Steven Director - The Definitive Guide to HR Management Tools (Collection)

Engaging Employees in Benefits, Pay, and Performance

Alison Davis and Jane Shannon

Davis and Shannon make a compelling case for the value of simple, straightforward, and effective HR communicationand provide valuable insight on how to make it happen in even the most complex organizations.

Kevin Kelly, 30+ years internal communications veteran

The Definitive Guide to HR Communication is a terrific resource for HR professionals. The examples and illustrations reflect actual issues and challenges we face and are a good reminder of how easily we can disconnect with our audience. The tips, tools, and guidelines are clear and effective in demonstrating alternative approaches to generating employee interest and understanding. I enjoyed reading it, found it very helpful, and have already begun using some of the suggested methods.

Diane F. Green, Director of Staffing and Development, Hollingsworth & Vose Company

Dont be misled by the title of this book. It doesnt matter if you work in HR communications or not, you can learn from this well-written guide. In fact, even if youre not particularly interested in communications, youll benefit from it... the book is that good.

Heres why: The authors use a combination of stories, solid writing, checklists, and examples to lead even the greenest communicator through the steps of communicating to an audience. Even if youve been in the communications business as long as I have (more than 30 years!), you can still learnor relearna thing or two. The book is organized so you can find what you need and use what you find.

The authors freely borrow from the best, including communications guru Don Ranly. And, one of their great ideas is to Go Hollywood. This is a technique to distill your message into a bite-sized chunk for todays busy workers. I tried it. It works. And, with a name like Go Hollywood, the technique also is memorable.

Thats just one of the easy-to-implement techniques in this book. There are many. I was just a few pages in when I found something solid I could use at work... right now. I continued to read, marked up the pages, turned down the corners, and went back to the book again and again.

Invest in this book. Your boss will wonder how you got so smart overnight!

Becky Healy, Agency Communications Manager, State Farm Insurance, and 2010-2011 President, Council of Communication Management

This book truly is a definitive guide to increasing employee engagement by helping people understand and appreciate their pay and benefits. Davis and Shannons book should be invaluable to a range of business professionals: 1) From students who are learning the basics of employee engagement and talent management, to 2) HR and communication professionals who design and explain pay and benefits to employees, to 3) Managers and executives who sign off on people management strategies

The book is built on the premise that great benefits must be understood and appreciated if they are to be of real value. Davis and Shannons book is all about helping organizations of every size get the most bang for the expensive bucks they shell out on total rewards. The book starts with an analysis of how employees read and listen (or dont) and progresses through an analysis of what it takes to communicate effectively, including developing strategies, messaging, and media.