What do you think?
Rate this book
Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World-Class Employee Engagement
The old way of treating people at work has failed. Only 30% of employees are engaged in their jobs, and in this fast-paced world that's just not enough. The world's best companies understand this, and have been quietly treating people differently for nearly two decades.
Now you can learn their secrets and discover The Engagement Bridge™ model, proven to build bottom line value for companies through sustainable employee engagement.
Companies with the best cultures generate stock market returns of twice the general market and enjoy half the employee turnover of their peers. Their staff innovate more, deliver better customer service and, hands-down, beat the competition. These companies outperform and disrupt their markets. They break the rules of traditional HR, they rebel against the status quo.
Build it has found these rebels and the rulebreakers. From small startups to global powerhouses, this book shows that courage, commitment and a people-centric mindset, rather than money and resources, are what you need to turn an average business into a category leader.
The book follows the clear and proven Engagement Bridge™ model, developed from working with thousands of leading companies worldwide on their own employee engagement journeys. The practical model highlights the areas that leaders need to examine in order to build a highly engaged company culture and provides a framework for success.
Build it is packed with exclusive tips, tools brand case studies from HR rebels including Brewdog, Virgin, LinkedIn, Atlassian, Zappos, Buffer, American Express, VayerMedia and many more. Readers will learn:
How employee engagement helps companies perform.
The key factors that drive engagement, and how they work together.
What the world's most rebellious companies have done to break the rules of traditional HR and improve engagement.
How to implement The Engagement BridgeTM model to boost productivity, innovation and better decision making.
Now you can learn their secrets and discover The Engagement Bridge™ model, proven to build bottom line value for companies through sustainable employee engagement.
Companies with the best cultures generate stock market returns of twice the general market and enjoy half the employee turnover of their peers. Their staff innovate more, deliver better customer service and, hands-down, beat the competition. These companies outperform and disrupt their markets. They break the rules of traditional HR, they rebel against the status quo.
Build it has found these rebels and the rulebreakers. From small startups to global powerhouses, this book shows that courage, commitment and a people-centric mindset, rather than money and resources, are what you need to turn an average business into a category leader.
The book follows the clear and proven Engagement Bridge™ model, developed from working with thousands of leading companies worldwide on their own employee engagement journeys. The practical model highlights the areas that leaders need to examine in order to build a highly engaged company culture and provides a framework for success.
Build it is packed with exclusive tips, tools brand case studies from HR rebels including Brewdog, Virgin, LinkedIn, Atlassian, Zappos, Buffer, American Express, VayerMedia and many more. Readers will learn:
How employee engagement helps companies perform.
The key factors that drive engagement, and how they work together.
What the world's most rebellious companies have done to break the rules of traditional HR and improve engagement.
How to implement The Engagement BridgeTM model to boost productivity, innovation and better decision making.
Unique in this category, Build it is written from two sharply different perspectives.
Glenn Elliott is a multi-award winning Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO and growth investor. He talks candidly about the mistakes and missteps he has made whilst building Reward Gateway into a $500m category leader in employee engagement technology.
Debra Corey brings 30 years experience in senior level HR roles at global companies such as Gap, Quintiles, Honeywell and Merlin Entertainments.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2018
102 people are currently reading
1481 people want to read
About the author
Glenn Elliott
1 book44 followersA software engineer by training, MBA drop out turned serial entrepreneur.
After a series of failed businesses, I founded Reward Gateway back in 2006 with a radical new approach to employee perks and benefits. With a brand new model, everyone said we'd be bust within a year. But companies and people loved what we did.
Building RG into a nearly $500m revenue business I've learned a huge amount about leadership, company culture and how to create an environment where people can do their best work. I've spent the last 10 years working with some of the most amazing companies on their people strategy and I've learned that to succeed in engaging your people you really need to rebel against the status quo and treat people differently.
For the last two years, I've worked with the wonderful Debra Corey to document the stories of true HR and leadership rebels and compile their secrets into Build It : The Rebel Playbook for Employee Engagement. The book uses our model, The Engagement Bridge to structure their stories and is aimed at CEO's, entrepreneurs, HR people, managers and leaders - anyone who needs to impact business performance by getting the best out of their people.
After a series of failed businesses, I founded Reward Gateway back in 2006 with a radical new approach to employee perks and benefits. With a brand new model, everyone said we'd be bust within a year. But companies and people loved what we did.
Building RG into a nearly $500m revenue business I've learned a huge amount about leadership, company culture and how to create an environment where people can do their best work. I've spent the last 10 years working with some of the most amazing companies on their people strategy and I've learned that to succeed in engaging your people you really need to rebel against the status quo and treat people differently.
For the last two years, I've worked with the wonderful Debra Corey to document the stories of true HR and leadership rebels and compile their secrets into Build It : The Rebel Playbook for Employee Engagement. The book uses our model, The Engagement Bridge to structure their stories and is aimed at CEO's, entrepreneurs, HR people, managers and leaders - anyone who needs to impact business performance by getting the best out of their people.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
January 15, 2018
Won a signed copy in Goodreads Giveaways.
A very informative book on improving employee engagement. Some very interesting chapters - A highly recommended read.
A very informative book on improving employee engagement. Some very interesting chapters - A highly recommended read.
November 21, 2017
This is a very clear guide to boosting engagement in your company. It spells out how engagement is not the same as staff happiness, why companies have such a gap between the level of engagement they have, and the level they would want to have, and all the benefits that flow from an engaged work force.
It's based on a well-structured model (the engagement bridge) which brings together all the factors required to boost engagement. Coupled with tons of practical, real-life examples from companies of all shapes and sizes, this will give you plenty of food for thought, and some great ideas on how to implement change.
Very strongly recommended!
It's based on a well-structured model (the engagement bridge) which brings together all the factors required to boost engagement. Coupled with tons of practical, real-life examples from companies of all shapes and sizes, this will give you plenty of food for thought, and some great ideas on how to implement change.
Very strongly recommended!
November 21, 2017
If, like me, you're already a rebel and a rule breaker, you'll love this book.
If you want to bring out a bit more of your rebellious side, you'll love this book.
If you're not yet a rebel but want to improve engagement in your business, you'll love this book.
Basically, if your role involves working with, managing or leading people then you'll love this book.
It's packed with case studies (plays), hints, tips, common sense (if only there was more of this in the world right!!), and a passion for doing things differently. If you want to engage your people more, to lead your people more and to motivate your people more, you need to read this book.
I'm already looking forward to the sequel. Great work and delighted to have been able to get my hands on it early. If you haven't ordered it, do.
And as an added bonus all proceeds from the book's sales go the RG Foundation charity so not only does it help you, but you help to help others. Buy it!
If you want to bring out a bit more of your rebellious side, you'll love this book.
If you're not yet a rebel but want to improve engagement in your business, you'll love this book.
Basically, if your role involves working with, managing or leading people then you'll love this book.
It's packed with case studies (plays), hints, tips, common sense (if only there was more of this in the world right!!), and a passion for doing things differently. If you want to engage your people more, to lead your people more and to motivate your people more, you need to read this book.
I'm already looking forward to the sequel. Great work and delighted to have been able to get my hands on it early. If you haven't ordered it, do.
And as an added bonus all proceeds from the book's sales go the RG Foundation charity so not only does it help you, but you help to help others. Buy it!
January 10, 2018
Excellent read for anyone with an interest in employee engagement and performance, particularly people managers and leadership. It's a great mix of theory and practical guidance, which is rare to find in this area.
As a consultant I particularly like how the Engagement Bridge model is applicable to companies of varied size, industry and culture because absolutely everyone has something to learn from the rebels out there. I am often asked by clients what others are doing differently (or better) than them to increase performance and improve innovation and this book has given me exactly that.
As a consultant I particularly like how the Engagement Bridge model is applicable to companies of varied size, industry and culture because absolutely everyone has something to learn from the rebels out there. I am often asked by clients what others are doing differently (or better) than them to increase performance and improve innovation and this book has given me exactly that.
February 11, 2018
Employee engagement has been going through the classic 'HR fad cycle'. Initial development and successful financial impact of the idea in a limited number of customer service settings led to widespread hype and mass adoption of over-simplistic approaches, most notably through the eponymous annual survey. We all wanted to provide great, engaging places to work at the CEO's behest and outscore our competitors in those heady days of the early 2000s.
Then post the financial Crash we have seen an academic, management and employee reaction against the ill-defined concept and exaggerated claims made on its behalf: widespread disillusionment with the dashboards and league tables has set in. Nobody it seems wants to measure the declining levels of engagement in our cash and pay-constrained context. Some employers have found cash saving and cost cutting as an easier route to shareholder returns than engaging their employees, the so-called 'Sports Direct' employee exploitation model has been widely emulated. And ten years of anorexic approaches to pay awards and what one think-tank called ‘the worst decade on pay for two centuries’ has left employees financially worse off and suspicious and generally cynical about ‘engaging’ and ‘total rewards’ initiatives.
Yet UK productivity growth remains marooned at the bottom of the OECD league table, with economists attributing a significant chunk of that shortfall against our overseas competitors to 'the human factor'. And the problem it appears from the latest IES research was not the surveys themselves, but the lack of practical actions by the majority of employers in response to their findings, to address the needs and motivations of their employees. Or as this book's authors put it, 'the problem with employee engagement is not what we're calling it' but the ‘lack of fundamental changes in (commonly employed) disengaging workplace practices'. No wonder strategy execution and employee engagement topped business leaders’ concerns in a recent survey carried out by London Business School’s Leadership Institute.
This book is great on practical actions. It is packed with a myriad of ideas, initiatives and case examples covering every possible way to build an engaged and high performing workforce, with dozens more on the book's website. 'Ultimately' the authors tell us, 'engagement is a choice' and they provide plenty of examples from their experience and company visits for you to choose from, ranging from Estee Lauder to Homeserve, from HSBC to KFC Australia.
So many that they could in fact become confusing. But they are organised and the book is structured around a clearly explained 10-factor model, the Engagement Bridge. It combines three 'underpinning elements' - pay and benefits, workspace and wellbeing - with seven more for ‘connecting your people to your organisation’, such as recognition, leadership, communications and purpose. Each chapter, after a nice ‘key points’ summary, takes you briefly through an element; and provides numerous short vignette examples of 'the plays', putting it into practice. 'The most important thing' they tell us 'is to get moving'.
But how? What's most important to address and where do i start? The authors initially seem to favour a tailored ‘best fit’ rather than universal ‘best practice’ model of engagement: 'how important or urgent each element is depends on your organisation, your situation'. Academic research suggests they are right. But they provide precious little guidance on just how to tailor things to your situation and in their brevity, slide later in the book towards the universal generalisations as to ‘what works’ that they initially try to avoid and which has done much to besmirch the concept.
Do i for example attempt to borrow Virgin or Colemans’ or Hersheys’ or ICC Sydney's approach to recognition? Or I develop my own? Though the authors tell me to never to ‘ration recognition with your reward budget’, how does that play in many restrained and cash-constrained public sector employers, where paradoxically, tight pay budget controls have forced them often quite effectively to consider the long-neglected area of recognition? But do i even start with recognition in some settings? As the authors say, ‘it depends’, but we get very little guidance on how to assess that.
Do i build a workplace to 'drive agile working' like GE? Or one i could 'bring my mom too' like Pentland Brands? More tools and frameworks to diagnose and design tailored approaches would have been really useful.
My biggest worry though is that in making these choices the authors seem to emphasise the radical, the rebellious actions, the most disruptive to the status quo and the existing culture. Try paying employees a month’s salary to leave like ‘wacky’ online retailer Zappos; borrow anarchic software company Atlassian’s three ‘innovation rituals’. ‘Rebelling is the only way to make a difference!’ they enthuse and set out a generic list of ‘key rebel behaviours’.
Yet according to IES's research on successful change management, these are precisely the most risky and difficult initiatives to pull off. The most successful long-term sustained changes are mass movements, shifting the whole direction and culture in an organisation, but through an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach. Playing the rebel may be cool, but it rarely appears in practice to succeed.
And this, somewhat ironically, in the end is definitely not a book for rebels. If you have a CEO and board committed to investing in their staff to improve their engagement and willing and capable line mangers who can deliver then this book is perfect: get on and select and implement the examples that best suit your situation, practice what you preach, invest and watch your engagement and performance levels improve.
But if you don’t have that luxury of sustained top-level commitment and widespread managerial capability then you will, frankly, struggle with the breathless enthusiasm and quick-fire style of this book alone. The business case they make for engagement is for believers, sketchy and heavily-based on belief and assertion. And for those not experienced in the area, the evidence to guide you on what works best in which setting is almost entirely lacking. Yet I regularly experience senior management teams who question whether employee engagement makes any difference to business performance, and why employers should get involved with some of the key drivers of it, such as employee wellness and financial wellbeing. The battle to invest in staff as the route to high performance is far from being won.
So don’t take this particular short-cut-book to high engagement alone. It is a great, action-focused, high-speed trip through employee engagement. But as the authors admit, in reality the route is a ‘never-ending journey’. Use the IES publications and website for your evidence and business case; and the Engage for Success and CIPD websites for your analytical frameworks, tools and methodologies.
But after a tough week of battling narrow-minded leaders and miserly cost-obsessed finance executives, of cajoling cynical staff and dealing with truculent trade unions, then this book should give you the espresso-shot of enthusiasm and the gems of examples you need to keep you going on your quest towards improving organisational performance and employee engagement. It is a truly noble endeavour and this book will help you with it. And you will enjoy it, I promise.
Then post the financial Crash we have seen an academic, management and employee reaction against the ill-defined concept and exaggerated claims made on its behalf: widespread disillusionment with the dashboards and league tables has set in. Nobody it seems wants to measure the declining levels of engagement in our cash and pay-constrained context. Some employers have found cash saving and cost cutting as an easier route to shareholder returns than engaging their employees, the so-called 'Sports Direct' employee exploitation model has been widely emulated. And ten years of anorexic approaches to pay awards and what one think-tank called ‘the worst decade on pay for two centuries’ has left employees financially worse off and suspicious and generally cynical about ‘engaging’ and ‘total rewards’ initiatives.
Yet UK productivity growth remains marooned at the bottom of the OECD league table, with economists attributing a significant chunk of that shortfall against our overseas competitors to 'the human factor'. And the problem it appears from the latest IES research was not the surveys themselves, but the lack of practical actions by the majority of employers in response to their findings, to address the needs and motivations of their employees. Or as this book's authors put it, 'the problem with employee engagement is not what we're calling it' but the ‘lack of fundamental changes in (commonly employed) disengaging workplace practices'. No wonder strategy execution and employee engagement topped business leaders’ concerns in a recent survey carried out by London Business School’s Leadership Institute.
This book is great on practical actions. It is packed with a myriad of ideas, initiatives and case examples covering every possible way to build an engaged and high performing workforce, with dozens more on the book's website. 'Ultimately' the authors tell us, 'engagement is a choice' and they provide plenty of examples from their experience and company visits for you to choose from, ranging from Estee Lauder to Homeserve, from HSBC to KFC Australia.
So many that they could in fact become confusing. But they are organised and the book is structured around a clearly explained 10-factor model, the Engagement Bridge. It combines three 'underpinning elements' - pay and benefits, workspace and wellbeing - with seven more for ‘connecting your people to your organisation’, such as recognition, leadership, communications and purpose. Each chapter, after a nice ‘key points’ summary, takes you briefly through an element; and provides numerous short vignette examples of 'the plays', putting it into practice. 'The most important thing' they tell us 'is to get moving'.
But how? What's most important to address and where do i start? The authors initially seem to favour a tailored ‘best fit’ rather than universal ‘best practice’ model of engagement: 'how important or urgent each element is depends on your organisation, your situation'. Academic research suggests they are right. But they provide precious little guidance on just how to tailor things to your situation and in their brevity, slide later in the book towards the universal generalisations as to ‘what works’ that they initially try to avoid and which has done much to besmirch the concept.
Do i for example attempt to borrow Virgin or Colemans’ or Hersheys’ or ICC Sydney's approach to recognition? Or I develop my own? Though the authors tell me to never to ‘ration recognition with your reward budget’, how does that play in many restrained and cash-constrained public sector employers, where paradoxically, tight pay budget controls have forced them often quite effectively to consider the long-neglected area of recognition? But do i even start with recognition in some settings? As the authors say, ‘it depends’, but we get very little guidance on how to assess that.
Do i build a workplace to 'drive agile working' like GE? Or one i could 'bring my mom too' like Pentland Brands? More tools and frameworks to diagnose and design tailored approaches would have been really useful.
My biggest worry though is that in making these choices the authors seem to emphasise the radical, the rebellious actions, the most disruptive to the status quo and the existing culture. Try paying employees a month’s salary to leave like ‘wacky’ online retailer Zappos; borrow anarchic software company Atlassian’s three ‘innovation rituals’. ‘Rebelling is the only way to make a difference!’ they enthuse and set out a generic list of ‘key rebel behaviours’.
Yet according to IES's research on successful change management, these are precisely the most risky and difficult initiatives to pull off. The most successful long-term sustained changes are mass movements, shifting the whole direction and culture in an organisation, but through an evolutionary rather than revolutionary approach. Playing the rebel may be cool, but it rarely appears in practice to succeed.
And this, somewhat ironically, in the end is definitely not a book for rebels. If you have a CEO and board committed to investing in their staff to improve their engagement and willing and capable line mangers who can deliver then this book is perfect: get on and select and implement the examples that best suit your situation, practice what you preach, invest and watch your engagement and performance levels improve.
But if you don’t have that luxury of sustained top-level commitment and widespread managerial capability then you will, frankly, struggle with the breathless enthusiasm and quick-fire style of this book alone. The business case they make for engagement is for believers, sketchy and heavily-based on belief and assertion. And for those not experienced in the area, the evidence to guide you on what works best in which setting is almost entirely lacking. Yet I regularly experience senior management teams who question whether employee engagement makes any difference to business performance, and why employers should get involved with some of the key drivers of it, such as employee wellness and financial wellbeing. The battle to invest in staff as the route to high performance is far from being won.
So don’t take this particular short-cut-book to high engagement alone. It is a great, action-focused, high-speed trip through employee engagement. But as the authors admit, in reality the route is a ‘never-ending journey’. Use the IES publications and website for your evidence and business case; and the Engage for Success and CIPD websites for your analytical frameworks, tools and methodologies.
But after a tough week of battling narrow-minded leaders and miserly cost-obsessed finance executives, of cajoling cynical staff and dealing with truculent trade unions, then this book should give you the espresso-shot of enthusiasm and the gems of examples you need to keep you going on your quest towards improving organisational performance and employee engagement. It is a truly noble endeavour and this book will help you with it. And you will enjoy it, I promise.
February 20, 2018
As head of HR for the startup that I work at I've found this a really interesting book - with both overarching concepts and real life examples about how to keep employees happy.
It's split into different chapters (e.g. Leadership, Pay and Benefits, Wellbeing) so it's super easy to either dip in and out if there's a specific situation at your work.
Equally it's written in a friendly and readable style - so also interesting enough to read it cover to cover!
I was lucky enough to receive a pre-order of this book and can highly recommend when it's out for general purchase.
It's split into different chapters (e.g. Leadership, Pay and Benefits, Wellbeing) so it's super easy to either dip in and out if there's a specific situation at your work.
Equally it's written in a friendly and readable style - so also interesting enough to read it cover to cover!
I was lucky enough to receive a pre-order of this book and can highly recommend when it's out for general purchase.
February 16, 2018
It’s 2018. Employee engagement, now, is a complete necessity in any organisation regardless of size or industry. If your employees aren’t engaged, then it’s only a matter of time before things start to crumble.
This playbook is just wonderful for anyone who’s looking to stir things up and be a ‘rebel’ to inspire new levels of engagement - or for Managers and HR Professionals who just don’t know where to start - or for employees, who may not know what it is to be ‘engaged’, or are looking for inspiration for their own workplace.
Being in this industry, often reading HR targeted books and content isn’t the most enthralling (sorry, HR book authors and content writers). This book is conversational, it’s fun, it asks the right questions and it’s relatable.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s not a complex read (perfect for low attention span people like me!) and it’ll get you buzzing with ideas!
This playbook is just wonderful for anyone who’s looking to stir things up and be a ‘rebel’ to inspire new levels of engagement - or for Managers and HR Professionals who just don’t know where to start - or for employees, who may not know what it is to be ‘engaged’, or are looking for inspiration for their own workplace.
Being in this industry, often reading HR targeted books and content isn’t the most enthralling (sorry, HR book authors and content writers). This book is conversational, it’s fun, it asks the right questions and it’s relatable.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s not a complex read (perfect for low attention span people like me!) and it’ll get you buzzing with ideas!
January 19, 2018
The Rebel Playbook in one word. ‘Controversial’.
And that is why I think it does what it sets out to do, and is such an important book for people wanting to make a change. Glenn and Debra challenge what so many of us think 'good looks like' across so many critical parts of running a successful business. It is a book that you will read and make you think. It is a book that will make you agree and disagree in equal measure. But most importantly it is a book that will challenge you to do things differently and push those around (and above you) to change how things should happen.
Like every book, I found I had favourite chapters and chapters I re-read a few times before I understood where I was being taken, but every chapter is written by authors who really believe in what they are saying.
The most powerful part of the book. What I call the ‘supporting cast’ - the Rebels. Their stories and examples are inspiring.
And that is why I think it does what it sets out to do, and is such an important book for people wanting to make a change. Glenn and Debra challenge what so many of us think 'good looks like' across so many critical parts of running a successful business. It is a book that you will read and make you think. It is a book that will make you agree and disagree in equal measure. But most importantly it is a book that will challenge you to do things differently and push those around (and above you) to change how things should happen.
Like every book, I found I had favourite chapters and chapters I re-read a few times before I understood where I was being taken, but every chapter is written by authors who really believe in what they are saying.
The most powerful part of the book. What I call the ‘supporting cast’ - the Rebels. Their stories and examples are inspiring.
February 8, 2018
Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement provides a very easy to understand model to boosting engagement to your company.
We all know how important it is for a company’s workforce to feel good at their workplace and this guide helps recognize how this with giving valuable examples and hints, as well as case studies.
It is, however, a book for Rebels, as per the title. It’s packed with methods that are different from the status quo and some might find it difficult to follow a few of the advices listed there. But being controversial is always good as it pushes the boundaries and makes everyone actually think.
I am certain that if more people read this book, the world will definitely become a better place to work!
We all know how important it is for a company’s workforce to feel good at their workplace and this guide helps recognize how this with giving valuable examples and hints, as well as case studies.
It is, however, a book for Rebels, as per the title. It’s packed with methods that are different from the status quo and some might find it difficult to follow a few of the advices listed there. But being controversial is always good as it pushes the boundaries and makes everyone actually think.
I am certain that if more people read this book, the world will definitely become a better place to work!
December 5, 2017
This book will inevitably become a 'must read' HR book in 2018. Laid out like a text book, Built It breaks down every element of employee engagement into succinct pieces. From the very basics to the bits most people miss, this book challenges and questions much about the way we work today and shows us how progressive organisations are paving the way.
"Maybe we've forgotten what we learned as children?" really sums the book up for me. Somewhere along the way, many organisations have forgotten about how they should treat their employees and this book is about putting that right.
A manual for the masses.
"Maybe we've forgotten what we learned as children?" really sums the book up for me. Somewhere along the way, many organisations have forgotten about how they should treat their employees and this book is about putting that right.
A manual for the masses.
February 21, 2018
I really enjoyed reading Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement. My favourite two genres are Biographies and Business and this book has them both!
There are so many areas of this book that will resonate with everyone who works in 2018. I am not a senior manager or in the HR Team but I still took so much from the plays and advice Debra and Glenn have provided. This book will not only help Managers to work more collaboratively with their employees but I'd also recommend every employee who has the ambition to achieve a senior position in their career to read it.
There are so many areas of this book that will resonate with everyone who works in 2018. I am not a senior manager or in the HR Team but I still took so much from the plays and advice Debra and Glenn have provided. This book will not only help Managers to work more collaboratively with their employees but I'd also recommend every employee who has the ambition to achieve a senior position in their career to read it.
January 19, 2018
I received a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway.
I really liked this book. I’ve read a couple books on employee engagement and this one is much more conversational and lays things out in an easy to read manner. It wasn’t filled with too many facts and figures nor lots of silly platitudes like “Throw more parties!!” like some other books were. The only thing I disliked was that it was very textbook like with glossy paper and SO many photos and graphs. I suppose that is to appeal to the non-bookworm professionals.
I really liked this book. I’ve read a couple books on employee engagement and this one is much more conversational and lays things out in an easy to read manner. It wasn’t filled with too many facts and figures nor lots of silly platitudes like “Throw more parties!!” like some other books were. The only thing I disliked was that it was very textbook like with glossy paper and SO many photos and graphs. I suppose that is to appeal to the non-bookworm professionals.
February 16, 2018
I've finished reading the BRILLIANT Build it, The Rebel Playbook! It is now without doubt my new go-to handbook as a Reward professional!
One of the reasons this book is so great, is because of the simplicity of it. Even if you have little or no budget there are ideas in here which can make massive impact. The book encourages HR professionals to step out of the dark ages and stop doing things in a certain way 'because we have always done it like that' and take risks, which ultimately can lead to something pretty special!
If you work in HR! You need this book!
One of the reasons this book is so great, is because of the simplicity of it. Even if you have little or no budget there are ideas in here which can make massive impact. The book encourages HR professionals to step out of the dark ages and stop doing things in a certain way 'because we have always done it like that' and take risks, which ultimately can lead to something pretty special!
If you work in HR! You need this book!
February 19, 2018
In Build it, there's not only heaps of good advice from the authors, there's also a stack of top tips and plays from some of the best known companies around the world like Netflix, Virgin, KFC and Krispy Kreme. Each chapter tackles a different subject such as leadership, pay and benefits, job design and culture and provides practical advice on how to implement the plays in your business. I've definitely learnt some new things that we'll be implementing at DreamingFish!
February 20, 2018
I was lucky enough to be given a pre-read copy by Debra, and i'm so glad I was! It's full of simple help and reminders of what to do, great cases studies and useful information. Plus it's easy to read as it's written simply and in everyday language.
I'm already using some of the things it taught me in a new role, and it helped me go back to basics to do so.
I'd totally recommend you read it, and unleash the rebel inside!
I'm already using some of the things it taught me in a new role, and it helped me go back to basics to do so.
I'd totally recommend you read it, and unleash the rebel inside!
February 20, 2018
This book will certainly evoke the rebel in anybody who is passionate about employee engagement. It is inciteful, practical and will take you outside your comfort zone. The book and the way it is set out will take you on a journey packed with exciting and sometimes breaking the rules examples that will inspire you if you are passionate about this topic. Read it and judge for yourself!
January 3, 2018
Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement provides a challenging, interesting and useful guidebook, packed with inspiring ideas and support, for anyone who wants to help their organisation along the employee engagement journey. As the authors say regardless of your company’s size and wherever you’re starting from the most important thing is to get moving and start making changes now and this is the playbook to help you on your journey.
The key principle of this book is that engaged employees build better, stronger and more resilient organisations. Engaged employees, the authors state, make better decisions; are more productive; and innovate more. While company performance data supports this view, studies have also shown that while business leaders recognise the importance of employee engagement, those same leaders are also aware that only a minority of their people can be considered highly engaged.
This book seeks to address this engagement gap by providing a framework, the Engagement Bridge, for understanding employee engagement. The ten elements in the bridge, including subjects such as Leadership; Recognition; and Purpose, Mission and Values are explained in separate chapters and then backed up by real life examples from a wide variety of different organisations. These plays, as the authors term them, are one of the key elements of the book. For example, in the chapter on Open and Honest Communication (one of the Engagement Bridge elements), the initial focus is on the importance of honest communication (‘no one trusts you when you lie’) and the need to over communicate (‘use every channel you can: repeat, repeat, repeat’). The authors then explain key rebel outcomes and key rebel behaviours (‘default to honesty’) before looking at communication challenges within a diverse group of organisations including Buffer, Wistia, Better Cloud, GM Holden, Krispy Kreme Australia, and HSBC. Each case study is followed with practical tips on how communication change can be initiated and achieved. While not every example will be directly relevant for each organisation there is a sufficiently broad and diverse range of situations, organisations and industries covered to ensure that the book is useful and relevant to a wide audience.
