Purchase books about employee productivity that you'll refer to often

Books on employee productivity make smart reference additions to your library. Books that stress leadership and management roles in giving employees fair treatment, pride in their work and a sense of camaraderie will increase your staff's efficiency, save you time and benefit your operation.

I recommend: Purchase The Enthusiastic Employee, by David Sirota, Louis Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer. Published in 2005, this hardcover book hammers home the fact that an enthusiastic employee can far out produce and outperform the average employee. Buy Zapp! The Lightning Of Empowerment: How To Improve Quality, Productivity and Employee Satisfaction, by William Byham, Ph.D., with Jeff Cox. Originally published in 1998, this revised edition addresses how to foster responsibility, acknowledgement and creativity in employees, traits that will encourage them to own their jobs and want to succeed through improved productivity. Add White Hat Leadership: How to Maximize Personal and Employee Productivity, by T.R. Warren, to your book collection. This 2007 leadership book describes how employee self-confidence, collaboration and loyalty translate into increased employee productivity.

Add magazines about employee productivity to the list of resources at your fingertips

You'll find insightful and informative employee productivity articles in online and print magazines. While you won't likely find a performance appraisal magazine, you can buy human resources magazines that address the issue periodically.

I recommend: For employee productivity magazines, subscribe to Incentive Magazine. This publication concentrates on performance improvement and raising employee morale and motivation through incentive programs. Start with either HR Magazine or Staffing Management. HR Magazine, a leading HR publication for more than 50 years, informs HR professionals of current news and trends. Staffing Management focuses on the latest techniques and trends in recruiting and keeping employees. Take a look at the Workforce Management website and consider a subscription to its magazine. This magazine addresses all sorts of workforce issues and will often include a performance appraisal article.

Find other employee productivity and performance appraisal publications

Dig deeper into topics that really interest you with journals, online publications and articles on employee productivity and appraisals.

I recommend: Read the article titled Gaining Competitive Advantage Through Employee Productivity, by Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR. The author provides a quick-read article describing how to develop a workplace environment that sustains employees' energy and encourages improved productivity. Read the online article Should Performance Grading Be on a Curve? The informative question-and-answer article by BusinessWeek columnist Liz Ryan centers on a small business owner setting up a new performance appraisal system and contemplating a bell curve for slotting employees based on their overall rating. If you struggle with employee evaluation phrases, visit the Market Communications website to purchase 1000 Bullets, a tool for managers that makes writing appraisals a breeze. For employee productivity journals, order Creativity and Innovation Management. This journal provides managers with in-depth information to help them introduce innovation within their companies and then accelerate employee development and creative performance.