Cambridge Business Association
Re-Engage
Book

Re-Engage

How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld
McGraw-Hill, 2010
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

“Best places to work” lists might seem like vestiges of another, more prosperous age. Do employers still have to worry about employee satisfaction in hard economic times? Yes, they do, say human resources experts Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld. They argue that, since the economic meltdown of 2008, keeping your employees engaged is more important than ever. Using vivid real-world examples, employees’ comments and compelling data, Branham and Hirschfeld demonstrate how your company can join the list of elite employers. In fact, they may provide a bit too much information; their book features so many lists of possible tactics that readers may feel overwhelmed at times. Still, getAbstract is confident that the book provides solid information for senior managers and HR professionals. In short, Branham and Hirschfeld ably demonstrate how, when times get tough, the best keep going.

Summary

What Is Employee Engagement and Why Does It Matter?

Survey research firm Quantum Workplace in Omaha, Nebraska, uses data collected annually from 10,000 organizations in 45 US cities to select the “best places to work” in the US. Winners aren’t necessarily glamorous, headline-grabbing companies such as Google and Apple; they can be meat packers, nursing homes or moving companies. But no matter their line of business, they’ve each created an environment in which employees feel fortunate to work. Winners’ staffs experience “a heightened emotional and intellectual connection” to their jobs and an increased commitment to perform above and beyond their duties. Although experts have not yet determined a cause-and-effect relationship, they have observed a link between high levels of employee engagement and healthy profitability. The more engaged employees you have, the higher the probability that your customers are well-served and your products well-made.

Engagement in Tough Times

The economic downturn is not the only ill wind buffeting the workplace. Corporate cutbacks, a lack of skilled candidates, bewildering technological change and skyrocketing health care costs...

About the Authors

Leigh Branham founded and heads Keeping the People Inc., an HR consulting group. Mark Hirschfeld is a principal at SilverStone Group, a management consultancy.

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