Human Resources: Writing Employee Handbooks

For large and medium-sized businesses alike, the Employee Handbook is a common and traditional Management Communications Tool. That said, even the smallest businesses will often compile a written summary of general policies and guidelines for their employees.

As a Business Writing Exercise, putting together an Employee Handbook is a reasonably straightforward process. Granted, the overall design will vary according to a company’s size and budget, but whether the final product is plain or fancy, the handbook should stand as a clear and useful reference of pertinent policies and services that relate to employment.

This sounds simple enough, but there is a caveat. Employee Handbooks have been the source of legal concerns with respect to "Employment At Will" Issues. (This basically has to do with the legal argument that an Employee Handbook may infer the creation of an Employment Contract).

Suffice it to say, that writers and developers of Employee Handbooks, especially in the U.S., should confer with appropriate legal counsel prior to finalizing and distributing a new or updated handbook.

Getting back to the task of writing, the first order of business is to decide on the topics to be included in the handbook.

Obviously, the contents of handbooks will vary from company to company, but there are universal topics that should be part of any Employee Handbook. Some of these include the following:

* Overview of Company History and Philosophy
* Equal Opportunity Statement
* Work Rules
* Absenteeism and Lateness Policies
* Pay and Salary Policies
* Benefits
* Vacations, Holidays, Leaves
* Performance Evaluation
* Employee Relations
* Employee Services

The next step for the writer is to review up-to-date policies, guidelines, mission statements, and existing company histories.

For the most part, these communications will serve as the primary sources for compiling the handbook. However, it should be noted that if a written source does not exist, or is out-of-date, the writer will have to coordinate with the appropriate content experts or authorities in order to create or update such a communication.

From here, it is basically a task of summarizing, organizing, and packaging information. Of course, the process can be very labor-intensive, and the initial draft will no doubt go through many reviews and revisions. But in the end, the finished handbook should be factual, consistent with policy, and easy to read.

An Internet Search will yield information on many desktop, online, and template examples for compiling and writing Employee Handbooks. Check out the related links at the bottom of this page to help you get started.

Related Links:

Employee Handbooks: Government Guidelines

Top 10 Employee Handbook Mistakes

Business Owner's Toolkit: Employee Handbooks

Employee Handbook: Small Business Notes


Jack

Human Resources: Designing Employee Orientation Programs

For employers, getting new hires signed-up for payroll and benefits is obviously paramount, however, most companies, large and small, expand these routine sign-up activities to include some form of Employee Orientation Program.

Likewise, Orientation Programs can run the gamut from formal group sessions to one-on-one meetings with key individuals. But often, companies will structure Employee Orientation as a combination of both types, especially for professional-level positions.

Regardless of how limited or expansive an Orientation Program may be, the objective should be the same, i.e., to facilitate the introduction of new employees into the work force. Granted, this seems logical and obvious, but many times Orientation Programs fall far short of this objective.

Simply speaking, an Orientation Program should be more than an exercise in filling out forms, interspersed with a few speakers or generic video presentations. Unfortunately, this is more often the case than not, and is one of the main reasons Orientation Programs often receive less than positive feedback.

That said, writers charged with developing Orientation Programs need to carefully plan the format, content and timing of these sessions with purpose and detail.

First and foremost, developers need to champion the idea that New Employee Orientation is a Process, and not something that can be effectively accomplished in only a few hours or even in a single day.

Second, in line with this, a determination has to be made as to what needs to be done on the first day of employment versus what can and should be done after the first day.

The completion of payroll and tax forms, an organizational overview, a general summary of policies and "housekeeping" issues are appropriate and necessary day one activities. On the other hand, detailed benefits presentations, sessions on Performance Appraisal and training opportunities are generally more relevant later in the Orientation Process.

The same holds true for activities whose intent is to integrate and ”orient” new employees into the culture of the organization.

In this regard, presentations by Senior Managers detailing Company History, Philosophy, Products and Services, Business Conduct, Public Relations, etc. will be better-received once the new hire has had some time to become acclimated to their working environment.

Third, writers need to factor in Departmental Orientation as a vital part of the overall Orientation Strategy.

In a nutshell, department managers need to prepare for their new employees. Unfortunately,it is not unusual for new employees to be escorted to workstations, and then be ignored by supervisors and co-workers alike. Having a formal Departmental Orientation and a sponsor will preclude these occurrences.

Fourth, getting an organizational consensus and commitment on these three areas will provide the framework of an effective Orientation Program.

With this commitment in place, developers will be able to articulate a strategy and objectives, and then design an Orientation Program that has Management’s support. As such,here is an of how one might model an extensive Employee Orientation Program:

* Part One - First AM on the job: Formal Welcome, Company Overview, Payroll and Benefits Sign-up.

* Part Two - First PM on the job: Work Unit Orientation.

* Part Three - Within the first month of hire: Senior Management Presentation, comprehensive Benefits Presentation, Company Products and Services Overview.

* Part Four - Within three months of hire: Training and Development Overview, Performance Evaluation Procedures, Promotional Opportunities, Human Resources Q. and A.

* Part Five - Within six months of hire: Orientation Evaluation and Follow-up.

Note that the above model is only offered as a starting point for writers. It does not take into account organizational customs, operational issues, or scheduling. As such, coordination with departmental managers and presenters will be necessary.

The end result of a well-planned Orientation Program should be employees who “buy-in” to the culture, vision, and purpose of the company. Of course, this wont happen overnight, but the long-term benefits of committing time and effort to affecting this mind-set cannot be overlooked.

Related Links:

How To Design A New Employee Orientation Program

A Quick Guide To Employee Orientation

Orientation vs. Integration


Jack

Recruiting and Hiring FAQs

Q. Checking references on job candidates is almost impossible anymore. At best you may get an employment verification, or worse, no information at all. Any advice on dealing with uncooperative former employers?

A. Making a formal request in writing helps give legitimacy to your inquiry and may sway some former employers to cooperate. Above all focus on positive, non-pejorative questions. Also, be mindful that employers are sometimes more apt to provide references on good former employees than on marginal ones.

Q. If I get a reference request from an employer on a former employee, should I answer it?

A. If you have an HR Department, turn the request over to them. If not, respond to it if you so choose, provided the request is in writing. A word of caution would be to refrain from reporting information on overly subjective or negative characteristics as this could come back to haunt you.

Q. If get a negative reference on a strong job candidate from a former employer, should I automatically reject the candidate?

A. Weigh it against all the other factors you use in evaluating job candidates. Consider the nature of the poor reference. Is it performance-based or some other reason? You can try to probe for more information, but be cautious about confronting the job candidate with this directly. In the end, you may have to make a value judgment and "go with your gut".

Q. In filling job vacancies, I'll go for attitude over skills every time. Am I wrong?

A. What is your track record with hiring this way? Is turnover a problem? Do you make an extra effort to train new employees? Attitude is certainly important, but skills and experience are much easier to evaluate. In the long run, it's best to look at the "whole package" when evaluating job candidates.

Q. When I run a Classified Job Ad, I get flooded with resumes from job seekers who are either over-qualified or under-qualified for the vacant position. Any way to cut down on this deluge?

A. Perhaps your ads are too broad. Use job descriptions to identify the skills and experience levels you are looking for. Also, work with the hiring manager, Ad Agency, or a publication's Classified Ad Coordinator to better-focus your Ads.

Q. In negotiating or renegotiating employment terms with job candidates, how far should I go?

A. If it’s a critical vacancy, the simple answer is to go as far as it takes to secure the candidate. However, carefully consider offering terms that are totally out-of-line with what has been offered to similar candidates. This information gets around, and you may risk causing discontent among other key employees.

Recruiting Tips For Employers: Writing Job Offer Letters

How do you "close the deal" on an excellent job candidate?

Admittedly, by the time you have run the gauntlet of recruiting, interviewing and reference checks, you are probably weary of the hiring process. But weary or not, one important task remains.

Simply put, this is the task of securing your selection. In an employer’s job market, this may seem unnecessary; however, excellent job candidates will probably be aware of their marketability and may have to be enticed to accept a job offer, regardless of the labor market.

After all, how many times has an employer thought a particular job candidate was all but hired, only to be blindsided by an "out of the blue" rejection? But these situations are common enough occurrences that it is important for employers to remain in a "recruiting mode" until the candidate actually accepts or rejects the job offer.

That said, the first step in securing a job candidate is to formally communicate the job offer to the candidate. More often than not, this is done via telephone, followed by a Job Offer Letter.

