Handle with Care: Motivating and Retaining Employees: Creative, Lost-Cost Ways to Raise Morale, Increase Commitment, and Reduce Turnover

Barb has a way of making things practical but even better than that there are so many wonderful ideas packed into one book! You are bound to find ideas that will work within your setting. Stories from so many different kinds of companies make it a sure bet that this will be something you can use within your environment. Retention is a common problem but even more making sure the people that stay are motivated and involved is an ongoing challenge - especially in this economy. Her ideas and stories with make a difference in your workplace and in your life!

If you want to retain employees, motivate them and care for them. OK, no-brainer. Arguing with that kind of a statement is like being against Motherhood and Apple Pie. So, there has to be something more to this book. And there is . . . after just a little bit of digging. The book begins with a chapter on the research of what motivates employees. Not much new here. In chapter 2, the author reports the results of her original research into what motivates front-line workers. She surveyed 1200 employees. There is some thought-provoking information here, but nothing dramatic if you've spent much time in this kind of human resources research. For those who have not been exposed to this kind of data, this will be interesting material. The real meat of this book is the author's C.A.R.E. model for motivating and retaining employees. The acronym represents Creative Communication, Atmosphere and Appreciation for All, Respect and Reason for Being, and Empathy and Enthusiasm. The model is explained, completing Part 1 of the book.Part 2 consist of Ideas and Stories from Managers, Employees, and Organizations Who Care. Some interesting case studies here. Chapter 6 includes a six page list of ideas from employees. Great checklist of reward opportunities. Chapter 7 presents a brief survey used by one company to gain input from employees about what kind of rewards they prefer. In Part 3, the book begins to bubble with value. In over 200 pages, Glanz delivers dozens of ideas, explaining each idea and giving real-life examples of how the ideas are actually implemented in a wide range of employer organizations. Chapter after chapter--full of ideas organized in an easy-to-follow format according to the author's C.A.R.E. formula. This section of the book is the real power which earns this book a good rating. The quality of the content and presentation in this section overcomes the weaker beginning. Four appendices add value, providing self-evaluations for managers (useful for trainers), a sample employee survey, a culture test, and a bibliography. A worthwhile book for managers and supervisors.