Company Policies are there to act as a guide, informing employees of their company's rules and regulations and in some cases, expectations.
Policies protect the company from possible liabilities, from discrimination to mishandling of company equipment.
Most HR managers will also add written consequences of breaking company policy e.g. unpaid time off, written warning or job termination.
It can cover various topics that cover a code of ethics, i.e. honesty, integrity and conduct of behavior. It can also set non-negotiable policies such as probationary time for new employees or maximum sick days allowed in a year.
Each department within a company may have its own policy handbook, detailing who (or what department) the policy applies to and reasons the policy is in place. In any company, policy will change and shift and should be delivered via email or a memo posted in a centralized location. If applying to a particular devision, employee signatures are a must as well as effective dates which are essential for clear communication and documentation. These will protect the company if needed for settling disputes, legal or otherwise.
Process
A company's process is used as an outline to carry out specific duties.
Each department should have its own process clearly mapped out; it's more method than actual step by step instruction.
The process can be something basic such as "All incoming mail is to go directly to the mail room." Process helps departments to define who is going to take responsibility for specific tasks. Clearly defining roles and tasks helps lessen confusion and minimizes the risk of any task from being over looked or as the saying goes no one will "drop the ball" because each department knows its role within their company's structure.
Policy
Although policy can be seen as process, there is a distinct contrast.
An example of the difference between policy and process would be "Only the mail room can handle the incoming mail" (policy) and "All incoming mail is processed and sorted by the mail room" (process). One is portrayed as a rule, the other as a task assignment.
Procedure
After process is assigned, procedure is the next step, e.g. how to sort the mail.
Procedure is something like a detailed instruction manual for how to carry out and accomplish a specific task or duty and not be confused with process. Each department manager will most likely be involved in creating their own set of procedures and ensuring it's being utilized. Some come in the form of a training manual and can combine process with procedure.
The most basic list of procedure has been referred to as a "cheat sheet" a quick guide to handling smaller tasks, like how to transfer phone calls on a multi-line phone system or reversing charges on a credit card terminal. Having a clear and concise set of procedure(s), in case there is not a supervisor readily available to answer simple queries, is essential when training new recruits.
Making sure all your employees, even the experienced employees, have a set of procedure steps for tasks that are not carried out often, will ensure the work day will go uninterrupted and without depending on a lead supervisor to fix a potentially small issue. Having up-to-date policies, a clearly defined process and a concise procedure will ensure all departments will run at optimal level, reduce your company's liability risks, and maintain a fluid daily work flow.
Policies protect the company from possible liabilities, from discrimination to mishandling of company equipment.
Most HR managers will also add written consequences of breaking company policy e.g. unpaid time off, written warning or job termination.
It can cover various topics that cover a code of ethics, i.e. honesty, integrity and conduct of behavior. It can also set non-negotiable policies such as probationary time for new employees or maximum sick days allowed in a year.
Each department within a company may have its own policy handbook, detailing who (or what department) the policy applies to and reasons the policy is in place. In any company, policy will change and shift and should be delivered via email or a memo posted in a centralized location. If applying to a particular devision, employee signatures are a must as well as effective dates which are essential for clear communication and documentation. These will protect the company if needed for settling disputes, legal or otherwise.Process
A company's process is used as an outline to carry out specific duties.
Each department should have its own process clearly mapped out; it's more method than actual step by step instruction.
The process can be something basic such as "All incoming mail is to go directly to the mail room." Process helps departments to define who is going to take responsibility for specific tasks. Clearly defining roles and tasks helps lessen confusion and minimizes the risk of any task from being over looked or as the saying goes no one will "drop the ball" because each department knows its role within their company's structure.
Policy
Although policy can be seen as process, there is a distinct contrast.
An example of the difference between policy and process would be "Only the mail room can handle the incoming mail" (policy) and "All incoming mail is processed and sorted by the mail room" (process). One is portrayed as a rule, the other as a task assignment.
