part of this community to ask questions about compensation, benefits, legal issues, and more.
Human Resources
Get career advice, ask any questions related to HR, and receive feedback- this community is a must for HR professionals to network with people from the same domain and learn from each other.
LinkedIn Communities
Human Resource Management
This community invites HR professionals on LinkedIn to “share, learn, and grow.” It has professionals catering to Talent, Staffing, Management, Culture, Leadership Development, Recruiting, and more. It is not accessible to job seekers.
Linked:HR (#1 Human Resources Group)
This community is a part of Linked:HR 1.25 million-member community. With conversations exclusively based on Human Resources, this platform is for senior HR professionals.
Human Resources: HR | Recruiting | Startups | Fortune 500 | Blockchain | Web3 | Metaverse
This community has been serving HR professionals since 2009. As the name suggests, it consists of interactions around several topics around HR and Blockchain.
It is a 5.2 million members group open to exciting discussions.
Human Resources (HR) Professionals
This community is powered by HR Dive, open to all professionals to discuss talent acquisition, HRM, compensation and benefits, and more. Interact with industry experts around the world to learn and grow,
Quora Communities
Human Resource
A simple community where HR professionals find their way to ask questions around the field, any issues they face or even give news on the latest trend.
Human Resource Management
This is a similar community catering to any challenges you might face and getting answers from people in the same fraternity.
Here are a few questions people answered:
- Which are the top employee-friendly companies?
- What is the best HR advice given to you?
- How do I tackle the problems of learning and leaving?
Human Resource Management Systems
With around 39k followers, this community talks about everything around HR management. Where to find the best solutions, differences between human resource management and human resource development, etc.
Other Communities
HRIS and Payroll
This community is created by HR.com and consists of 124673 members. Individuals can search for content, look for jobs, and attend events through the same platform.
Society for Human Resource Management
SHRM is one of the leading bodies that impact HR and 115 million employees worldwide. More than 300K HR professionals follow them.
#PeoplePeople
A Slack community allows recruiters and HR professionals to discuss “humans-at-work” issues.
The Shape of Work community
The Shape of Work is a growing community and a common platform for HR professionals. People can interact with each other, ask questions, and resolve their doubts. It is available on Slack.
HRtoHR
Best practices in HR, recruitment challenges, and HRBP- you will find everything in HRtoHR. It is available on Slack, avoiding any unnecessary on-ground events.
Skool
Skool is a community where you can explore HR communities & connect with like minded people ,share your best practices, and seek advice. Or else you can create your community on your own.
Did I miss something? Is there a resource you think should be on this list? Let me know in the comments section below!
