Who doesn’t want to avoid a lawsuit or even the threat of one? A well-written handbook will spell out many of your rights and expectations as an employer. For example, the right to hire and fire employees at-will is a right most employers want to try to protect. A properly drafted handbook will reinforce the employment at-will relationship. In addition, having an employee handbook is a perfect vehicle for conveying the organization’s commitment to key behaviors, such as managing in a non-discriminatory manner. Employee Handbooks are a great way to counter the argument of “I didn’t know that was the policy.”

Reduces Inconsistencies

In the absence of written policies, past and present treatment of employees becomes the de facto policy. When an organization – because of the lack of written guidelines – treats employees differently or inconsistently, problems will erupt in the workplace; inconsistent treatment can be viewed as unfair or even discriminatory. Taking the time to draft a handbook gives management the opportunity to decide what works for the organization as a whole. Handbooks allow you to establish written policies that can be consistently and fairly applied. Your employees feel that everyone is on a level playing field.

Employee handbooks are an excellent and comprehensive way to communicate your company’s policies and procedures. How much time is wasted during the day by employees asking you or their supervisor questions about how something should be handled? Without clear guidelines, supervisors and managers spend far too much time answering questions, reconciling problems, or interpreting unwritten company policies. For new employees, the handbook provides necessary information on vacation, sick, and payroll policies. And the well-written handbook answers questions proactively and keeps employees focused on working.

Improves Morale and Cooperation

Handbooks can help improve morale and cooperation by giving you the opportunity to spell out your company’s expectations and guidelines for handling certain situations. Employees are more comfortable and can plan appropriately when they know the rules up front. Knowing such things as how and when to take time off, how to get a complaint resolved, or how much bereavement leave they’ll have, eliminates surprises and communicates valuable information to employees regarding the employment relationship.

Employers are not legally required to have handbooks. Arguments against handbooks range from “it will be out of date as soon as we publish it,” to “I don’t want to be obligated to do things a certain way,” to “that is for bigger companies.” Why then do so many companies continue to invest the time and effort into creating and maintaining an employee handbook?

Handbooks are a proactive management tool, enabling you to set parameters and policies for your company and for employee behavior. Whether you have one employee or hundreds, handbooks are an integral and necessary part of running a business.

Here’s what a handbook can do for you:

Improves Company Communications

Handbooks are a vital workplace communication tool, clearly defining your company’s mission and culture, along with the expectations and privileges, of employment. A handbook sets the tone for workplace behavior and puts all of your policies in one place (which is especially helpful if you do business in a state that requires the communication of certain policies).

Here are some tips to use as a refresher for those companies who haven’t done a lot of hiring recently:

• Follow-up – At the end of the new employee’s first week, set aside some time to talk with her about how she is doing so far. What else does she need?

• Develop a list of FAQ’s – Instead of having new employees figure out what questions to ask, be prepared. Employees tend to ask the same questions when they start: Where can they find those commonly-used files? Who places supply orders? What about expense reports? Where are those restrooms? Have a list of definitions if your firm uses a lot of acronyms.

• Wrap up their new office supplies like a gift basket – It makes their first day a bit more “celebratory” and is a fun, inexpensive way to liven up an empty office or cubicle.

• Say “hi” – It’s the fastest and easiest way to make a new person feel welcome and wanted.

• Introduce the new employee to everyone – Instead of sending out an announcement, have a new hire breakfast or lunch. Give everyone at the company a chance to come together to meet the new employees.

Taking care of our new hires means new employees feel welcomed and engaged faster. They will be productive more quickly and hopefully become key players within our organization.

If you need assistance in this area just let us know.

Here are some tips to use as a refresher for those companies who haven’t done a lot of hiring recently:

• Make it ongoing – What happens next week or next month? Don’t forget about the new employees. Maybe have a “new hire lunch” once a quarter for all new hires to get together and meet with management to ask questions.

• Give the employee something meaningful to work on during his first day – This gives the new employee a sense of accomplishment and a readiness to take on more.

• Let new employees learn about other teams – Create a job-shadowing program where new employees spend an hour with another team so they can fully understand their role within the organization.

• Give them a map – Give new employees a floor plan of the work area that includes names of co-workers; this gives them names to go with faces.

Here are some tips to use as a refresher for those companies who haven’t done a lot of hiring recently:

• Be ready – Make sure new employees have business cards, a desk, a computer, a phone, server access, keys, and whatever else they need to be self-sufficient. Show them you took the time to get ready for them.

• Create a plan – Before an employee is hired, all of the key players need to work together to develop a meaningful plan on not only how employees are introduced to their job, but also to the company.

