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Have you ever had to sit through the same training and development courses with the cheesy videos or unenthusiastic slideshows? We’ve all been there. We want to help your employees get the most out of these invaluable insights that come in your training and development programs. Looking to shake things up but are on a budget? Try a book club!

A book club is a fun and engaging way to get your employees excited about learning something new and collaborating with their coworkers. With hundreds of books perfect for all the different programs from DEI to human resource; we have compiled a list of the best workplace books for your employee training and development.

Employee onboarding is essential for businesses to welcome new employees and set them up for success within their new position. This series of department-related training sessions take place over a longer period of time and are essential for new employees acclimating to the company culture. A positive onboarding experience has been proven to decrease employee turnover, receive greater employee engagement, and increase productivity. There are many ways to show your employees how excited you are to have them. One way is to give them a book to read during their onboarding process. Inspire them to see their potential for growth and development, directly correlate their actions to the ability to impact those around them, and celebrate their unique strengths they are bringing to the company with these recommendations.

• Take Command: Find Your Inner Strength, Build Enduring Relationships, and Live the Life You Want by Joe Hart and Michael Crom
• The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
• StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Though hard skills are essential to receiving and succeeding in your job, soft skills are crucial to your continued growth within an organization. Soft skills are proven to show an employee’s ability to work well with others and directly affect company culture. Some examples of soft skills include communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, time management, organizational, and teamwork. Every employee uses soft skills within their work whether they realize it or not and are proven to increase employee retention and growth within the organization. Teach your employees the importance of some of these soft skills by checking out these titles we curated below on problem solving, communication, and organizational skills.

• Fixed.: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving by Amy E. Herman
• Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication by Vanessa Van Edwards
• Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity by Gloria Mark, PhD

DEI Training is essential to create safe and inclusive workplaces for everyone. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training holds organizations responsible for the workplace culture and allows all the employers and employees to work together towards a common goal of a harmonious workplace. When employees feel like they belong, they are more likely to thrive not only in their personal lives but also professionally. Companies who put an emphasis on DEI initiatives have been proven to have better communication, reduce workplace harassment, and lead innovation among competitors. Every member of a team can benefit from DEI training so creating a book club around this training is the perfect way to get people to engage with their coworkers in a meaningful way.

• DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right by Lily Zheng
• Say the Right Thing: How to Talk about Identity, Diversity, and Justice by Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow
• The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias: How to Reframe Bias, Cultivate Connection, and Create High-Performing Teams by Pamela Fuller and Mark Murphy

The success of businesses can be directly seen through the leadership which is why management and leadership training and development is essential to a healthy business. Leadership training can not only be for employees entering leadership positions, but can be beneficial for employees of any level. This training helps clarify the company’s vision, develop skills needed for growth within the organization, and breed a culture of high performance. If you are wondering where to start in your management/ leadership training and development book club then check out our titles below about the impact leaders have on organizations and its employees.

• Dare to un-Lead: The Art of Relational Leadership in a Fragmented World by Celine Schillinger
• Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made by David Gergen
• A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness by Roger L. Martin

A good working relationship between team members is crucial to the success of the team as a whole. While team training will allow individuals to advance their own skill set, it also allows teams to figure out their dynamic to make them harmonious within the company itself. Training your team members together has been proven to increase employee engagement, improve collaboration, accelerate productivity, and improve company culture. What better way to develop your skills as a team than through a book club! These books below are perfect for team members to discuss and adopt methods on how to create successful teams.

• The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek
• Cultivating Culture: 101 Ways to Foster Engagement in 15 Minutes or Less by Brad Federman

BookPal has plenty of options for your training and development needs. Whether you are creating a formal program or want to start a bookclub with your employees, we have got you covered with our discounted, wholesale pricing. No matter what training and development courses you are starting in your workplace, there are plenty of titles that can help you and your employees develop their skill set and set them up for success within the organization as a whole. Get in touch with an account manager today for title recommendations or request a quote today to start taking this important step to a more successful organization!