Procedure
After process is assigned, procedure is the next step, e.g. how to sort the mail.
Procedure is something like a detailed instruction manual for how to carry out and accomplish a specific task or duty and not be confused with process. Each department manager will most likely be involved in creating their own set of procedures and ensuring it's being utilized. Some come in the form of a training manual and can combine process with procedure.
The most basic list of procedure has been referred to as a "cheat sheet" a quick guide to handling smaller tasks, like how to transfer phone calls on a multi-line phone system or reversing charges on a credit card terminal. Having a clear and concise set of procedure(s), in case there is not a supervisor readily available to answer simple queries, is essential when training new recruits.
Making sure all your employees, even the experienced employees, have a set of procedure steps for tasks that are not carried out often, will ensure the work day will go uninterrupted and without depending on a lead supervisor to fix a potentially small issue. Having up-to-date policies, a clearly defined process and a concise procedure will ensure all departments will run at optimal level, reduce your company's liability risks, and maintain a fluid daily work flow.
Processes
Making sure that your workplace has a variety of processes in place to deal with common infractions and misdemeanours is very important. Without a staple set of rules that have been manipulated, mastered and edited until they fit the company profile perfectly, maintaining long-term discipline and productivity can become quite a chore for business owners.
So what should you be looking at when it comes to creating HR processes? There are some key things that need to be considered from the off to ensure that your business has the most basic and common things covered.
For example, you need to have a recruitment process.
Will it be through looking through recruitment agencies? Hiring through Job Centres?
Using CVs as a basis to find the perfect employee? Having a process designed for your Human Resources (HR) team can be a great benefit to the productivity and speed of the recruitment process.
You also need an induction - will it require training for every new member?
Should they meet the boss on the first day? When should they start after they join the company?
Getting things organised in this manner is absolutely vital to the success and improvement of your business as a long-term concern.
As well as inductions and recruitment you need to look at the other side of things - probation, appraisal, sickness and discipline.
All of these four problems are common throughout workplaces so having a standard to fall back on and use as the general punishment - extenuating circumstances aside - or reward is very important to have. This saves you falling into double standards or being accused of terminating a contract on false pretences.
Human Resources should have a large list of the most common - and uncommon - procedures that your business is likely to run into over the years. Implementing these as early as possible and ensuring they cover as many different outcomes and potential outcomes as possible has to be aim and the ambition from the start for any business looking to foster a strong sense of being and productivity within the workplace.
Especially when it comes to ill health and sickness - you need to have a process for organising time off and, if needed, potential treatments and assistance for your staff member. Having something to fall back on as a standard will at least give you more of a chance of having the right ideas and creating the ideal type of atmosphere for your staff. If your stuff know what they can and cannot do, then it's much harder to find yourself in disputes over how you should and should not be dealing with situations.
So what should you be looking at when it comes to creating HR processes? There are some key things that need to be considered from the off to ensure that your business has the most basic and common things covered.
For example, you need to have a recruitment process.
Will it be through looking through recruitment agencies? Hiring through Job Centres?
Using CVs as a basis to find the perfect employee? Having a process designed for your Human Resources (HR) team can be a great benefit to the productivity and speed of the recruitment process.
You also need an induction - will it require training for every new member?
Should they meet the boss on the first day? When should they start after they join the company?
Getting things organised in this manner is absolutely vital to the success and improvement of your business as a long-term concern.
As well as inductions and recruitment you need to look at the other side of things - probation, appraisal, sickness and discipline.
All of these four problems are common throughout workplaces so having a standard to fall back on and use as the general punishment - extenuating circumstances aside - or reward is very important to have. This saves you falling into double standards or being accused of terminating a contract on false pretences.
Human Resources should have a large list of the most common - and uncommon - procedures that your business is likely to run into over the years. Implementing these as early as possible and ensuring they cover as many different outcomes and potential outcomes as possible has to be aim and the ambition from the start for any business looking to foster a strong sense of being and productivity within the workplace.
