HR & Management Resources

Engaging with different types of resources will help you understand your industry on a deeper level.

Caution

When using resources on this guide, continue to evaluate credibility and relevance for your audience. A resource can be considered credible in one situation but questionable in another, or its quality can suddenly degrade. Additionally, credible resources can still contain problematic content like content marketing, inaccurate opinion pieces, flawed research, or misrepresented evidence.

Professional Organizations

Professional organizations and trade associations promote their industries and provide networking opportunities to members. Their websites offer information and educational materials for professionals in the industry.

The following examples are organizations for professionals in human resources and management:

Trade Publications

Trade journals or trade magazines provide industry-specific insights, giving prospective professionals an insider’s view of the field.

The following examples are trade publications with a focus on HR and management:

Popular Magazines

Popular magazines, although aimed at a general audience, can be useful for understanding an industry in a larger context or from a consumer’s point of view.

Popular magazines that may be useful to managers and HR professionals include:

Note, this publication is ending it’s print version in the fall of 2026.

Psychology Today

Newspapers

Newspapers cover current events relevant to professionals in all fields.

Newspapers with useful coverage for HR and management include:

New York Times

UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library

Wall Street Journal

UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library

Podcasts

Most industries have reputable experts who podcast about their chosen field, providing an insider’s look. These types of information resources vary widely and require vetting, but can be credible.

The following resources offer perspectives that may be useful for HR and management:

Newsletters

The following is an example of a resource that may be useful to HR professionals:

Books

Most industries have notable books that insiders find useful or that have had an influence on that industry. Asking insiders is the best way to find out which books are considered essential in your field.

Here are a few examples of books that could be relevant to managers, leaders, and HR professionals:

101 Tough Conversations To Have With Employees: A Manager’s Guide To Addressing Performance, Conduct, And Discipline Challenges (Paul Falcone)
The Case For Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, & Meaning To Everyone’s Work (Zeynep Ton)
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change The Way You Lead Forever (Michael Bungay Stanier)
Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays In Resolving Conflict (Donna Hicks)
Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive By Giving More Than They Take (Paul Polman + Andrew Winston)
The New Workplace: Employee Alignment in Remote-First, Office-Forward, and Hybrid Work Organizations (Radostina Purvanova, Alanah Mitchell)

Scholarly Journals

Scholarly journals publish in depth research, usually conducted by professors.

The following resources offer academic perspectives on management and human resources: