Making Employee Handbook

There is a good deal to record for a startup, not least the employee’s manual. I wrote all the words before someone even went to my payroll when I wanted to abandon my former startup and move on to a whole new idea — for good reason.

The Right Employee Handbook Can Save Your Business
Create an Employee Handbook/Policies and Procedures Manual

Regulations are not the only thing the core team must understand

After 15 years at my old business, I came into my new venture. I understood clearly what I wanted to do and how I wanted it to function. So I picked up the Sunbelt software manual from my old business and updated it to represent what I had learned and decided to move on. This allowed me to submit the revised manual to the two people on board for my new startup, KnowBe4 — ensuring that we were on the same page immediately as far as the game plan was concerned.

This early on revealed to the people interested in coming with me to the new company the law. From the very start, they knew exactly what they were, what was appropriate and what was not. All the details “must-have” on things like a sick leave, FMLA, etc. – that’s all there.

But it wasn’t just a matter of putting black and white rules on various items that said yes or no. It was also a question of getting the first team members properly introduced and tossed into the business concept. The entire sound of the business was sprinkled between the lines. I might get across larger behavioral principles, such as the fact that we will work with data, not opinion. We like to be cool, calm, polite, and collected. We find the root cause of the problems instead of shooting from the hip.

Rights and Responsibilities

Right off the bat, they could understand that the undertaking I wanted to create was different. They had a cultured picture, not just procedures. You could see that, even though I outlined serious tasks and major goals, it would be an important place for fun.

You are responsible for shaping the culture of the company when you start a business. And it doesn’t begin with employees walking through the door. It begins on day one, as soon as you say that yes, you will make the business a reality.

From the standpoint that your employees are satisfied, it is very stressful to enter a company that doesn’t know if you suit ideally. If you can show someone the rules as well as the community, they know from the beginning if the company can engage and please them. That’s so critical for a company, because you need brand supporters for the first time. It’s right in the beginning that you need people who are most committed, hardworking and trusting in you. If they have a real idea of how the business will be, that’s much simpler to do and genuine.

Two great stuff to think about before you put stylus on paper

Naturally, some essential considerations go hand-in-hand with the development of your manual. The first question is, can you trust people whom you can really trust? Seeing a manual will expose everyone to much of your “secret sauce,” so it’s something you won’t just everyone attract and indoctrinate your core team.

Secondly, a handbook must change like everything in business — it’s only a beginning. The next move is to ensure that you have more detailed policies or procedures for each sector or department in the business. And you must periodically review and upgrade everything in order to represent developments in the business and the industry. We decide to do this once a year with HR, however you can find the perfect plan for your own situation.

Establish the basis for successful culture and competition from the beginning

A successful employee manual sets out the company’s laws. However, it is also crucial to create a vision of culture that shapes the start-up and sets the tone. It clarifies what you are all about and how you want others to act and believe for the first important people who join you. So if you really want to start a company, bring this document together right from the start. The extra clarification you can gain is just the trust booster you need to be stronger and more successful.

Also Read: Financial Mistakes Often We Do


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