Books for corporate employees

12 Great Books to Gift Corporate Employees

What do employees need to do to excel in their careers today? Keep themselves updated and never stop learning. Reading books can always impart a wide range of skills and knowledge to corporate employees, irrespective of their company positions.

The knowledge is already out there, but do you know the best books that empower your coworkers in a corporate setting? If not, then this article suggests the most popular books that have helped improve productivity and employee engagement in the workplace. 

Let’s get started then!

Why Books are Great Gifts for Corporate Employees

With 68% of employees wanting additional training at work, learning has become an essential part of modern workplaces. With newer technologies available, learning has shifted from traditional methods to hybrid and virtual modes that cater to individual needs.

However, conventional sources of knowledge such as books and magazines are still widely popular and relevant today. With experts in corporate workplaces sharing their expertise through books, they offer a plethora of information that caters to every aspect of an employee.   

Companies that focus on professional development have always reaped the rewards in the long run. They help create productive employees who are motivated and loyal. They also foster a sense of unity and team building within their work culture, which fast-tracks the company's growth and success. 

This further highlights why modern firms must foster and build a reading culture within the workplace. Creating book clubs and organizing discussions around best sellers can foster a sense of community and help its employees develop relevant knowledge in the corporate world. 

12 Must-Read Books

From personal development to team building, here are the 12 books we recommend to help your employees be successful in the corporate world. Read on as we dive into why these books stand out and the people in your office for whom it is a must-read. 

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Books for corporate employees

A bestseller that has touched the lives of millions, Stephen R. Covey lays down the principles followed by some of the most successful individuals. He highlights positive habits and behaviors they follow that help them remain at the top of their game.

Recommended for: Employees aspiring to take leadership roles in the organization

Why we recommend it: People aspiring to take the next step in their career require a level of guidance and mentorship. Covey gets into the details that help people be independent and easy to work with professionally.

Employees who follow the 7 Habits Covey emphasizes will show personal growth and development over time. This can help you leverage such driven individuals to take up key positions and ensure the success of your company in the long run. 

2. Atomic Habits

Books for corporate employees

James Clear explains the fundamentals of habit formation and how to create newer, better ones for ourselves. He narrates various incidents from across the world that support his teachings, allowing his readers to relate to his advice through real-world examples.

Recommended for: Interns and new hires at your company

Why we recommend it: This book can be a savior to those entering a new phase of their career. Learning to shake off old habits and build new and better ones allows them to adapt to the demands and expectations of corporate cultures quickly.

The book can also play a crucial role in fast-tracking their personal development. This increases their value as employees exponentially over time, making them valuable assets to the company in the long run.

3. Meetings Suck

Books for corporate employees

Addressing a popular workplace routine, Cameron Herold seeks to streamline meetings and make them more effective. By addressing details around participants and planning, he aims to make humans more effective in running meetings in corporate settings.

Recommended for: Team leaders who frequently conduct check-ins with those working under them

Why we recommend it: With nearly 51% feeling that unnecessary meetings reduce productivity, team leads need to take a close look at how they run their meetings. The actions suggested by this book have helped those in charge to develop focused agendas. This makes meetings relevant and increases productivity and participation during this time.

4. Stop Making Sense 

Books for corporate employees

Author: by Michael J. Fanuele

In today’s world filled with huge amounts of data everywhere, the creative spark has taken a back seat. Michael J. Fanuele urges his readers to free themselves from logical analysis all the time. In his opinion, doing so unlocks potential that can help you come up with creative new ways to inspire and effect change.

Recommended for: HR representatives looking for creative ways to engage with employees

Why we recommend it: Most HR representatives struggle to find new ways to keep employees motivated and happy in an organization. The development of modern tools to track KPIs and OKRs can be attributed to heavily data-driven decision-making that reduces the impact of the human element.

This book does a great job of advising people in such positions to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It preaches the need for patience in allowing ideas and solutions to come to you as a moment of inspiration rather than fruitlessly trying to work towards it.

5. Essentialism

Books for corporate employees

Author: Greg McKeown

Greg McKeown tackles the modern-day issues of people feeling stressed out by their daily routines. It lays out plans and strategies that help you sort out your priorities and get more done with reduced effort.

Recommended for: Entrepreneurs and start-up founders at the beginning of a new venture

Why we recommend it: Essentialism details how to maximize your time and potential by eliminating distractions. It also helps you change your perception of how work gets done, reducing stress and ensuring you don’t feel overwhelmed or burdened by your job.

This can also help you focus and chart out what your end goals for the organization are. The renewed focus can bring about a positive impact in the office and increase your efficiency.

6. Strengthsfinder by Tom Rath

Books for corporate employees

Tom Rath radically challenges the age-old notion that we need to work on our weaknesses. Instead, he asks people to focus and develop their strengths even further, which makes them more suitable in corporate organizations and helps them find success.