Glenn Elliott, a successful entrepreneur and his co-author, Debra Corey, an experienced HR professional, have written a practical playbook, underpinned by a sound analytical framework, that is filled with current examples of how organisations have tackled the different elements of employee engagement and tips on how to introduce similar initiatives. The book provides a toolkit, well backed up by additional online resources, to help organisations improve employee engagement that gives it relevance right across the organisation and not just within the confines of the HR team. It is by initiating change, by being a rebel and upsetting the status quo of how people are treated at work that employee engagement can be improved and better, stronger and more resilient organisations can be built. And the time to start that change is now.
The key principle of this book is that engaged employees build better, stronger and more resilient organisations. Engaged employees, the authors state, make better decisions; are more productive; and innovate more. While company performance data supports this view, studies have also shown that while business leaders recognise the importance of employee engagement, those same leaders are also aware that only a minority of their people can be considered highly engaged.
This book seeks to address this engagement gap by providing a framework, the Engagement Bridge, for understanding employee engagement. The ten elements in the bridge, including subjects such as Leadership; Recognition; and Purpose, Mission and Values are explained in separate chapters and then backed up by real life examples from a wide variety of different organisations. These plays, as the authors term them, are one of the key elements of the book. For example, in the chapter on Open and Honest Communication (one of the Engagement Bridge elements), the initial focus is on the importance of honest communication (‘no one trusts you when you lie’) and the need to over communicate (‘use every channel you can: repeat, repeat, repeat’). The authors then explain key rebel outcomes and key rebel behaviours (‘default to honesty’) before looking at communication challenges within a diverse group of organisations including Buffer, Wistia, Better Cloud, GM Holden, Krispy Kreme Australia, and HSBC. Each case study is followed with practical tips on how communication change can be initiated and achieved. While not every example will be directly relevant for each organisation there is a sufficiently broad and diverse range of situations, organisations and industries covered to ensure that the book is useful and relevant to a wide audience.
Glenn Elliott, a successful entrepreneur and his co-author, Debra Corey, an experienced HR professional, have written a practical playbook, underpinned by a sound analytical framework, that is filled with current examples of how organisations have tackled the different elements of employee engagement and tips on how to introduce similar initiatives. The book provides a toolkit, well backed up by additional online resources, to help organisations improve employee engagement that gives it relevance right across the organisation and not just within the confines of the HR team. It is by initiating change, by being a rebel and upsetting the status quo of how people are treated at work that employee engagement can be improved and better, stronger and more resilient organisations can be built. And the time to start that change is now.
January 19, 2018
This book is crammed with hints and tips to get the most out of your business and staff.
Well worth a browse to get the most out your employees. The business plan looks promising.
Well worth a browse to get the most out your employees. The business plan looks promising.
February 6, 2018
If you are an adventurous traveller who wants to visit the most beautiful places along their journey of building 'an engaging culture (...) where hard-working people thrive in jobs with challenge and excitement' and 'regularly put their companies and their customers ahead of their own needs', then this book is the map. Your map, which can take you there, no matter which road you decide to take.
January 11, 2018
Build It, the Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement, is an easy to read clear guide to looking at and enhancing engagement in your company or the company you work for.
The engagement bridge, a structured model is discussed in depth and there are many practical examples throughout the book. Honesty, leadership, recognition, learning, pay and benefits and well being are all integral to this process and are discussed in depth with real case studies from companies.
If you are looking to get the best out of your company, engagement with your staff is a priority and this book is for you.
I received this book from the author and Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
The engagement bridge, a structured model is discussed in depth and there are many practical examples throughout the book. Honesty, leadership, recognition, learning, pay and benefits and well being are all integral to this process and are discussed in depth with real case studies from companies.
If you are looking to get the best out of your company, engagement with your staff is a priority and this book is for you.
I received this book from the author and Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
January 19, 2018
Absolutely amazing read. Whether you think you're a rebel, or whether you're teetering on the edge of doing something maverick, this is the book for you. I love the very simple and consumable style, and I'm a massive fan of the mixture of theory, real company examples, and practical tips.
As you read it, make sure you've got a note book to capture your ideas, actions and thoughts. This is not a book for the faint hearted who love status quo. This is a challenge and a gauntlet for anyone who has the passion and desire to drive change in their teams and organisations.
PS: HR don't own engagement. We all do. So don't leave your teams success to someone else ;-)
As you read it, make sure you've got a note book to capture your ideas, actions and thoughts. This is not a book for the faint hearted who love status quo. This is a challenge and a gauntlet for anyone who has the passion and desire to drive change in their teams and organisations.
PS: HR don't own engagement. We all do. So don't leave your teams success to someone else ;-)
November 21, 2017
Build It is a treasure trove of practical advice and tips for managers, entrepreneurs, leaders and HR professional, in fact, anyone who is responsible for building and nurturing organisations and people.
Combining case studies, the authors' applied experience and applicable frameworks, Build It provides grounded advice on how to motivate your teams and to build genuinely engaged organisations. The book is just as appropriate for FTSE100 companies as for newly launched startups. Engaged staff means excellent products, happy customers and outperformance, and far too often we accept that engagement may be too aspirational for our organisations.
A must read and especially relevant in the current hyper-competitive world of human capital.
Combining case studies, the authors' applied experience and applicable frameworks, Build It provides grounded advice on how to motivate your teams and to build genuinely engaged organisations. The book is just as appropriate for FTSE100 companies as for newly launched startups. Engaged staff means excellent products, happy customers and outperformance, and far too often we accept that engagement may be too aspirational for our organisations.
A must read and especially relevant in the current hyper-competitive world of human capital.
