The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace

World-class cafeterias, on-campus dry-cleaning, and on-site massages—these are some of the ways that companies like Google and Facebook attract and retain employees. But do office perks really make for an improved workplace, and is improving a workplace the best way to create an exceptional company? Psychologist Friedman explores this question in his useful guide. He says he became fascinated with the issue of office culture after leaving academe to work as a pollster in the corporate world. Office design, telecommuting, the importance of exercise, making friends with co-workers, resolving tense moments, and hiring and training the right people are among the range of subjects Friedman examines. His takeaways include “psychological needs are at the heart of employee engagement” and “integrating work and family life improves the quality of both.” Stocked with action items for managers and plenty of case studies, this is an energetic, conversational look at what really makes an office environment tick. As for those on-site massages; it turns out that recognition is the most effective perk of all. Agent: Giles Anderson, Anderson Literary. (Dec.)