Are you in search of the best employee engagement books to keep your staff engaged and motivated?
Whether you’ve been a leader for a week or a decade, there’s still much to learn about developing your people. Things change, priorities change, and leaders need to accommodate these changes. When companies refuse to acknowledge that employees are dealing with problems both inside and outside the workplace employees start to disengage. They end up doing the bare minimum and no longer care about the company’s vision.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best books on employee engagement. You won’t have to do the research on these books because we’ve done it for you. So, read ahead and check out the best of the best:
10 Best Employee Engagement Books
Here is a list of 10 helpful resources that are available on Amazon.
So, let’s start!
(Note: I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using these links at no extra cost to you.)
#1. Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement
By: Glenn Elliott and Debra Corey
Price: $24.00
Who It’s For: This book is ideal for managers who are looking for new ways of getting their staff back on board.
Build it offers real-world and practical solutions for when your employees refuse to work as a team. Getting your staff engaged is crucial for reaching team goals. It provides you with debate and discussion topics that can get your workers back on track – how to engage the unengaged.
#2. MAGIC
By: Tracy Maylett
Price: $27.99
Who It’s For: Managers who are tired of their staff ignoring instructions.
This book by Maylett sets forth a framework for engaging employees. This framework involves five steps. These steps are (1) meaning, (2) autonomy, (3) growth, (4) impact, and (5) connection. If you follow these steps in this order, you’ll gradually be able to identify that staff that has value.
#3. Employee Engagement Through Effective Performance Management: A Practical Guide for Managers
By: Edward Mone and Manuel London
Price: $58.95
Who It’s For: This book is for practicing managers who want to manage by performance rather than personality.
This book focuses on teaching managers how to rely on tools such as annual appraisals, constructive feedback, and forced ranking. This book tends to focus on traditional managerial practices rather than new, emerging management techniques. If you work at a company that values culture over metrics, this may not be the best guide for you and your management team.
#4. Time to Lead: The Ultimate Guide to Employee Engagement
By: Michael Cohen
Price: $19.80
Who It’s For: Busy leaders who do not have time for management on a case-by-case basis.
This book teaches busy managers how to get their administrative functions done quickly and through delegation so they can spend more face time with their employees. The tools shared in this book have come from a collective team of highly respected managers from various industries. It is a collection of best practices all combined in one practical book.
#5. Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company
By: Whitney Johnson
Price: $27.49
Who It’s For: Owners and managers who believe in promotion from within.
The Smart Growth focuses less on performance metrics and more on who the people are who work for them. The book works under the belief that, if you help grow your own people, you’ll build future leaders from within. You won’t have to rely on dealing with hiring from the outside, especially for management positions.
#6. The Employee Experience Solution: Transform Employee Engagement, Improve Workplace Culture, and Drive Results
By: Melissa Anzman
Price: $16.86
Who It’s For: Managers who are looking to mold their employees into engaged workers.
Many managers have given up on staff engagement because it can be difficult to achieve. This book teaches managers how to get inside their employees’ heads and get to know their habits so they can become more engaged. This helps companies lower attrition rates and improve both performance and job satisfaction.
#7. The Employee Experience Advantage: How to Win the War for Talent by Giving Employees the Workspaces they Want, the Tools they Need, and a Culture They Can Celebrate
By: Jacob Morgan
Price: $15.99
Who It’s For: Companies and managers who are struggling from poor employee performance.
This book is for any company or group of managers who are frustrated with employee performance. It teaches practices and techniques that help managers gauge employee experience instead of just looking at performance metrics. The idea of the book is to help increase employee satisfaction, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
#8. Strategic Internal Communication: How to Build Employee Engagement and Performance
By: D. David Cowan
Price: $33.24
Who It’s For: Managers who want to drive employee satisfaction, company performance, and increased productivity.
This book uses Dr. Cowan’s own “Dialogue Toolbox” to teach managers how to have conversations with their staff to find out what they need to do their job better. The book supports the belief that listening to your staff can be just as (or more) important than talking to them.
#9. Employee Engagement: Tools for Analysis, Practice, and Competitive Advantage
By: William H. Macy
Price: $30.46
Who It’s For: This book is best suited for company leaders.
This book is not technically a textbook; however, it works in the same way. It provides tools on how to teach students and managers what engagement is and how one can best achieve it. It is also perfect for company leaders who want to drive their own managers to increase engagement amongst their teams.
#10. Employee Engagement For Dummies
By: Bob Kelleher
Price: $16
Who It’s For: Managers who want to learn quickly how to engage with their employees.
As the title implies, this book crams as much information about how to engage with your workers as possible. While this book is not ideal for an executive or somebody who is interested in a serious career in management, it is a great resource for people who need to know the basics about staff engagement. It’s also a perfect tool for those people taking a business course who needs additional help on top of staff engagement.
(Note: The prices listed above were taken from Amazon while writing this article, and they may be subject to change. So, please confirm it on their product page.)
What to Do Now?
Now that you have an idea of what books are out there, start digging. So, find out which one can help you the most and start reading.
Just in case you want to find the best team building books, you can read this article for inspiration – 25 Best Team Building Books for Managers and Leaders.
Also, if you need help with finding the best books on leadership styles, you can read this article – 16 Best Books on Leadership Styles to Become an Effective Leader.
FAQ: Employee Engagement Books
You might have these questions in mind.
What are the signs of disengagement in a workplace?
The common warning signs of disengagement are high turnover, increased absenteeism, lack of morale or teamwork, negativity or regular conflicts, and a continual decrease in productivity. So, always be careful when your workplace has any of the above issues.
How do engaged employees behave at work?
Engaged employees are highly motivated, and they are consistent performers. They show great confidence and enthusiasm while taking up a new task or working in a team. Moreover, they are emotionally connected to their colleagues as well as their job, so they are more likely to stay in your company.
Are engaged employees more productive?
Yes, they are. According to various researches and surveys, it is evident that an engaged worker is happier and 17% more productive than a disengaged one.
What are some good books to keep your employees engaged in 2023?
Some of the best books to read in 2023 are ‘MAGIC’ by Tracy Maylett, ‘SMART GROWTH’ by Whitney Johnson, and ‘Strategic Internal Communication’ by D. David Cowan. Similarly, you can read ‘Build it’ by Glenn Elliott and Debra Corey if your workers are reluctant to work as a team.
What are the recommended employee engagement books for new leaders?
If you’re a new leader or manager, it is better to start with the book ‘Employee Engagement for Dummies’ by Bob Kelleher. This will give you a basic understanding. Likewise, you can also read ‘Time to Lead’ by Michael Cohen for a deeper insight.