People analytics in the era of Big Data: 20 HR analytics books (with 2022 releases)

The people analytics domain keeps actively developing and bringing to HR professionals loads of insights, new perspectives, and areas of applications. In this blog post, we put together the list of HR analytics books featuring works that touch the basics of this topic and address specific HR purposes. Also, you’ll find here 2022 releases by Adam Gibson, David Green & Jonathan Ferrar, and Anshul Saxena. 

Excellence in People Analytics provides business and human resources leaders with everything they need to know about creating value from people analytics. It summarizes the authors’ personal experiences and stories, having worked and advising on this topic for the last 10 years.  

Being a practical guide, the book outlines how to create sustainable business value with people analytics and develop a data-driven culture in HR.  

Additionally, Excellence in People Analytics equips CHROs and senior HR and business executives with the tools essential to deliver real impact while navigating the rapidly evolving world of work. Most significantly, this book features 30 new case studies from leading companies including Microsoft, HSBC, Syngenta, Capital One, Bosch, Uber, Santander Brazil and American Eagle Outfitters®, all assembled together around the easy to understand Insight222 Nine Dimensions in People Analytics® model.  

Book on Kogan Page

The target audience for this book are students with Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in management or enthusiasts who have a basic understanding of HR and are interested in diving deeper into the subject. The readers will develop insights into primary HR analytics metrics, KPIs, and processes involved in recruitment and employee engagement. This books also defines the terminologies and uncovers the implementation and benefits of analytics in HR processes. 

Book on Amazon 

Data is essential for wise decision making on everything from where to locate a team to optimizing production processes, improving performance, and engaging employees. This book helps HR professionals who just start their journey to the people analytics universe to navigate the approach to collecting and analyzing data and applying their findings in order to create a happier and more engaged workforce. If retaining top performers and addressing workforce issues is at the top of your HR plan, People Analytics For Dummies makes it easier to sort things out. 

Book on Amazon 

This is another good read if you’re looking for an introduction to data-driven workforce management. This book shows how to supplement your work on employee-related topics with data and meet the requirements of digital HR management. People Analytics in Practice provides the basic knowledge you need to plan and deploy people analytics solutions for your organization. In addition, you’ll learn how to properly evaluate the results of HR tools and use software optimally. 

Book on Amazon 

This book was born from the experience of authors who worked in the area of analytics and data in HR departments, as well as provided consultancy and training in this domain. Hence, this book is considered a comprehensive practical guide for people analytics. Here the reader will find ways to use data and analytics tools to make informed decisions that improve employee management in an organization. If you’re seeing your future role as an HR analyst or strategic senior management partner, this is a great resource to start off. 

Book on Amazon 

This book by Fermin Diez provides hands-on strategies to connecting data with HR policies and practices to help influence overall business performance. Along with shaping traditional HR skillsets, this book makes understanding and engaging with data analytics possible for professionals at all levels. Fundamentals of HR Analytics is an essential book for new and seasoned HR professionals as well as data analysts working on workforce-focused projects. 

Book on Amazon 

Whether you’re exploring the ways to find data in an organization, collect and analyze it or want to know more about areas of its application, Introduction to People Analytics is essential reading for this purpose. This book is enriched with case studies and thought leadership insights from NHS, British Heart Foundation, Experian, AstraZeneca, and other prominent companies who have embraced people analytics and hence improved their employee engagement, increased performance and reduced costs. This book shows how and where HR analytics can make a tangible difference to organizations and provides practical advice on bringing analytics into HR processes. 

Book on Amazon 

After reading this book, you’ll get a solid understanding of what HR analytics is and the added value of this domain. You’ll also understand the capabilities needed to build an HR analytics team and have plenty of ideas for applying HR analytics to your organization. If you’re just testing the waters of data-driven HR and want to learn foundation without having to plough through pages full of jargon, this book is for you. It’s easy to read and suits all HR professionals, especially the ones without a background in statistics or IT. 

Book on Amazon 

This book will guide you through the basics of people analytics and provide insights into how to get the most out of strategic decision making with data. 

