Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay (4th edition) (Paperback)

~ Beverly Kaye (Author), Sharon Jordan-Evans (Author)
Key Phrases: blinking word, talented employees, True False, Create Connections, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Because finding the ideal person for every workplace position has become an increasingly difficult task, the retention of top employees has become every manager's concern. Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, by organizational-development specialists Beverly L. Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, proposes that this "race for talent" can be effectively run only by those who adopt programs and policies that truly support their personnel. It then shows how to do so, even in organizations reluctant to participate actively.

Kaye and Jordan-Evans encourage an initial scan of their 26 alphabetically arranged chapters--such as "Information: Share It," "Mentor: Be One," and "Space: Give It"--so attention can be fully focused on the most relevant benefits and responsibilities associated with employee retention. All are bolstered with hands-on exercises and stories of others' failures and successes. The section on family-friendly conduct, for example, suggests uncovering specifics by directly asking employees what would make their lives easier. Resultant needs can be met, it continues, by allowing staffers to bring children to the office on occasion, assisting anyone who must line up care for an aging parent, giving weekday comp time to those who travel on weekends, etc. It also explains how Deloitte & Touche and DuPont addressed these issues. Any manager who dreads losing a top performer would do well to consider this book. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Companies of all sizes need new startegies to retain quality employees at all levels... Authors Kaye and Jordan-Evans provide some of the best thinking I have seen and do it in a format and sytle that make this book a must-read for any manager or supervisor." -Steve Bauman, vice president, Management Staffing & Development, Marriott International -- Steve Bauman, vice president, Management Staffing & Development, Marriott International

"Love "Em or Lose 'Em is a practical hands-on book for managers. It uses proven retention techiniques from some of the best companies in North America and real world case studies. The book's structure and easy-to-read style will make it a popular desktop reference book for managers to find ready-to-use strategies that can be implemented immediately." -- Bill Smith, Vice President, KPMG

"Love 'Em or Lose 'Em has all the elements managers are telling me they want-practical, real, fast, and easy." -- Judy Mason, Global Manager of Career Development, Dow Corning

Cute tends to bring out the worst cynic in most of us. But Love 'Em or Lose 'Em is a trove of good, short, practical advice on how to retain employees.

The premise is that a former employee, A.J. (we don't know age, gender, or race), has something to say at the beginning of each chapter about why he or she or someone else has left the company. The 26 chapters are arranged alphabetically according to their one-word titles, such as "Ask," "Jerk," and "Passion." In "Ask," for example, the authors write that one of the reasons companies don't know why they're losing employees is that they don't ask the employees themselves. That's followed by a series of to-do lists, company examples, and an "Alas" story drawn from the authors' personal experiences at the dozens of companies they've worked with. Each chapter follows a similar setup (and, yes, there is an assessment test to see if you're a jerk). Be forewarned that the content is all pretty basic stuff. There are no magic measurement tools or predictive aids. But then sometimes the best ideas are the simplest.

-- Inc. Magazine, November 1999 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 306 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 4th edition (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576755576
• ISBN-13: 978-1576755570
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,691 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for managers, July 2, 2003

By	Rick Sline (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (Paperback)

LOVE 'EM or LOSE `EM contains 26 steps for improving employee retention organized in an A-Z fashion. Although written during the recent boom times when retention was a challenge, information presented is quite valuable now for managers who wish to stay employed. The suggestions will promote a happier and more productive workforce. Many of the concepts can be applied to all interpersonal relationships - between co-workers, family and friends.

The book's presentation is visually appealing - section headings and key passages are in a complimentary blue font. There are various other eye-catching features that make the book interesting and exciting. Each chapter starts with a short statement from a fictitious employee referred to as A.J some key excerpts follow

Introduction:
I quit.
I'm giving you my notice.
I found another opportunity.
I've accepted another offer.
Can we talk?

Chapter 1 Ask - What Keeps You
They never asked.

