The essential Employee Handbook template

A good employee handbook serves as a company’s way of introducing its policies to new employees. This template is an outline that will assist HR professionals to achieve that. Download (for free) and create your own ultimate employee handbook.

Overview

Giving employees a formal introduction to the company’s core values is crucial to improving the work culture. When employees have a full understanding of the company’s policy, it is difficult to defend against wrong behavior at work.

An employee handbook acts as a manual that guides the conduct of workers in a company. It is specific to each company and helps control the expectations of employees. So, every detail is important and an omission could be disastrous. To create a resourceful employee handbook, you’d need a well-structured template.

Company introduction template

Our story

An authentic company story can engage new employees on many levels. Use this to introduce the company history and excite your new hires (1-2 paragraphs). This may include:

What’s the history of your company?
How did your idea come to life?
Why did you/the founder start this organization?

Company mission

A well-crafted mission statement serves as a framework giving everyone involved a launching point to build from when establishing the company. A mission should tell: Why the company exists? What makes them different? (2-3 paragraphs)

💡 Tips: Keep it short and concise while finding out why employees join the company. This could be your inspiration to write an effective company mission if you haven’t established one yet

About Us

Treat this as the elevator pitch to introduce your product/platform/service. Include the unique selling points and how they are different from competitors. Try a catch-phase to make a memorable ending. (3-5 sentences)

Some recommended sentences you may use:

Company innovates __________________________
Company simplifies/solves/eliminates _________ (industry headache/pain point)
Company aims to transform ____________(current process or status quo)

💡 Tip: Use thesaurus! Choose the best wording that resonates with your employees

Logo

Behind every story is a powerful story. Explain what your logo stands for and how it was created to strengthen employee relationship with the company.

Our (Company) Values

In a business context, core values are the highest values that guide company’s actions, unites employees and define its brand. Generally, core values will answer one or all of these questions:

What do we want our company to be known for?
How will our values distinguish us from competitors?
What qualities do we value in employees?

Examples from Airbnb: Champion the mission, be a host, simplify, every frame matters, be a ‘cereal’ entrepreneur, and embrace the adventure.

💡 Tips to define your core value:

You should start with a brainstorming session which you invite a handful of people who understand and embody the traits you want your company to be known for. These could include the founder, CEO, and other company officers, but don’t forget to include some key employees too. Ask each participant to list what they think the company’s values are or should be.

Company’s Organization Chart

Have an organization chart to introduce your company's roles to newcommers

A Menu of Products

All new employees should understand clearly the company’s products/services.

Outline each service or product you offer (if more than five, outline each category, and your best-sellers).

Our voice

It’s important that all your employees understand how you market yourselves in the public since the words they choose, the tone they adopt, even the sentence structures speak to your company’s identity. Outline your tone of voice: is it formal? Bold? Funny? Analytical? Include a statement of voice (2-3 sentences) which employees can refer to when writing about your business.

Let them know that if there’s a question about how to write an email, engage with a customer or client, where they can go to approve the copy (i.e. do you have a brand lead? List it here).

Download the complete and beautifully-designed Employee Handbook template now 👉

Why do you need this template

To welcome new employees - A handbook serves as a personal letter from the company’s management team to a new employee.
Introduction to company policies and procedures - Having a handbook helps the company communicate its policies and procedure to employees.
Condition of employment - The handbook summarizes attendance expectations, paid time off and highlights issues that could lead to sanctions.

How to use this template

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The template is fair use for your own purposes. Feel free to copy or refer to the structure and guidelines inside.
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Keep in mind that this template is not a legal document and may not take into account all relevant local or national laws.
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The contents in the template are just a starter. Make sure you insert and edit the variables (name, logos, etc.) to tailor the template to your business.
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Upgrade the material by changing or adding in texts, sections, and visuals.
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Export as PDF or print it out for easier handling and communication with your team.

Who this template is for

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Hiring managers planning to give new hires a complete onboarding kit.
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HR professionals that want to kick start a positive work culture.
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Managers who need a reference point to set a fair judgment system at their company.