For lower level jobs, the job offer is often straightforward and uncomplicated. On the other hand, an initial job offer for higher level jobs may signal the start of negotiations regarding anything from salary and vacation to "sign-on" bonuses and moving expenses.

Ideally, most of these issues will have been addressed during the selection process. However, it should not come as a shock if a job candidate wishes to alter or renegotiate previously agreed upon terms.

Of course, if an employer is not inclined to renegotiate these issues, the consequences could be a rescinding of the job offer, or an outright rejection by the job candidate. In any event, this phase of the Hiring Process is critical, and employers should be prepared for either outcome.

As you draft a Job Offer Letter, the basic elements that should be included are as follows:

* Salutation (make it friendly and personal).
* A simple sentence offering the position (include the formal Job Title).
* Include the stating starting salary and major benefits.
* Summarize any negotiated conditions of employment.
* State the expected starting date.
* Indicate any pre-employment requirements (physical exams, proofs of citizenship, legal working status, licenses, etc.).
* Provide instructions for accepting or declining the job offer (include a response date and the hiring manager’s direct telephone number).
* End the letter with an appropriate and upbeat closing.

Employers should be mindful that job candidates evaluate prospective employers as much as candidates evaluate them. Thus, employers need to be aware that their tone and professionalism in communicating a job offer is often the determining factor in whether a job candidate accepts or rejects the offer.

Related Links:

How To Write A Job Offer Letter

Job Offer Letter Sample

Sample Final Employment Offer Letter


Jack

Recruiting Tips For Employers: Checking References

Let’s face it, any job candidate can look good on a resume or be dazzling in a job interview. But experienced hiring managers know that until a job candidate’s background is qualified, extending a job offer is premature.

Depending on the job and the industry, qualifying a job applicant can involve everything from extensive background and security checks to physical exams and employment testing. It can be a time-consuming process for sure, even for the most common qualifying task, i.e., the basic reference check.

Simply speaking, a job candidate's credentials should never be accepted at face value. (Suffice it to say that many job seekers are inclined to embellish things a bit in employment situations.) That said, the burden is on the hiring company to try to verify a job candidate's work history prior to extending a job offer.

Of course, some job candidates will readily volunteer names or written references from past employers or noteworthy individuals. Employers can and should take personal references into consideration, but it is still a wise Hiring Practice for employers to conduct their own reference checks.

In the past, it was common for hiring managers to simply call an applicant's past employers in order to get a rundown on an individual. Needless to say, many modern managers shy away from this practice because of potential legalities.

Nevertheless, the telephone is still used by some employers because it is expedient; however, more and more companies today are expected to formalize their reference requests in writing. Even so, the request may be ignored or, if it is answered at all, the information obtained may be very general. Regardless, prospective employers should still submit the request.

It should be noted that all reference requests should be submitted on company letterhead and signed by a hiring authority. In companies with a Human Resources Department, this task is generally handled by that Function. For small companies, the hiring manager will normally sign the request.

Make the reference request using either a standard form letter designed for this purpose, or a personalized Business Letter tailored for a specific addressee.

Start with general inquiries to verify the applicant's Name, Employment Dates, Job Title, Education, Salary, and reason for ending employment. Next, you may want to include some qualitative questions about the job applicant's performance and attributes. Of course, a former employer is not obligated to answer such inquiries, but it does no harm in asking anyway.

In the end, a reference request may yield little more then a verification of an applicant's Job Title and Employment Dates. But any information you can verify about a job candidate's background will help with the overall selection process, especially if there are inconsistencies in an applicant's work history.

For more information and guidance, consult with your Human Resources Department, or your company’s legal counsel. A quick Internet Search will also yield many useful resources on this topic.

Related Links:

Obtaining Employment References

Reference Checking Format

Nine Tips On Checking References


Jack

Recruiting Tips For Employers: Writing Classifed Ads

When it comes to filling a job vacancy, the Classified Ad continues to be a popular and effective Recruiting Tool for companies of all sizes and types.

That said, companies who are moderate to heavy users of Classified Advertising generally rely on Ad Agencies for most, if not all, of their ad writing needs. On the other hand infrequent advertisers are more apt to submit ads through a publication's Classified Ad Coordinator.