January 29, 2018
This book basically says in a logical and inspiring way that doing the right thing by your employees is doing the smart thing for your business. What a relief. And it also help you do it. Build It takes a complex aspirational idea - employee engagement - illuminates it and simplifies it, making it applicable. It breaks the engagement-puzzle into pieces that are easier to understand and implement individually, but keeps the thread between these different pieces going throughout the book. The book made me feel hopeful about the direction the world of work is going in. The authors create a person-centered approach to engagement - an approach that sees the employee positively, as resourceful, capable and well- intended. It's one of those books I know, as a business coach, I will be taking ideas from and using actively with clients. I've had my critical-thinking hat on, but all I thought as I read the book was 'Yes! Yes! I agree!'
January 15, 2018
Thank you Goodreads for sending me this book. A book covering the latest thinking in getting the best from employees. The book is filled with stories on how different well known companies have been using novel and innovative ways to engage their staff. Not everything is cutting edge or rebel , as some of the guidance is similar to prescribed practices from before. Plus, the methods described won’t work for every organisation, but the books certainly provides ideas worth considering. However, this is a very interesting read with some fascinating scenarios and outcomes. I would recommend this for anyone looking to look at alternative ideas for building effective teams.
February 3, 2018
This is a really easy and entertaining read which is also practical and thought provoking! You can read from start to end or pick out topics and read in any order you want, it all joins up and yet each chapter can stand alone. I keep picking it up for short periods and find little gems in every section! The plays are fascinating and I am now going to order more books and encourage our Exec team to read as well!
February 11, 2018
I am already planning to re-read this book, as I was very surprised with style and practicality of it. It gives a lot of options and strategies that are highly usable as well as being entertaining! NB: the stickers were the most adorable thing ever, really cheered me up!
January 2, 2018
Trigger warning: This book provokes all sorts of thoughts. It will challenge what you think you know about engaging employees, and it will inspire you with all sorts of possibilities.
The book opens with the following: "To the rebels, the misifts, the troublemakers. Let's make the world a better place to work." That was enough to get me hooked because I am a rebel who believes rules are for losers. Deep down inside, you are too, even if you don't realize it just yet! I say this because we all go to work every day. We wall want to make work a positive experience. And we all probably have ideas about how to make that happen (and if you don't, you certainly will after reading this book). And, of course, we all often get frustrated when we feel that the status quo squashes our dreams. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Yes, of course this book is inspirational — but it's not just that. It goes well beyond offering feel-good, Tony Robbins B.S. platitudes. I love that it highlights real people, real stories, real impact at all sorts of companies. For example, the book talks about how KFC created career development initiatives for its team members, many of whom are high schoolers. Seriously, how cool is that?
There are plenty more examples that will spark all kinds of thinking, organized in a way that makes logical sense — that is, the book presents key elements of employee engagement and then illustrates them with anecdotes. Ultimately, that's really makes this book stand out. While there are similar books out there, they often fall short by delving too much into theory and not enough into practice. I loved that this brought concepts to life in accessible ways where you come away thinking, "Oh, yeah, totally, that might work at my company, too!"
Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that I have a professional relationship with the authors, both of whom work for the company that is a client of my employer. However, I was not "voluntold" to write this review by any of those parties. I wrote this review because I am that troublemaker who likes to challenge conventions in ways that will unf**k the world of work. If that's you, too, then I promise you're in for a great read.
The book opens with the following: "To the rebels, the misifts, the troublemakers. Let's make the world a better place to work." That was enough to get me hooked because I am a rebel who believes rules are for losers. Deep down inside, you are too, even if you don't realize it just yet! I say this because we all go to work every day. We wall want to make work a positive experience. And we all probably have ideas about how to make that happen (and if you don't, you certainly will after reading this book). And, of course, we all often get frustrated when we feel that the status quo squashes our dreams. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Yes, of course this book is inspirational — but it's not just that. It goes well beyond offering feel-good, Tony Robbins B.S. platitudes. I love that it highlights real people, real stories, real impact at all sorts of companies. For example, the book talks about how KFC created career development initiatives for its team members, many of whom are high schoolers. Seriously, how cool is that?
There are plenty more examples that will spark all kinds of thinking, organized in a way that makes logical sense — that is, the book presents key elements of employee engagement and then illustrates them with anecdotes. Ultimately, that's really makes this book stand out. While there are similar books out there, they often fall short by delving too much into theory and not enough into practice. I loved that this brought concepts to life in accessible ways where you come away thinking, "Oh, yeah, totally, that might work at my company, too!"
Lastly, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that I have a professional relationship with the authors, both of whom work for the company that is a client of my employer. However, I was not "voluntold" to write this review by any of those parties. I wrote this review because I am that troublemaker who likes to challenge conventions in ways that will unf**k the world of work. If that's you, too, then I promise you're in for a great read.
February 15, 2018
Build It: The Rebel Playbook for World Class Employee Engagement is an insightful guide on the steps to Employee Engagement. It offers the right balance between theory and advice, and real-life examples. Written for HR professionals, the book is, in fact, a great read for anyone, in any job role. Having worked for Reward Gateway for nearly 4 years and for the last two being really close to the Engagement Bridge and its development, I picked up the book thinking it’ll be very familiar. In some ways that was true, but it also felt very new, very fresh, and ideas have matured and taken shape. I’ve heard the explanation of the Bridge many times, but seeing it in writing and in context is very impactful. It makes you believe in the effectiveness of the model even more, learning from Rebels and their wealth of experience.
I simply loved reading the book. Glenn and Debra have created a piece that truly inspires the reader to action. What really stood out to me were the many examples of how one can do so much with so little. I loved the chapter about Job Design, as it made me realize how much of employee engagement really depends on it. I’ve learned that having a job that’s designed well means you have the autonomy to do your best work, and many opportunities to develop your skills and receive recognition. I’ve also read the chapters on Leadership and Management a few times now (and included key learnings in our newest Leadership training program). They redefine Leadership and Management, describing leaders as “owning their mistakes, having the courage to be naked and visible, and adding value to their teams” and managers as key drivers of desired behaviors who have real power to “make or break the culture that leadership wants”.
