1. The Prep Work

As soon as a company has grown beyond the founders, and they’re hiring that first employee, they need to have written policies in place. They need to communicate, “Here’s our culture. Here’s our expectations.”

• Introduction
• 1: The Prep Work
• 2: The Step Work
• 3: The Depth Work
• 4: The Yep Work
• 5: The Pep Work
• 6: The Accept Work
• Conclusion

It’s time to update your employee policies and procedures handbook! Before you curl up into a ball or run for the hills, remember that starting a project tends to be the hardest part. By doing basic prep work before you begin, you will set yourself up for success.

As Lindsey Kucharski, former HR Manager, US & LATAM at Blue Prism, explained “things have changed a lot since the 40-50 page binder.” But, some things are still the same, such as your need to address changes in your industry, in your company, and in the role of a human resources professional.

So, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego do you begin? First, you need to determine the scope of the project you’re undertaking – and go from there. Think big-picture and determine who and what you may need along the way. This includes defining objectives, considering potential roadblocks, deciding who to involve, and developing a project plan to share with stakeholders.

What’s the Goal?

In the wee stages of the project, you’ll want to identify key objectives for updating your policies and procedures. Here are a few common goals... or refer to the first page of your Policies & Procedures Workbook to check your own!

• Your existing policies need a review to ensure they're still compliant with updated laws.
• You're revamping policies such as parental leave, remote working, data privacy, or others to achieve business goals.
• You’re hoping to better express your employer brand & company culture during onboarding.
• You're updating legal-speak (read: boring) policies to make them more interactive and friendly for employees.
• Your company is going digital and it’s a good time to review your content.

As you list out your objectives, consider any potential roadblocks that could occur:

• Does a new change to a law significantly impact any of your policies?
• Do your benefits need to be updated?
• Will certain teams or departments be affected, and, if so, might they push back on the new policies?
• Do you need budget approval for new software, legal support, or additional staff support?
• Do you need leadership approval to even start the project?

By proactively considering obstacles, you can be prepared for challenges when they arise.

Consider what happens after your new policies achieve those goals, as well.

How will you handle ad-hoc changes? It’s easy to plan for things that happen cyclically, like benefits enrollment, but what about an employment law change at the federal or state level?

How will you update, distribute, and obtain acknowledgement from all of your employees? This includes reminding 25+% of employees who ignore your initial request for acknowledgement.

How will you manage an audit to determine your company’s compliance with federal and state laws or a specific IT certification (e.g. SOC 2)?

Ideally, you can conquer your objectives while establishing a process that satisfies your future needs. By investing the time now to consider eventual what-if scenarios, you can save your company (and yourself) a lot of frustration.

What Tools are Available?

Updating your policies and procedures can be a daunting task, so technology can be a life-saver. Consider investing in software that helps you get through creation, review, publication, and distribution.

Helpful Tools for Policies and Procedures:

• Collaboration tools for sharing, reviewing, and commenting on content
• Project management software
• Secure delivery software that allows for tracking reviews
• E-Signature software
• Photography, illustrations, and video
• Survey software to engage with employees

By taking care of these tasks early, you’ll set yourself up to have what you need when you need it – including the support of people inside or outside your company.

What’s Trending?

A little friendly research will provide insight into what others are doing and, more importantly, what will best align with your company and values. Research also keeps your company competitive in an ever-evolving job market. By staying familiar with the latest trends and offerings, you can confidently propose changes to established policies while providing a fail-proof rationale: everybody’s doing it; we’re actually behind the times.

Great Resources for Up-to-Date Research:

• Forrester
• JD Supra
• Law 360
• NELI
• Harvard Business Review
• SHRM and Local SHRM Chapters

The California Law Certification Program offered by SHRM was recommended by Jeni Strand, Senior VP of HR at AgCountry, as a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about some of the most employee-friendly laws in the country.

Interview Your Employees

Employee interviews can provide a look into their perspective, offering another source of research. Engage members of marketing, recruiting, leadership, and other teams to develop a better idea of key culture-oriented messages. Evaluate the perception of your employer brand, considering the following questions:

• How do your employees, customers, vendors, and suppliers view your company?
• What's a new candidate's perception of your company?
• What nouns, verbs, and adjectives are used to describe your company?
• How can you interweave culture-focused messages into the guide to break up sections that may be lengthy or otherwise (*yawn*) uninteresting?
• Can you include inspiring quotes, statistics or fun facts to inject some life while underscoring a key policy?

If you don’t have time to conduct interviews or if you’d like a broader viewpoint from many people in your company, you can always try a survey.

After outlining your objectives, identifying useful resources and orgCollaborators, and evaluating the current landscape within your company and beyond, it’s time to start planning.