Your company is growing every day, and your tiny team of loyal employees has doubled and then doubled again. Your client base is expanding and so are your staffing needs…and as you search for a bigger office location, you’re also looking for tools and strategies that can help you manage teams on a much larger level than before. As you do this, take a moment to execute a simple step that can help you head off future problems and keep your management tasks under control: Draft an employee handbook. Here are a few ways a handbook can help you sidestep trouble.
1. A handbook keeps employees on track and on task.
Each handbook will begin with a clearly defined job description for a given employee’s specific position. From her first day onward, she’ll have a written document in hand that defines her job and her mission within the larger organization. Sometimes rapidly growing companies experience mission creep and disagreements about the nature and purpose of specific employee relationships, but with a handbook, this is not as likely.
2. A handbook clearly outlines all policies covering employee behavior.
This can also help prevent confusion and disputes later over dress code issues and personal conduct in the office. There’s nothing more unproductive and unprofessional then a drawn-out, undefined battle over an inch of hemline or a questionable message on a T-shirt.
3. A handbook makes safety rules clear and accessible.
Clarity and accessibility are the cornerstone of effective safety rules. And if each employee has access to all the safety polices that impact his or her job, they can be held accountable for violations (which will be less likely to take place).
4. A handbook outlines all policies that cover IT issues.
Company network access, internet access, the use of personal devices, and the sharing of company information can all be covered in the handbook with clear rules and written consequences for breaking them. The same applies to the use or abuse of other company resources.
5. The handbook helps managers make coaching, transfer, and termination decisions.
If your managers aren’t sure how to handle a struggling employee, they can always ask for help or consult HR. But a handbook can answer some of these questions by providing guidelines on documentation and other disciplinary steps.
For more on how an official handbook can help you stay in control while your teams grow and your company expands, contact the staffing experts at PSU.