Especially when it comes to ill health and sickness - you need to have a process for organising time off and, if needed, potential treatments and assistance for your staff member. Having something to fall back on as a standard will at least give you more of a chance of having the right ideas and creating the ideal type of atmosphere for your staff. If your stuff know what they can and cannot do, then it's much harder to find yourself in disputes over how you should and should not be dealing with situations.
Policies
It's vital that any business in the modern environment has a string of policies that can be referred to and followed at any given time.
These policies can act as a way to support administrative decisions like discipline, and also gives an easy code to refer to in any given situation. Used properly, a policy system can help your staff quickly learn the system around them, allowing for much easier adaptation to the policies and procedures of the business itself.
Making sure that every member of staff understands these codes and decisions is very important - a lack of clarity and agreement with the systems put in place can affect performance of staff and relations between employees. This type of further planning can mean that when new staff come in, they can instantly be referred to a document which shows them what each code is and what it means. With knowledge of company policies and code, it lets them know exactly where they stand with regards to the workplace.
Because every company has unique circumstnaces and situations to deal with, having a template ready is quite difficult. Therefore, working with your own experienced staff and the leaders of a business, as well as the Human Resources (HR) department can lead to the creation of a much more balanced system that actually fits your business model and theme.
After all, a company which sells flowers and ornaments is hardly going to want to copy the business structure of an IT company, are they? Finding a system which fits your own style of management and theme of the business can make it much easier to memorize, follow and stick to for your staff.
These policies can ensure that your business has the right standards laid out well in advance when it comes to think like ethics, training standards, workplace diversity and commitment to one another.
These policies tend to be a large part of the employment process, with the strict understanding that refusal to adhere to these policies can be grounds for dismissal.
These effective changes that can be implemented into the business can help create the desired culture within the business. If you want to re-shape the mentality and effectiveness of your business, the best way to do that is to turn to your staff and provide them with a series of policies that help them understand what you need and when you need it by.
This lets you set the standards and the rules for every staff member - this allows you to have to make special exemptions or to come up with the rules on the spot. If there is a company standard to adhere to, it's much easier to foster the mentality and desire that you were looking for in a business.
These policies can act as a way to support administrative decisions like discipline, and also gives an easy code to refer to in any given situation. Used properly, a policy system can help your staff quickly learn the system around them, allowing for much easier adaptation to the policies and procedures of the business itself.
Making sure that every member of staff understands these codes and decisions is very important - a lack of clarity and agreement with the systems put in place can affect performance of staff and relations between employees. This type of further planning can mean that when new staff come in, they can instantly be referred to a document which shows them what each code is and what it means. With knowledge of company policies and code, it lets them know exactly where they stand with regards to the workplace.
Because every company has unique circumstnaces and situations to deal with, having a template ready is quite difficult. Therefore, working with your own experienced staff and the leaders of a business, as well as the Human Resources (HR) department can lead to the creation of a much more balanced system that actually fits your business model and theme.
After all, a company which sells flowers and ornaments is hardly going to want to copy the business structure of an IT company, are they? Finding a system which fits your own style of management and theme of the business can make it much easier to memorize, follow and stick to for your staff.
These policies can ensure that your business has the right standards laid out well in advance when it comes to think like ethics, training standards, workplace diversity and commitment to one another.
These policies tend to be a large part of the employment process, with the strict understanding that refusal to adhere to these policies can be grounds for dismissal.
These effective changes that can be implemented into the business can help create the desired culture within the business. If you want to re-shape the mentality and effectiveness of your business, the best way to do that is to turn to your staff and provide them with a series of policies that help them understand what you need and when you need it by.
This lets you set the standards and the rules for every staff member - this allows you to have to make special exemptions or to come up with the rules on the spot. If there is a company standard to adhere to, it's much easier to foster the mentality and desire that you were looking for in a business.