The rationale for this is that Recruitment Advertising is a Specialty and a Professional Ad Copywriter will design ads that target the "right" job candidate. Conversely, a job ad written by an amateur will likely attract anyone looking for a job. Of course, many employers will first draft an ad in-house and then have an outside Copywriter polish and finalize the ad for publication.

With this in mind, the first step in drafting an effective a Classified Job Ad is for the "drafter" to coordinate with the hiring manager on target respondents, the content of the ad, and the medium to be used, e.g. Newspapers, Trade Journals, On Line Search Companies, etc.

Other determinations will include size and type of the ad, i.e., a full display ad vs. a text only “blind ad”. In many cases, budget, level of the vacant position, and company preference will be the determining factors for these decisions.

Once agreement is reached on these points, the writer can begin drafting the Job Ad. The following steps are suggested when completing the draft ad:

* Review the Job Profile (see related link on Job Profiles).
* From the Job Profile, list the major job duties and responsibilities.
* Identify the job level and to whom the position reports.
* Spell out the major job skills, competencies, and experience desired.
* State specific qualifications (education, licenses, accreditations, etc.)
* List conditions (work schedule, travel, additional duties, etc.).
* Present a salary range and a brief Benefits synopsis.

The above points, along with the aforementioned determinations should give an Ad Copywriter enough detailed information to either compose an Ad from scratch or edit the company's draft.

As a final note, be mindful that things such as word count, graphics, and choice of Advertising Media greatly affect the cost of a Classified Ad. As such, an Ad Agency or Classified Ad Coordinator can suggest options on how to get the most benefit from an allotted Ad Budget.

Related Links:

Developing Job Profiles

Writing Job Adverts

Writing Employment Ads

Writing An Effective Internet Job Posting


Jack

Recruiting Tips For Employers: Developing Job Profiles

Considering the tight job market, it would seem companies would have little difficulty filling job openings. There is no shortage of job seekers for sure; however, finding qualified applicants is quite another story. And this holds true for the Fortune 500 as well as for small local businesses.

Large organizations with large recruiting budgets to match will expend substantial resources on advertising, brochures, recruiting trips, etc. in their pursuit of talent. On the other hand, smaller firms, out of necessity, will often limit their recruiting efforts to perhaps some local advertising and "word of mouth" networking.

Granted, either of these strategies will undoubtedly attract interested applicants, but in order to attract quality job candidates, companies need to be smart about the way they target whatever recruiting efforts they use. Of course, luck will sometimes drop a good candidate on a company’s doorstep, but what hiring manager would want to rely on chance to fill a critical job vacancy?

As with any important management decision, hiring should involve thought and planning. Granted, filling a vacant position is often time-sensitive and taking shortcuts in the process may seem expedient; however, skipping steps in the hiring process can be very risky.

That said, the first step in the hiring process should be a thorough review of the Job Description for the vacant position.

Most companies have Job Descriptions on file as part of their Salary Administration Program. On the other hand, small businesses, without formal Job Descriptions, might want to refer to the U.S. Dictionary of Occupational Titles (available on line) for a rundown of some general job specifications that may match the position they are trying to fill.

Once the Job Description or Job Specification is reviewed, the next step is to extract and list the most important job duties, skills, and areas of responsibility for the vacant position. The end product of this exercise will be the creation of a "Job Profile".

There is no real hard and fast format to follow; however, the most useful Job Profiles will include the following information:

*Job Title - Take verbatim from the original Job Description.

*Major Duties - List in descending order of importance.

*Scope – Outline how the job fits with other departmental operations.

*Supervisory Duties - List reporting responsibilities, if any.

*Job Skills – List in descending order of importance, and be as specific as possible.

*Education – State the preferred minimum educational requirements and any required or desirable Professional Licenses or Accreditations.

*Career Path– Identify the next level job title, if one exists.

*Salary Range- List salary level range, not starting salary.

*Conditions – Include such items as work schedule, overtime, travel, drug testing requirements, and proof of citizenship.

Done properly, a Job Profile can serve as a valuable source document for all subsequent recruiting efforts, from advertising to developing an interviewing strategy. As such, a Job Profile should be viewed as a Selection Tool as much as a Recruiting Aid.

In the end, every hiring manager wants to attract the absolute best talent. But going about this task without a clear picture of what is needed to fill a vacancy greatly increases the likelihood of making a bad hiring decision.

Jack