The policies in any organization are subject to changes every now and then. While the underlying values and goals of the company might remain consistent through the years, some things might gain more value while others recede in importance.
Since your employee manual is one of the most convenient ways of communicating with your employees, it is only fitting that all these changes duly show up in the handbook. If they do not, your employee handbook will be deemed as outdated and its function as being the primary mode of communication with your employees, will recede.
Most organizations therefore look for an opportunity to create customizable employee handbooks. Not only are these handbooks more updated and better informed, but the organization heads even have the opportunity to improve the way they are presented to their employees.
1. Speak The Language Your Employees Understand
Large amounts of text is boring, we are all well aware of this fact. No employee would want to go through a large number of pages outlining a company’s policies, however excited they might be on their new job. Provided your business already has an employee handbook from your grandfather’s time, it’s time to step up your game by giving that handbook a real makeover!
The world listens to graphics more than it listens to text. So when customizing your employee handbook, present information through graphics wherever possible. Use creative fonts and alternate bold graphics. Try and use a conversational tone rather than the boring, mere informative one. Remember, you want your employees to be hitched enough to read through the entire manual. Make sure it is worth their read!
Many companies are shifting towards online formats of employee handbooks. This means instead of resorting to motionless graphics, they can even include short animations and videos to make their content more understandable. There are employee handbook software like AirMason that let you easily create beautiful employee policy manuals.
2. Tell The Most Recent Story To Employees
When the situations in the organization change, such as a change in the superior management or a different situation that haven’t been dealt with in the past, you need to share updated examples with your employees. You need to share with them recent stories from within your organization to make your point clear.
The current pandemic is actually a pretty good example of such a situation. With offices making first the shift to work from home, the manners of the organization’s operations went through a major repositioning.
To avoid business risks in this world health crisis, you should stay connected with your employees and an employee handbook can present a good opportunity to do so. Updating your handbook and customizing it to include the recent information can allow you to communicate more effectively with your employees.
3. Laws Change, And Policies Need To Be Updated
Laws are subject to change in any state. You must not lose sight of the fact that your employee handbook is primarily a legal document and will be consulted to protect the company or its employees from a possible lawsuit. In case, the manual fails to update its policies and company’s values as per the changing scenario of the country’s jurisdiction, the employee handbook might lose its importance as a lawfully presentable document.
Regular customization of the handbook to account for the changing laws and policies therefore become immensely important. It also acts as a way to show to your employees the importance you put in the manual and reminds them to consult it in matters of conflict.
4. Addition Or Subtraction In Benefits You Provide
The benefits an organization offers can differ during the various phases. For example, there might be a time when your company is making huge profits and things are going particularly well for you. You might decide to give out bonuses to your employees or increase the benefits you offer on the accomplishment of certain tasks.
On the other hand, if your business is going through a particularly rough time, you might want to cut down on these bonuses and try to reduce your organization’s cash burnout rate instead.
All these changes and dynamics of your organization needs to be duly noted within your handbook. Or else, your employees might not be notified of the changes in due time, creating a situation that can result in discontent within the office environment.
Situations within a business are continuously changing, and you can’t expect your employees to behave in a certain manner that you established during your business’s inception. Your employee handbook is your mode of communication with your employees, and if it gets outdated, so does the effectiveness of your communication. A customizable handbook therefore becomes the spirit of a dynamic workplace.