Chapter 2 Buck - It Stops Here
I think my manager actually could have kept me. But I don't think he ever saw it as his job.

Chapter 5 Enrich - Energize the Job
The job just became ho-hum. I mean, I was good at it, my customers were pleased, but I was just plain bored.

Chapter 13 Mentor - Be One
I wish I'd had someone to warn me about some of the political ins and outs that were never written in any policy manual.

Chapter 18 Reward - Provide Recognition
It wasn't about the money, really. Oh, sure, a bonus would have been nice when I brought that new client in or when I finished those specs ahead of schedule. But a "thank you-I noticed" would really have been appreciated.

Generously distributed throughout are "Alas" sections - short, as the authors state, "the-fish-that-got-away" stories that actually happened. There are numerous "Business Examples" - things that really worked in large and small organizations. As references to other parts of the book there are "Go To" Icons to augment the information being presented.

If you're wondering how effective your management skills are in retaining employees, go to Chapter 26 - Zenith and take the assessment of your "Retention Probability Index".

At the end of the book is a Quick Start Guide - you might want to go there first and get an overview of the entire book.

Employee retention as well as productivity is not just about the money and the other "hygiene" factors (work space, hours, etc.), it's about listening to and respecting others. In these difficult times, it's more important than ever.

This book is clearly for everyone.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD IDEAS FOR KEEPING YOUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCEPEOPLE!, November 23, 1999

By	Gerry Stern "Stern's Management Review Online" (Culver City, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Love 'Em Or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (Paperback)

Based on focus group research, the authors provide extensive guidelines for managers to retain employees. The authors present 26 specific actions managers can take, using a chapter to discuss each one. Each chapter contains a 'to do' list, brief illustrative stories, examples of retention work done by the authors' for clients, excerpts from an exit interview, as well as some linkages between chapters.

The book down-plays the role of money. This is okay to the extent that too many firms think money is the 'be all and end all' of retention. Money is not, but the danger is that too many firms lull themselves into thinking that since money is not the number one factor driving turnover according to surveys, they can cut corners with compensation ( often, however, with the exception of pay packages at executive levels-consider the implicit contradiction in that). Long-term, firms that pay below competitive rates reap what they sow...marginal organizational performance. In our consulting experience we find reward systems and retention are powerfully linked. The role of compensation can work in strange and mysterious ways-and sometimes not so mysterious. People are complex.

We wished that the authors gave a bit more attention to the economics of retaining people. They do make the point of paying fairly and competitively in chapter18, but the message is muted. But since this book is addressed to managers, and most managers have little-to-no meaningful influence on compensation decision-making (despite all the empowerment talk), the treatment of pay is understandable.

This is a super book that focuses on the many highly important non-cash elements of retaining people. In doing so, it succeeds admirably. In short, this is a neatly organized, clearly written, how-to book. By way of recommendation, we will use it as a resource in our own organization/management development consulting work. This book should be read by anyone who manages people. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, Co-Founding Partner, Stern & Associates, Editor of Stern's Management Review, Stern's SourceFinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Information and Resources, and Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Practical Guide for Managers Committed to Retention, March 8, 2000

By	Andrea Lewis (Freddie Mac, McLean, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love 'Em Or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (Paperback)

Love 'Em or Lose 'Em is a wonderful resource for any manager looking to retain valuable talent. Because the book is organized into topic areas that span an array of pertinent retention issues, one can easily jump around to those topics that are most relevant to them. Each chapter contains constructive and concrete suggestions, along with insightful quotes from employees who have dealt with decisions to stay or leave an organization. Also, the many opportunities for self-assessment are extremely helpful. It would be impossible to walk away from this book without any new ideas for retaining employees that are vital to your organization. The authors have successfully translated a compendium of research into practical, how-to explanations of what motivates people to stay in a job and what managers can do to influence this outcome. This combination of knowledge and advice create an experience of worthwhile reading and exploration.