Recommended for: Employees joining and forming new teams within the organization

Why we recommend it: Team members view each other in a new light after reading this new perspective. They understand their colleagues better and allows them to rethink their plans to execute and achieve tasks assigned to them. 

The book also helps create a positive and motivating environment as everyone focuses on the positive aspects of their strengths and develops them further. This increases employee engagement and fosters a sense of unity and team spirit within the organization.

7. Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer

Books for corporate employees

Author: Jay Baer

Jay Baer defines how to deal with criticism and negative feedback in today’s world. It helps you understand critics (haters) and paves the way to help you navigate modern obstacles like social media and public criticism, 

Recommended for: Those working in customer support and service roles

Why we recommend it: It can often frustrate employees when they face haters unhappy with a product. This book helps them understand these haters better and suggests ways to turn their negative complaints into positive experiences. This can help build a strong relationship with customers, attracting their loyalty and trust to the brand.

8. Crucial Conversations

Books for corporate employees

Co-authored by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan & Al Switzler, Crucial Conversations emphasizes the need to be able to convey your thoughts and ideas effectively. It also teaches how to communicate when you are under pressure and the stakes are high.

Recommended for: Sales and marketing departments of the company

Why we recommend it: Marketing a product requires effective communication where the masses understand your product and relate to your brand. Sales personnel further push these products onto potential customers, leveraging their communication skills to resonate and convert these leads. 

By learning how to communicate effectively, employees can drive growth and help you build new streams of revenue. It also allows them to navigate difficult situations within the organization as well as with clients, which helps them build character and leadership skills. 

9. Radical Candor

Books for corporate employees

Kim Scott does not beat around the bush as she voices her opinions about corporate feedback. Her belief in people being straightforward for the good of the company helps explain the framework she suggests for effective feedback practices in the office.

Recommended for: Managers and HR professionals who give feedback regularly.

Why we recommend it: Giving constructive feedback is often a carefully balanced act. Many people either avoid giving feedback or try to sugarcoat it to reduce the negative impact it may have. However, this comes at the expense of the goals and ambitions of the company.

Radical Candor helps employees understand the importance of honest and direct feedback, encouraging them to speak their minds. It will allow and encourage them to learn to give and take feedback, helping build better teams and work cultures as a result. 

10. The Four Agreements

Books for corporate employees

Don Miguel Ruiz and Janet Mills combine to explain the four principles that can help an employee achieve their career goals. It breaks down daily interactions and helps employees build interpersonal relationships that help nurture productive workplaces within the organization.

Recommended for: All employees of the organization

Why we recommend it:

Employees face a variety of challenges on a daily basis. A large number of these issues stem from interactions with their colleagues. By adhering to the 4 agreements laid down by the authors, you create a system of love and trust within the workplace.

This helps them engage with their coworkers on a personal level, allowing them to give their best day in and day out. As a result, you have a happier workforce that is high on morale, which in return boosts the productivity and development of your organization.

11. Getting Things Done 

Books for corporate employees

David Allen explains why it is important to rethink the way we get things done. He then explains his groundbreaking methods that have helped people become more productive at work.

Recommended for: Employees who are disengaged or struggling to find motivation 

Why we recommend it: Many employees schedule their lives around completing tasks, be it at home or in the office. Their inability to relax often puts them in a tough spot that eventually makes them lose interest in their jobs.

This book helps tackle these issues by reassessing the way we perceive productivity. It helps readers understand why taking a break is as important for productivity as putting in the required effort. This can help alleviate stress and create a motivated work environment.

12. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Books for corporate employees

Atul Gawande highlights the importance of having structured guides that help people navigate the most complex of tasks. It highlights how experts with numerous years of experience are prone to small mistakes that can have grave consequences. The book clearly lays out how the help offered by checklists can ensure success in critical situations. 

Recommended for: Project managers interacting with teams from different domains

Why we recommend it: Project managers often find themselves dealing with issues that are not necessarily their strong suit. Despite their years of experience, there is always a chance that they encounter scheduling issues during crunch time. 

This makes it all the more important for them to have proper checklists to help them manage their time well and overcome obstacles effectively.

Conclusion

Books have had a special place in educating the masses forever. Despite the changing landscape of learning and training initiatives in the workplace, books are still essential tools to spread knowledge amongst corporate employees.

Be it learning how to build successful teams or motivating employees to be more productive, books have helped employees pick up new skills that make them much more valuable in corporate settings. 

Gifting books that focus on self-help and career development is a great way to take the initiative in helping your employees grow. This will definitely reap its rewards in the long run, making your employees grateful and loyal to your organization.

At Swageazy, we offer best sellers that will encourage your employees to do better at work. You can include these books as part of your corporate gifts to make a positive impact. 

Get started today in curating your personalized corporate gifts with us!