Keeping Good People

In today's job market, it is challenging to attract the best-qualified and well-suited job applicants. It is even more difficult to retain excellent employees. The cost of employee turnover is high in terms of lost productivity, lost knowledge, and financial expense associated with filling the vacancy.Roger Herman, futurist and certified management consultant and speaker, provides an exceptional resource for any organization seeking to retain its best employees. Keep Good People is divided into three sections. The first effectively sets the stage by providing valuable insights into the competitive nature of the job market, the value of good employees, and what prompts employees to stay and leave an employer. The first section provides essential background that led to an essential, yet basic understanding of employer/employee relations regarding retention. Section two provides nearly 200 very specific and useful strategies. Each strategy is clearly defined and concisely explained. Herman does not stop with a somewhat overwhelming list of strategies, yet provides suggestions for implementation and an "eye to the future" in section three. Keep Good People is an excellent resource for human resource professionals and managers seeking to prevent undesirable employee turnover as well for the organizations seeking to reduce turnover. Use this book as a guide to simply review current practices and development of strategic, and it will be well worth the investment of both time and money.

My secretary Neicy, picked up my copy of "Keeping Good People" while I was out of the office. When I returned, she mentioned that she thought a certain strategy would help me and our business. And she was right! Full of "one page strategies," this book provides some terrific team conversation. Pick a strategy, read it and then discuss its implications on your team and how the team works together. Some random examples: Strategy 1.17 Promote a healthy working environment. Strategy 2.27 Be accessible. Strategy 3.35 Fight Boredom. Strategy 4.15 Provide incentives for for growth. Strategy 5.15 Give Away Lottery Tickets. Our team decided to discuss one of these strategies each time we meet (usually at "tea time" held at 3pm each day). While some of the strategies may not apply, it does create a space for great conversation. When given the opportunity, team members or "employees" will reinforce what's working well and tell you what they need to be successful.

I've looked through several books on employee retention and this one takes the prize! I was amazed at how much information was packed into a little over 400 pages. From reading this book, I now have a much better understanding of the trends...the big picture of why people jump from job to job. The five reasons why people leave was really thought-provoking. The strategy section is well organized and full of great ideas. I found the book easy to read from cover to cover and I'm now using the index and detailed table of contents to find specific information I need. Very well put together...worth far more than the price.

I read Keeping Good People in an earlier edition, before the author added another 100 pages. We purchased copies for all our executives and mangers. It was so powerful then, we were able to use the strategies to slash turnover in our company from 131% to 91% during the first year. I just read the "updated edition" and discovered even more value. We found that Herman's principles work with both white collar and blue collar employees. They're easy to understand and put to work. Worthwhile investment!

With the increasing concern for building a stable workforce today, this book is absolutely right on target. It does no good to hire good people if you can't keep them. I was delighted with the style of this book. It's so easy to read and understand. The organization of the chapters, presenting almost 200 strategies for keeping people, is just perfect for conveying all this information. I read the book from cover to cover, but see how it can serve as a great reference tool, too. Now I see why it's the #5 best seller for the Society for Human Resource Management. I'd sure give "Keeping Good People" five stars!