• Create a checklist – Designate who is responsible for each training aspect you want your new hire to know and by what date it is expected. Share this with the new hire so he is involved and can see who is helping him through this transition. Give him a copy of the job description.

• Give each new employee a mentor or a buddy – A mentor helps connect the new employee with her team. This person gives the new hire a place to ask questions and helps define your culture: acceptable work hours and dress, how to get supplies, where to get lunch, etc.

“I hope I made the right decision.”
“What was that person’s name again?”
“Where will I sit?”
“Will I be able to make friends?”
“What should I wear?”
“I really want to make a good impression.”

Anyone who has started a new job knows what it feels like to be the “new person.”

As managers, we sometimes forget how stressful it can be for the new employee. We almost immediately start thinking, “I need this person brought up to speed as soon as possible. We have work to do!” Your new employee’s first thought is “Can someone please show me where the restroom is?”

The good news is companies are starting to hire again. The bad news is companies are out of practice.  We will provide some helpful tips when bringing new hires on board.

Is the job hard? This seems like a silly question, but one of the comments often made by the CEOs on the show is that the jobs are much more difficult than they thought.  Is this true in your case? Do your feet hurt at the end of the day?  Is the job perhaps more difficult than it needs to be?  Has the company inadvertently done things (i.e. established policies) that just make the job more complicated than it needs to be?  Do employees have all the tools and training to do the job as productively and safely as possible?

Look for Recognition. Pay attention to how the employees around you are being recognized for their work.  Is there a feedback system that is positive and rewarding, or is the work environment threatening and intimidating?  Are people working hard because they care about the company, or are they just grinding it out until quitting time?  Is morale good or are people afraid?

Evaluate the Training. Even though you technically are not undercover, someone still had to train you on a front line job.  Was the training well organized and effective, or was it more of a “sink or swim” situation? Were you confident in your newfound skills or overwhelmed and confused?

Give Feedback. This part can be a little tricky, but once you finish your “undercover” work you are going to want to provide feedback to your management team and to your employees.  Just like when we do surveys, if you ask people for feedback (and they provide it) you are going to have to act on it.  This means publicly taking some concrete initiatives based upon what you learned.  For some this may even be a bit humbling.  Things may not be as good as you thought or were told. Either way, use the feedback constructively and follow through with improvements.

Yes, HR people will still want to do surveys and exit interviews to find out what employees think, and I suppose even the old suggestion box has a place.  But today’s CEO can perhaps get a little more creative and spend a week or so in someone else’s shoes.  Make it as real as possible.  Listen more than talk. If you have some sore muscles, you are probably doing it right.  Pay attention to how people are rewarded and trained and if you do it right, you may even learn something.

Not bad for a day’s work!

Here are some areas that should be considered before undertaking this “undercover operation”:

Make it as realistic as possible. Go through the experience just like a new employee would.  Get the same training; do the same job; become an employee so you can experience through your own eyes what the first day on the job really looks like.

Listen to employees. This is a listening experience not a talking experience.  Listen to what other employees say about the company and the job.  Yes, you can ask a few questions, but mostly you are observing and listening.  The small stuff matters too.  Is the order processing paperwork confusing? Is the warehouse cold? Is the equipment old and broken?  Is the lunch room clean?  Do you feel safe?

Listen to customers. Chances are the customers don’t know you are the boss.  In this case you really can be undercover.  What do the customers really think about your products and services?  If you were a customer, would you enjoy the experience of doing business with your company?

I must admit I was intrigued after watching CBS’ reality show Undercover Boss.  The show basically follows high level CEOs as they go “undercover” in their own companies to discover what it means to be a rank and file employee.

As an HR person, I thought the idea was pretty slick.  We are always looking for ways to get honest feedback from employees and for management to learn what is really happening in the trenches.  We currently have at our disposal a number of tried and true techniques – suggestion boxes, 360 degree performance reviews, surveys, and exit interviews.  These all seem to pale in comparison to a CEO actually going undercover and learning firsthand – in real-time and unfiltered.

Now, realistically, most of us don’t work in companies that are large enough where we would just blend in and not be recognized.  This doesn’t mean though that we still wouldn’t benefit from the experience.  True, you wouldn’t technically be undercover, but you could still learn some valuable things by spending a few days working in the warehouse or even sitting at the receptionist desk.  What about taking some turns as a route driver or running the cash register? Instead of the “front of the house” what if you worked a week in the kitchen?

To do it right, you would not just be observing; you would actually be doing the job.  And doing the job would mean shutting up and working – not commenting, suggesting or managing.  You would clock-in and clock-out, eat, and take breaks like everyone else.  No special treatment, excuses, or exceptions.  If it is hard, confusing, and you are exhausted at night, then chances are you are doing it right.