Customer Reviews

The Essential HR Handbook: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book to be a wonderful quick reference. I would recommend it - not only for HR professionals - but for managers and supervisors as well. It will help managers to start off on the right foot with new hires, prevent potentially sticky situations, and is a great resource for issues that might arise. The case examples are great. It's concise and to the point. I found the section on performance evaluations particularly helpful.

Need a list of questions for interviewing job applicants? Need guidelines on how to coach an employee in meeting performance goals? Need answers to all those pesky HR issues and problems you encounter every day? Then buy this book and you'll be set! The handy index makes it easy to find information on any HR issue you face. Every manager, business owner, and HR professional will want to have this book in their office as a reference.

Membership director for various associations, 20+ years experience
Washington, DC

I heard about this nifty little book from a friend and, although I've been in HR for nearly 30 years and read too many texts and popular "how-to" books on the subject, decided to give it a read.

Well, even for an old hand like myself, I was impressed. The authors have made this a concise, readable book - truly a Handbook. It covers all the essential topics in an organized fashion that makes it easy on the reader to find the answers quickly without a lot of legalese to get in the way. I really like the sample documents they've included. The new manager or seasoned HR professional will appreciate having these examples to adapt and use.

I highly recommend it to anyone in the field or who has the responsibility of managing others in the workplace. Bravo!

Paul Shibelski, SPHR, GPHR

I received this book from the publisher at request to review the book. As an HR professional with more than 10 years of experience in the industry I was looking forward to reading it. I was left a little disappointed. I think on the surface this a good book with some good resources for the entry level HR professional and manager who is really looking to learn about how to write a proper performance review. Most (managers) aren't willing to give the time which is very sad because the review process is a great way to build on communication and provide your employees with clear directives and understanding about what really is expected.

I felt like some of the suggested dialogue wasn't as realistic as it could have been. This is one place where I think the book could have took this a little further offering a CD or online resources like podcasts that provide the managers with some role playing scenarios where they could hear the proper way to talk to their team before, during, and after a performance evaluation. This makes the discussion more realistic and offers a way to practice before the performance review through hearing and not just seeing.

This book has 69 pages of forms which seems to be a large percentage of the book. I thought that it was a good resource but would have liked to see the book to provide in the CD or on the website a place to download the templates either for free or for further purchase. Websites like SHRM offer free toolkits and it would be nice for a book like this if some of these forms were included so the human resource managers don't have to recreate the wheel every time. I say this because I have held a number of HR training sessions and employee training program seminars with managers and HR professionals, having forms and access to information in different mediums is so important in learning especially for those eager managers who really want to do better at communicating with their employees.

Jessica Miller-Merrell
CEO of Xceptional HR
Author of Tweet This! Twitter for Business
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As a training and workforce development professional who doesn't have direct experience with the various other responsibilities and concerns that my human resource colleagues must juggle, I have found 'The Essential HR Handbook' to be extremely helpful with the overview it provides.
I would have liked to have seen more substance in the diversity section -- but then, that's at least in part due to my professional bias as a diversity trainer.
Overall, this book is a little gem in an easy read format, quick and to the point -- and we busy folks like that! I highly recommend it!

For small business owners and or initial students of HR practices, this book is an essential reference guide. It clearly lays out all the traps and stumbling blocks so that you can either do something about them or connect with a professional to get you through them. In my office, this book is easily within my reach.

This is a great handbook for those of us working in a small business or at a nonprofit with a limited budget. It provides, in straightforward and easily understandable language, an overview of what you need to know about hiring, supervising, and firing staff. There are chapters on performance evaluation (always a worrisome topic), benefits and compensation and an appendix filled with a variety of sample forms that make this book instantly useful. Keep it handy!N. Kelly

This book is a great tool for HR professionals and all managers. The authors present current, practical and critical information which is both strategic and detailed. I especially like the chapter layouts with a Main message for managers ending each chapter.

New or veteran manger, HR or operations manager, small or large organization...this guide calls for a convenient place on your shelf. Searching for a quick answer? Check out the well-organized table of contents. Looking for a template? Check out the appendix. Not sure what a term means? Check out the glossary. Need additional information and insight? Check out the bibliography. Armstrong and Mitchell have provided an excellent guide for all of us.

What a great contribution! This resource will prove to be invaluable to managers with HR responsibilities, business owners, and HR professionals alike. It hits just the right note. While it is substantive and technically sound, it includes only the most useful material and avoids technical jargon. The book is easily navigable; it is a breeze to find the answers to everyday HR questions. Anyone who manages people in today's organization could benefit from keeping this book handy. Since receiving and reading the book, I keep it on my desk. As an HR consultant, I recommend it to my clients to support their work and enrich their understanding of HR.