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The Best Place to Work
Book

The Best Place to Work

The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace

Ron Friedman
Perigee, 2014
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Editorial Rating

8

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  • Applicable

Recommendation

To build a cohesive, productive workforce, companies everywhere chase the elusive goal of employee engagement. Psychologist Ron Friedman has a direct solution: to engage your employees, apply what science teaches about human motivation. Artfully weaving scientific findings with real-world examples, Friedman shows how great workplaces attend to employees’ deep-seated need to feel autonomous, competent and connected. These companies recognize the limits of the mind and body, and set aside space for creativity and time for recreation. Some readers may object when Friedman compares happy workplaces to casinos, and others may question the tastefulness of drawing business insights from a school hostage situation, but Friedman wields his metaphors to argue convincingly that it takes more than money and job titles to motivate employees. getAbstract recommends his insightful, practical advice on building a better, more productive, more profitable workplace to executives and HR professionals.

Summary

Happier Workers

Not far from San Francisco, the Indian restaurant Baadal serves world-class food without charging a dime. It’s among 30 excellent restaurants that cater to employees at the sprawling Silicon Valley headquarters of Google. Employees of the Internet giant also have access to massages, foreign language courses, basketball courts and a rock-climbing wall.

You won’t be surprised to learn that Google tops Fortune magazine’s list of the world’s best places to work. Other companies that invest heavily in employee perks include the software company SAS – which provides workers with a sauna, swimming pool and work-life counseling – and Facebook, which offers employees an on-site barber, dry cleaner, candy shop and dentist. Outside the technology sector, the grocery chain Wegmans consistently places near the top of Fortune’s list, with benefits like wellness programs and scholarships.

Why do these and other companies spend so much on worker perks? Because they know “happy employees mean bigger profits.” Employees who are enthusiastic accomplish more, serve clients better and dream up more creative ideas. They’re more likely to stay with...

About the Author

Ron Friedman is an award-winning psychologist who writes for the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur and CNN. He is also the founder of ignite80, a consulting firm that helps smart leaders build thriving workplaces.

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