Book on Amazon 

Covering a wide range of HR areas from talent acquisition and retention to employee engagement and development, Artificial Intelligence for HR outlines the value AI can add to HR. It also raises discussions on the challenges related to AI and ways to deal with them, e.g., data privacy, algorithmic bias and workforce skill development with the rise of automation, robotics and machine learning. Enriched with practical advice, research and case studies from global organizations like Uber, IBM and Unilever, this book will arm HR professionals with the knowledge they need to embrace AI in order to build a successful workforce and help their businesses thrive. 

Book on Amazon 

Redefining HR is a refreshing take on the evolution of HR and People Operations. It’s an in-depth guide for practitioners seeking major components of modern HR. Redefining HR provides a solid framework of progressive ideas and practices for people leaders and business executives. Essential HR practices (diversity and inclusion, learning and development, and more) are illustrated by case studies from the leading companies: Hubspot, Reddit, Stripe, Mastercard, Eventbrite, VaynerMedia, and Asana. 

Book on Amazon 

Data-Driven HR is a practical guide that helps HR professionals embrace the value of data available at their fingertips. Covering strategies on how to detect the most valuable data sources, transparently collect information and turn this data into tangible insights, this book marks a turning point for the HR profession. 

Book on Amazon 

Learning Analytics outlines how analytical approaches can address the challenges of measuring employee learning and development. Also, this book provides the types and benefits of HR tech tools and uncovers ways to work with organizational data in order to build a life-learning culture that boosts performance and competitive advantage. Learning Analytics provides HR professionals with insight into measuring informal learning, increasing data literacy, and evaluating L&D impact. 

Book on Amazon 

This guide provides a deep-dive outlook into a practical approach to using data, solving real HR challenges, and demystifies analytics with clear guidelines and recommendations. The insights from this book will help HR professionals avoid common pitfalls, improve the ways to present data through visualization and storytelling, and much more. 

Book on Amazon 

People Analytics in the Era of Big Data provides a blueprint that can help organization leverage their talent pool through the use of data analytics. This book is packed with actionable insights to help HR professionals source, recruit, acquire, engage, retain, promote, and manage the exceptional talent their organization needs. With a unique approach that applies analytics to every stage of the hiring process and the entire workforce planning and management cycle, this informative guide provides the key perspective that brings analytics into HR in a beneficial way. 

Book on Amazon 

People analytics, chatbots, robotic process automation, agility – everyone has heard the buzzwords. But which of them really works, and how can HR master the digital transformation with proven use cases and tools? Smart Human Resource Management authors and contributors provide answers to these questions. Using a bunch of examples, they describe which digital tools and methods have proven themselves at Coca-Cola, Deutsche Bahn, Siemens and Trumpf, among others. The authors of this book highlight the essentials of people analytics and show how to bring in digital transformation via HR function powered up by data. 

Book on Amazon 

Storytelling with Data provides a perspective of data visualization and ways to communicate effectively with data. You’ll discover the power of storytelling and strategies to make data a pivotal point in your story. This book shows how to go beyond conventional tools and use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. 

Book on Amazon 

Learn more about the power of storytelling in people analytics in What The Future vlog episode:

Agile Workforce Planning is a practical guide for HR and organization development practitioners seeking to align their staff, skills and resources with evolving company goals. This book covers how to identify the crucial skills within their organization, spot the skill gaps, and decide whether to acquire, borrow or build them.   

Supported by case studies from Apple, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, NATO and the UK National Health Service, this is quintessential reading for HR  professionals focused on continuous alignment of the talent and capabilities in their workforce with the overall business strategy. 

Book on Amazon 

HR metrics and organizational employee data are invaluable sources of insights for identifying patterns and making informed business decisions. However, HR practitioners often lack the statistical and analytical knowledge to fully embrace the potential of this data. Predictive HR Analytics provides a clear, accessible framework for understanding and working with people analytics and advanced statistical techniques. 

Book on Amazon 

This book helps HR professionals encompass advanced powers of analytics without going into learning programming languages. Instead, the readers will learn how to use Microsoft Excel, text mining practices, and organizational network analysis with step-by-step print-screen instructions. 

Book on Amazon