14 Top Resources for Improving Employee Retention

I’d recommend “The Alliance” by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh. The big idea is to treat employment less like a lifelong contract and more like a series of “tours of duty” where both sides benefit. That shifted how I think about retention—not as keeping people forever, but as creating clear, meaningful chapters where they grow, contribute, and leave stronger if they move on. The insight I took away is that loyalty comes from transparency and development opportunities, not from perks or handcuffs. When you frame retention around mutual value instead of fear of attrition, employees actually stick around longer.

Reading Daniel Pink’s “Drive” made me realize we were handling employee retention all wrong. We started letting our language teachers actually run their own classes and showing them the difference they made. Suddenly, people were more invested. It wasn’t about bonuses anymore, but about having control and a purpose. That stuck around longer than any reward system we’d ever tried.

I highly recommend Leigh Branham’s “The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave.” The book revealed something crucial that transformed my approach: fulfillment and alignment are more important drivers of retention than compensation alone. We applied this principle by intentionally pairing our teachers with students who shared similar interests and passions. This shift in our matching process reduced our voluntary turnover by 12% in a single quarter. The return on this insight has been remarkable for both our organization’s stability and our educational outcomes.

Josh Bersin’s research on employee experience changed how we handle retention at PlayAbly. We updated our development programs with his ideas on continuous learning, and our engineers finally felt like they were growing their skills, not just filling a role. His methodology works especially well in fast-paced tech environments where the learning curve is brutal. I’d recommend embracing his approach if your team needs support while they grow.

When I took GRIN from 2 to nearly 500 people, Claire Hughes Johnson’s “Scaling People” was my playbook. After years in startups, her frameworks were the first thing that actually worked for keeping people engaged and productive. We used her onboarding and communication systems to hold things together as we hired like crazy. It’s the book I hand to any leader who’s suddenly in charge of a rapidly growing team.

One resource that significantly changed my perspective on employee retention is The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly. It’s not your typical business book—it focuses on the idea that people stay where they feel seen and supported, not just paid well. The main takeaway for me was that when you help your team reach their personal goals, they naturally become more invested in the company’s goals too.

After reading it, we started asking our technicians about their long-term plans—things like buying a home, finishing school, or saving for their kids—and then looked for ways to support those ambitions. That shift created stronger loyalty than any bonus program ever could. It taught me that retention isn’t just about keeping employees; it’s about helping them grow in ways that matter to them.

One of the most timeless resources on employee retention and leadership is Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive. Drucker reframes retention not as a matter of perks or pay but as the outcome of meaningful, well-structured work. He argues that effective leaders design roles where employees can perform to their strengths, measure their own results, and see how their contributions tie directly to the organization’s mission. This insight taught me that retention is ultimately an outcome of clarity — people stay when they understand their purpose, see progress, and feel trusted to execute.

Drucker also emphasizes that executives should spend their time making strengths productive and making weaknesses irrelevant. That simple principle has profound implications for modern management. Instead of focusing on correcting employee shortcomings, effective organizations double down on enabling what each person does best — through thoughtful delegation, training, and feedback loops. Drucker’s work helped me realize that the real key to retention isn’t keeping employees comfortable; it’s keeping them capable. When people feel they are growing, contributing, and being developed, loyalty follows naturally.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team helped my SaaS startup. After we implemented Lencioni’s approach to trust, our meetings changed. People started speaking up instead of staying quiet. We weren’t blindsided by people leaving anymore, and our team stayed with us as we grew. It’s a clear manual for spotting the little things that cause good people to walk away. If you lead a growing team, you should read it.

I recommend “The Culture Code” by Daniel Coyle. I don’t often talk about this book but it made a lasting impact on my notion of retention. It is not a traditional management or HR book, but it does a good job exploring how high-performing groups build trust and maintain it.

What resonated with me most was Coyle’s notion of psychological safety and belonging as the underpinning for retention. We have instilled this notion at Digital Silk by fostering an environment of open dialogue and shared ownership, where the best ideas come from anywhere. Our leaders demonstrate vulnerability, too, not only our strengths. This is a reminder that people stay where they feel a connection, not only with the mission, but with the people and team surrounding them.

Daniel Pink’s “Drive” changed how I manage my sales team. His breakdown of autonomy, mastery, and purpose just made sense. At SalesMVP Lab, I started handing off smaller responsibilities to my people, and suddenly they were more invested. I also got better at spotting burnout before it became a real problem. The book has some solid ideas that actually help you keep your best people around.

“First, Break All the Rules” by Marcus Buckingham is one I always recommend. It’s based on research from Gallup and digs into what top managers actually do to keep their best people. The biggest insight? People don’t leave companies—they leave managers who don’t understand what motivates them.

What stuck with me was the focus on individual strengths. Instead of trying to “fix” weaknesses, great managers double down on what someone naturally does well. That shift in mindset helped me rethink roles, feedback, and how to keep people engaged long term. Retention isn’t about perks—it’s about feeling seen and valued.

My sales team was bleeding people until I read Patrick Lencioni’s “The Ideal Team Player.” I started hiring only for humble, hungry, and people-smart individuals. Things just clicked. The infighting slowed down and our best people weren’t leaving every six months. It’s not a magic fix, but suddenly the team felt like a team, not a revolving door.

One resource I always recommend is “The 5 Love Languages of the Workplace” by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Paul White. It’s a twist on the original concept, but applied to how people feel appreciated at work—and it’s game-changing for employee retention. What stood out to me was how often companies assume a one-size-fits-all approach to recognition, when in reality, appreciation needs to be personalized to truly stick.

As someone who speaks about visibility and confidence in the workplace, I’ve seen firsthand how recognition—done right—builds trust, loyalty, and belonging. When employees feel genuinely seen and valued, they stay, they thrive, and they lead. Retention isn’t just about perks—it’s about people feeling like they matter.

I listen to a handful of business podcasts, so I would definitely recommend finding some good podcasts you like to learn more about these kinds of things. If I had to pick one specific one to recommend, it would probably be “At the Table with Patrick Lencioni.” This is one of the best podcasts specifically for leadership and team management. He doesn’t just talk about how to be a better leader but how to create the best environment for your employees, so there are definitely great employee retention practices talked about.