Procedures
In the modern era, businesses have changed dramatically.
No longer can there be excuses or reasons for something not being completed or not being finished.
With so many staff members and experts on a team, productivity is key.
However productivity is not the be-all and end-all, it's also important that your business takes care of its own.
Without a team behind your business that are reliable, work together well and understand the rules of the business, enforcing a regimented and disciplined system onto your team can become difficult. Therefore, it's important that your Human Resources (HR) team are ready to deal with any procedures that may come into question or require to be put into action.
Your company may have its HR procedures down the list of things to optimize and look into, but this should not be the case any longer. We understand why this happens - with so many different variations, suggestions and templates available for HR procedures it can become quite difficult to know what to use - but understanding does not dilute the importance of getting your HR procedures correctly.
There are fifteen procedures that we believe need to be adhered to in any line of work, and the will go a long way to making sure that discipline, respect and productivity are all three key assets of your business' future.
Physical Employment Contracts
This might seem obvious, but some businesses don't even keep a hard copy on-site. Making sure that you have a permanent reference to the terms and conditions of each and every employee's contract is absolutely vital.
Behavioural Policies
You need to have a strict outline about what you see as acceptable and unacceptable in the work place, with clear definitions as to what can constitute serious punishments like dismissal.
Online Usage
A workplace with clear boundaries is an absolute must - you need to let your staff know what they can and can't do, otherwise you have no space for rebuke or disciplinary action. With social media and the like, too, it's very important that your staff know the sites they can and cannot visit.
Performance
Your team need to have clear objectives and standards that they need to meet - and these have to be specified. If your team never gets to see what performance levels you expect from them, what are you going to be judging them against, exactly? Getting performance levels strictly laid down as a ground rule and a starting point for every employee means you can run a closer eye on their performance with justification.
These five simple HR procedures are absolutely necessary in the modern environment, for any business. Every business will have online access and performance requirements, so make sure they are clear and stated for every one of your staff.
No longer can there be excuses or reasons for something not being completed or not being finished.
With so many staff members and experts on a team, productivity is key.
However productivity is not the be-all and end-all, it's also important that your business takes care of its own.
Without a team behind your business that are reliable, work together well and understand the rules of the business, enforcing a regimented and disciplined system onto your team can become difficult. Therefore, it's important that your Human Resources (HR) team are ready to deal with any procedures that may come into question or require to be put into action.
Your company may have its HR procedures down the list of things to optimize and look into, but this should not be the case any longer. We understand why this happens - with so many different variations, suggestions and templates available for HR procedures it can become quite difficult to know what to use - but understanding does not dilute the importance of getting your HR procedures correctly.
There are fifteen procedures that we believe need to be adhered to in any line of work, and the will go a long way to making sure that discipline, respect and productivity are all three key assets of your business' future.
Physical Employment Contracts
This might seem obvious, but some businesses don't even keep a hard copy on-site. Making sure that you have a permanent reference to the terms and conditions of each and every employee's contract is absolutely vital.
Behavioural Policies
You need to have a strict outline about what you see as acceptable and unacceptable in the work place, with clear definitions as to what can constitute serious punishments like dismissal.
Online Usage
A workplace with clear boundaries is an absolute must - you need to let your staff know what they can and can't do, otherwise you have no space for rebuke or disciplinary action. With social media and the like, too, it's very important that your staff know the sites they can and cannot visit.
Performance
Your team need to have clear objectives and standards that they need to meet - and these have to be specified. If your team never gets to see what performance levels you expect from them, what are you going to be judging them against, exactly? Getting performance levels strictly laid down as a ground rule and a starting point for every employee means you can run a closer eye on their performance with justification.
These five simple HR procedures are absolutely necessary in the modern environment, for any business. Every business will have online access and performance requirements, so make sure they are clear and stated for every one of your staff.
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