Here are my key takeaways from the book:
Employee Engagement doesn’t have to be complex and there are simple, but bold and rebellious steps that can be taken - the Bridge is the guide
Companies out there are doing amazing things to keep employees engaged and now we can all learn from them
No matter where you start on the Bridge, and where you end up, you’re sure to improve the lives of employees and see real results
I highly recommend that you pick up the book and read it.
I simply loved reading the book. Glenn and Debra have created a piece that truly inspires the reader to action. What really stood out to me were the many examples of how one can do so much with so little. I loved the chapter about Job Design, as it made me realize how much of employee engagement really depends on it. I’ve learned that having a job that’s designed well means you have the autonomy to do your best work, and many opportunities to develop your skills and receive recognition. I’ve also read the chapters on Leadership and Management a few times now (and included key learnings in our newest Leadership training program). They redefine Leadership and Management, describing leaders as “owning their mistakes, having the courage to be naked and visible, and adding value to their teams” and managers as key drivers of desired behaviors who have real power to “make or break the culture that leadership wants”.
Here are my key takeaways from the book:
Employee Engagement doesn’t have to be complex and there are simple, but bold and rebellious steps that can be taken - the Bridge is the guide
Companies out there are doing amazing things to keep employees engaged and now we can all learn from them
No matter where you start on the Bridge, and where you end up, you’re sure to improve the lives of employees and see real results
I highly recommend that you pick up the book and read it.
February 13, 2018
Well done Glenn and Debra. This book is fresh and very different. It works because of the rich collection of case studies presented. The underlying principle is “The Engagement Bridge” a set of 10 building blocks e.g. Honest Communication; Purpose, Mission and Values; Leadership; Job Design; Recognition; Pay and Benefits all of which can create enhanced employee motivation and hence productivity. The book is not conceptual but highly pragmatic. The clever piece is that the chapter structure sets out key objectives and commentary and then uses five to seven case studies to describe an organisation’s business dilemma; what the CEO or CHRO decided to do (the “plays”) and the outcomes in hard business results. The main messages are then summarised at the end of each chapter as key take-aways. Whilst many of the reference studies are relatively new start-ups there are also major global organisations cited including Gap, HSBC, GM Holden, Netflix, LinkedIn, Adobe, BCG and GE.
The rebel element is that many of these plays challenge conventional HR trends especially in respect of policies, processes and procedures by looking for solutions focused on the employees and the impact on their commitment. Productivity and competitive advantage. As Elliot and Corey stress the book encourages readers to assess which of the building blocks are pressing issues for you so you can build the bridge bit by bit and the more you do the more obvious is the need for greater alignment and intertwining. The sections on Leadership, Learning, Job Design, Workspace and Well-Being are very insightful. The real golden nuggets are that the authors have signposted each case study with further reference materials and social media content allowing you dig deeper. Thank you for these resources.
The book has huge passion which is why it is so compelling for start-ups and mature organisations facing disruptors in their marketplace. It is clear what the leaders set out to do is truly in their hearts; so my challenge is can such initiatives continue to sustain this energy if these people move on or new investors take over an organisation?
Overall this is an outstanding book and very easy to read. Most of us have a rebel inside us and this is a wonderful stimulus to impact the world of work with creative and inspiring cultures and most of all fun and socially engaging.
Jim Matthewman
The rebel element is that many of these plays challenge conventional HR trends especially in respect of policies, processes and procedures by looking for solutions focused on the employees and the impact on their commitment. Productivity and competitive advantage. As Elliot and Corey stress the book encourages readers to assess which of the building blocks are pressing issues for you so you can build the bridge bit by bit and the more you do the more obvious is the need for greater alignment and intertwining. The sections on Leadership, Learning, Job Design, Workspace and Well-Being are very insightful. The real golden nuggets are that the authors have signposted each case study with further reference materials and social media content allowing you dig deeper. Thank you for these resources.
The book has huge passion which is why it is so compelling for start-ups and mature organisations facing disruptors in their marketplace. It is clear what the leaders set out to do is truly in their hearts; so my challenge is can such initiatives continue to sustain this energy if these people move on or new investors take over an organisation?
Overall this is an outstanding book and very easy to read. Most of us have a rebel inside us and this is a wonderful stimulus to impact the world of work with creative and inspiring cultures and most of all fun and socially engaging.
Jim Matthewman
January 17, 2018
Well, this is excellent! I have very often 'taken on' employee engagement in an informal capacity in my work but am now in my first formal role of this kind and this book has been invaluable to me. Written in clear, conversational language and with no HR or Communications jargon to be seen this is a really clear walkthrough of the case for an engaged workforce and how you can throw out all (well, most!) conventional thinking on the subject and start having real impact. It breaks the employee experience into clear sections (parts of the Engagement Bridge) but doesn't lost sight of how all the elements working together is where the magic happens, for you, your staff and your business.
The plays are from large and smaller organisations from all disciplines and from all over the world and just when you find yourself thinking "Well, that's great for them, they're Amazon!" you get tips on how smaller organisations can take the same thinking and make it work in their own environments.
I have come away from this book with a long list of plans and ideas - two of which, while small, I have already had approved! Baby steps! I have no doubt that if you've been in HR, Internal Communications, Employee Engagement or Reward Management for your whole career to date, you will be challenged, excited and inspired to start your own Rebelution -I can't wait to get started!
The plays are from large and smaller organisations from all disciplines and from all over the world and just when you find yourself thinking "Well, that's great for them, they're Amazon!" you get tips on how smaller organisations can take the same thinking and make it work in their own environments.
I have come away from this book with a long list of plans and ideas - two of which, while small, I have already had approved! Baby steps! I have no doubt that if you've been in HR, Internal Communications, Employee Engagement or Reward Management for your whole career to date, you will be challenged, excited and inspired to start your own Rebelution -I can't wait to get started!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews