Employee Retention Strategies is uniquely designed to provide small- to medium-sized organizations (and business units of large organizations) with affordable, effective, fast and lasting solutions to improve employee retention,
satisfaction and commitment.

The Essential Retention Bookshelf

     Authentic, effective and lasting organizational improvement only can occur when change happens at the systems level. Fundamental systemic change can alter the culture to bring forth the key motivators of:

• Meaningful work

• Learning and development opportunities

• Choice in how work gets done

• Feeling competent and a sense of contributing to important results

• Respectful and appreciative workplace

     You won’t see most of these on typical reading lists. Employee Retention Strategies’ goal is to help leaders see the underlying contributors to retention and make the essential changes to build lasting, sustainable retention-rich™ cultures. No quick fixes here; yet reading rich in research and theory-based practices.

     Recommended reading for the journey focuses on new and older classics for transforming organizational cultures:

 The Stuff Americans Are Made Of  by Josh Hammond and James Morrison (New York: Macmillan (1996).

     Sadly out of print, but available used on Amazon.com. Our most-recommended book for gaining true insight into what Americans want at work. Based on archetype research, a true eye-opener into what drives us to excel, develop commitment and build our loyalty to our organizations. This book is a follow-up to Incredibly American by Marilyn Zuckerman and Lewis Hatala (Milwaukee: ASQC Quality Press, 1992).

 The Unshackled Organization by Jeffrey Goldstein (Portland, Ore.: Productivity Press, 1994).

     Dr. Goldstein elegantly and simply translates the New Science of emerging organizational theory into understandable, actionable concepts. A delightful book that connects the dots of the new theoretical applications into language and ideas we can easily grasp.

 First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999).

      Uses 25 years of Gallup research to delineate 12 essential components of employee satisfaction and engagement.

 Work 2.0: Rewriting the Contract by Bill Jensen (Cambridge, MA: Perseus, 2002). Also visit www.work2.com.

      Short, to-the-point on what people expect from today’s employers – and we’re not talking about money and benefits here. How leaders can help people accomplish more, create more and serve customers better.

 The Empowered Manager by Peter Block (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987).

      Peter Block is the standard-bearer of principles to create organizations in which everyone takes responsibility for results – and how management can (unintentionally or otherwise) get in their way. Essential for cultural change. And, Block’s thoughts align with what younger generations are seeking at work – long before the research emerged.

One more time: How do you motivate employees? by Frederick Herzberg (Harvard Business Review, January-February 1968.

     One of the most-requested HBR reprints of the classic discussion that distinguishes attempt to improve surface issues from creating authentically inspired work environments. Important reading for organizational leaders puzzled by failed attempts to improve morale and retention.

Punished by Rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, As, praise and other bribes. by Alfie Kohn (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999).

     The appropriate sequel to Hertzberg, Kohn leads a lonely battle against behaviorist-style carrot-and-stick rewards. Kohn shows how we have come to rely on use of unproductive rewards use in our schools, in our parenting and in our workplaces. He suggests creating culture and job structures that build in the key intrinsic motivators. The current bestseller, Good to Great by Jim Collins (New York: HarperBusiness, 2001) states the case for hiring motivated people and creating the right conditions for maintaining their intrinsic motivation.

Your Research-Based Retention Resource

Employee Retention Strategies
(602) 493-0585
info@employeeretentionstrategies.com