Leigh Branham, SPHR, is Founder and Principal of a talent management consulting firm which helps organizations analyze root causes of turnover and employee disengagement, then develop and implement employer-of-choice strategies.  His previous experience includes serving as Leader of the Talent Management practice for Right Management Consultants’ Heartland region.

In cooperation with the Saratoga Institute, Branham wrote The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It’s Too Late (AMACOM Books, 2005)--about the root causes of employee disengagement and turnover, based on post-exit surveys of more than 19,700 employees in 17 industries conducted from 1998 through 2003.  Released in January, 2005 this book was selected by businessbookreview.com and The Library Journal as one of the top 30 business books of the year and was released in audio summary form by Executive Soundview.

His first book, Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business, was published by the American Management Association in 2001 and featured hundreds of innovative employee retention best practices.  It was named by the Harvard Management Update as one of the top three books on the topic and has been published in several foreign-language versions.

Leigh received a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Vanderbilt University, has two Master’s degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  He has 25 years experience in human resource consulting, including three years at General Dynamics, Pomona Division where he designed and implemented a comprehensive leading-edge retention initiative for engineers.  Prior experience included six years as career advisor and faculty member at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, and at The University of Missouri-Columbia. 

He speaks frequently on the topics of employee engagement/retention, career development in organizations, employment practices, workforce trends, leadership, and management development.  He has been interviewed on National Public Radio, published in The Harvard Business Review, and quoted in Business Week, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and many other newspapers through The Associated Press, as an expert on employee retention.  He publishes a quarterly e-newsletter—Keeping the People Report, writes a periodic commentary on managing talent for The Kansas City Star.

 Leigh Branham

Presentation descriptions:

 The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Disengage & Leave...or Engage & Stay

Based on the author's highly-acclaimed book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, this presentation provides a deeper understanding of seven elusive reasons employees leave (based on an analysis of third-party exit interviews completed by The Saratoga Institute and different from what they typically say in exit interviews), so that management and HR can partner in creating on-target corrective and preventive solutions to employee turnover.

Engaging and Retaining All Four Generations of Workers

Presents significant differences in the life experiences and resulting expectations of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Millennials/Gen Y to help managers implement effective strategies to engage and retain employees in all four generations.

Why Employees Say "Lucky to Work Here"-- Becoming a Magnet for Talent

Based on an analysis of 1.8 million employee surveys completed in yearly Best-Place-to-Work competitions in 40 US cities since 2004, this presentation reports on key findings and offers insight into six major drivers of employee engagement.  Provides a deeper understanding of the commitment required to become an employer of choice, the measures that need to be put in place, and the bottom-line benefits to be gained.

You Can’t Afford the Luxury of Another Bad Manager

Covers specific best practices for manager selection, development, and performance management, recognizing that managers, through their direct daily interactions with employees, hold most of the keys to employee engagement and retention.

The 15 Pitfalls of Hiring

Reviews the 15 most common pitfalls that keep employers from hiring the right person for the job and offers positive alternative actions to guard against each pitfall.

Manage the Joining-Up Process to Maximize First Year Engagement

Provides best practice ideas related to the on-boarding and assimilation of new employees to maximize first-year engagement and longer-term retention.

Building an Employment Brand That Attracts the Right Talent

Presents a three-phase process (Discover-Demonstrate-Declare) for building a compelling employment brand as part of an overall employer-of-choice strategy.

The Road to 2010: Workforce Trends That Are Changing Your World

Presents overview of demographic and “psychographic” trends that are shaping and changing the world of work, and outlines adaptive best practices that successful companies are implementing in response to these trends.

Leader and Manager—Can You Be Both?

What’s the difference between a great leader and a great manager?  What do leaders do that managers don’t, and vice versa?  Don’t all successful projects and businesses need both?  Can you be both, and do you need to be?  These are the questions that Leigh Branham will pose and answer in this stimulating presentation, which will ask attendees to reflect on the differing roles of leader and manager, which of the two they are best suited for, and ways to get better at both.

Manager as Career Coach

Introduces proven and practical retention-focused process for giving their employees the tools to take charge of their careers and giving managers the tools for bringing out the best in their employees.

Who’s Driving Your Career Bus? Taking Charge of Your Career in the Organization

Challenges employees to take charge of their careers through better understanding their strengths, more proactive research into their options, taking an “intrapreneural” approach to job creation, focusing on excellence in job performance, and developing and nurturing relationships.

Employee, Engage Thyself! Reclaiming Your Enthusiasm at Work

Only about 25% of the workforce can be described as “fully engaged” at work.  This workshop provides participants with the opportunity to diagnose the causes of their disengagement, and begin to take action to become more engaged at work.  Branham will walk participants through the 7 hidden reasons employees become disengaged and, through interactive and reflective exercises, challenge them to take action on the things they can control.  Workbook included.

To book Leigh Branham as your next keynote speaker or trainer for your next event, meeting or conference contact us for more information, availability, and his speaking fee.  Leigh Branham is also available as an organizational consultant to help your with your employee retention and engagement initiatives.