11 Important Elements to Include in Your Employee Handbook In most roles I’ve begun, an employee handbook was the first internal document I read. So naturally, I’d make a lot of assumptions about the kind of place I was hired at based on the employee handbook. From vacation policies to dress codes to nondiscrimination policies, employee handbooks have given me a clear overview of the dos, don’ts, regulations, and expectations of my new role. They’ve also helped pique my excitement, especially when the company mission, values, and culture are laid out. Below, I’ll cover the importance of an employee handbook, nine essential elements to include, an employee handbook template, and examples to help guide yours. Table of Contents What is an employee handbook? Why is having an employee handbook important? What to Include in an Employee Handbook Employee Handbook Template Sample Employee Handbook Employee Handbook Examples Code of Conduct Samples What is an employee handbook? An employee handbook is an exhaustive document outlining an organization's policies, procedures, and employee expectations. It’s a crucial resource for new hires and existing staff. Employees can overview their rights and responsibilities as members of the company. Why is having an employee handbook important? Employee handbooks are essential for several reasons, for both the employer and employees. Here’s why. 1. Inform new hires. When I was hired at Paramount, I underwent...

Creating a Fulfilling Workplace: 5 Guaranteed Ways to Boost Job Satisfaction on Your Team Job satisfaction is like a warm, cozy blanket on a cold winter day. It‘s waking up and being excited to go to work. It’s the feeling of achievement and gratification after completing a task. In other words, job satisfaction is the degree of joy and fulfillment a person attains from their selected occupation. Would you like your workforce to be driven, devoted, and efficient? Then, you need to focus on their job satisfaction. Research has revealed that content, happy employees are likely to remain in the organization, take fewer absences due to illness, and be more efficient. It falls upon you as a manager to ensure that your team members are satisfied and dedicated to their work. This article will explore five guaranteed ways to boost job satisfaction on your team, backed by data and research so that you can improve productivity, retention, and overall success in your organization. Table of Contents What is job satisfaction? Why is job satisfaction important? Famous Companies Take On Job Satisfaction How to Boost Job Satisfaction Job Satisfaction Statistics What is job satisfaction? Job satisfaction refers to the overall fulfillment, contentment, and positive emotions an individual experiences towards their job. It’s influenced by factors such as meaningful work, autonomy, fair compensation, opportunities for growth and development, and work-life balance. According to a global survey run by LinkedIn and Imperative, 74%...

The Ultimate Guide to Talent Management Ever wonder what sets successful businesses apart from those organizations that struggle year after year? The product or service, pricing, industry, market share, and a thousand other factors can impact business success. However, there is one area that if they don’t get right, they’ll never flourish as an organization. Hiring and retaining quality employees. You may believe that your customers are the most important aspect of your business, but who is serving your customers? Without a top-notch staff, your product won’t make it to market, and you won’t have any customers to serve. With high turnover rates across industries, employers are scrambling to understand what attracts top talent, cultivates loyalty and engagement among employees, and encourages them to stick around for the long haul. If your team is experiencing dissatisfaction, low engagement and productivity, and a revolving door in your HR department, you’re probably wondering this as well. The good news is implementing a talent management program can help businesses of all sizes and employee engagement levels find a sense of balance. What is talent management? Put yourself in your employee’s shoes for a moment. What is your employee experience like? What attracted you to the company in the first place? Was there something they could’ve done that would’ve made you even more eager to work there? Now think about the onboarding process. Were you provided with the training and support you needed to succeed in your role? Are you appreciated...

18 Core Company Values That Will Shape Your Culture & Inspire Your Employees Having core company values can help you ensure each of your employees, from top leadership to entry-level, are working towards the same common goal, and share a bigger purpose. Take a look at one of Google's values — "Focus on the user and all else will follow." Any Google search will show you they stand by their purpose to serve the user. Undoubtedly, you find most answers to your common questions on page one of Google, and more recently, it's likely separated in its own featured snippet, as well. In this post we’ll explore why company values are important, how you can create your own, and serve up some industry favorites for inspiration. What are company values? Company values (sometimes called core values) are the beliefs and principles that drive your business. They help your team work better together and distinguish your brand from the competition. Keeping these common values top of mind will help you make business decisions that are in line with your core principles and stay true to the company vision. Why are company values important? Core company values give employees purpose. Purpose is undeniably critical for employee satisfaction. In fact, a McKinsey & Company survey of employees found 70% of employees said their sense of purpose was largely defined by work. However that number drops significantly to 15% when non executive participants were asked if they are living their purpose at...

What is Employee Engagement? If you’re playing along with buzzword bingo, you’ve heard the term “employee engagement.” But it would be a mistake to dismiss it as just a buzzword. Ignoring engagement costs the global economy 8.1 trillion dollars each year, according to a study by Gallup. Thankfully, the opposite is also true. Improving employee engagement can boost profitability, improve customer satisfaction, and even make for a safer workplace. Read on to learn what employee engagement is and what factors affect it. Then discover 11 strategies for improving employee engagement at your workplace. What is employee engagement? Employee Engagement Examples Why is employee engagement important? How to Measure Employee Engagement How to Improve Employee Engagement Engagement means that employees: Know what they contribute toward their team’s success. Work toward their company’s goals and values. Are connected to and supported in their role. Look for ways to learn and grow in their role. Employee engagement isn’t the same as job satisfaction or employee happiness. Although those ideas are a part of the equation, employee engagement speaks to motivation. An engaged employee invests time, energy, and talent to benefit their team and company. As Kayla Marchetti – engagement manager for Seismic – puts it, “I want any individual who joins us to feel passionate about our mission and work, to feel a sense of belonging,...

Writing a Job Description That Attracts Ideal Candidates As a direct response copywriter, I specialize in making readers take a specific action. I write a variety of copy, including articles, landing pages, sales emails, and job descriptions. This article will walk you through an approach to job descriptions that allowed me to double my conversion rate of visitors-to-applications in less than a year. You’ll learn the strategies and best practices I used to grip candidates, exciting them enough to take action. What is a job description? A job description is a document written by an employer that lists the tasks and responsibilities of a specific role along with the skills and experience needed to qualify for the position.   1. Study your target candidate. Many studies show that people buy on emotion first, and then rationalize their purchases using logic. Applying for a job, in that sense, is a lot like making a purchase. Pressing the "Apply Now" button is an emotionally charged decision. When writing your job ad, tap into those emotions by learning everything you can about your target candidate (i.e., the person you want to be interviewing). What are their professional goals and values? What makes them happy? Example Create a target candidate persona or a composite of your ideal employee. (Download these buyer persona templates to get started.) Use the information you find to make potent promises that your target candidate wants to hear and, more importantly, you know you can keep. Are you...

The Ultimate Guide to Human Resources Remarkable Human Resources (HR) employees are critical at every company. They handle all employee relations so you can focus on your side of the business. Before we discuss more reasons why your company needs an impactful HR department and how you can go about building one, let's talk more about what human resources actually means. Based on this definition alone, you can see how it would be difficult to run your operation successfully without the assistance HR provides. That’s why even small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have HR departments with employees who oversee all management, engagement, and development between the company and its employees. HR departments exist to support you and your employees so you can continue doing your jobs successfully. The work and responsibilities of a human resources employee will touch a large portion of your business every day. So what does that mean for you? Let's review some of the most common responsibilities these employees have so you can better understand the impact HR will have on your company. Handle employee relations HR handles the employee-to-employee relationships as well as the employee-to-company relationship. This means they work to develop positive interactions and treatment among all employees within your company so they feel good about coming to work, are committed to their jobs, and are invested in the growth of the business. Whether it’s a personal matter or a work-related issue, human resources will handle all issues with...

30 Popular Job Boards That Will Help You Hire The Most Qualified Candidates As a recruiter, your job isn’t limited to simply finding the best candidates. You also have to promote these roles on job boards and convince applicants to join your company.  In other words, you’re not just a recruiter — you’re also a marketer and a salesperson. But, how do you know which job boards will help you find the most qualified applications for your specific position? Read on to find out.  Table of Contents:  What is the best job search engine? Best Job Boards Best Job Boards for Hiring College Students Best Job Boards for Hiring Freelancers Best Job Boards for Hiring Remote and Hybrid Workers 1. Glassdoor Key Features: A large pool of potential candidates (55M+ per month) List your jobs and include detailed descriptions of preferred skills and qualifications.  Review resumes, send messages to candidates, and schedule interviews to begin recruitment.  Create an employer brand profile to help candidates learn more about your business and culture.  You can pay to feature jobs for more visibility. 2. LinkedIn Jobs Price: Contact for pricing. Key Features: A network of over 700 million professionals.  Your job listings are matched with the most qualified professionals who have noted in their profiles to be open to work and looking for new roles.  A rating...

The Meaning of Employee Relations Workplace culture and strong internal relationships are undeniably critical for your company's long-term success. Focusing your efforts on employee relations, and cultivating good relationships between employers and employees can help your Human Resources department mitigate conflict, build trust between team members, and decrease turnover rates. If the term ‘employee relations’ makes you furrow your brows in confusion, we’re here to help. We’ll explain what employee relations is and why it’s important below. Jump to: What Employee Relations Is Employee Relations Examples Employee Relations Best Practices What is employee relations? Employee relations is a branch of human resources that deals with policies regarding your employees' relationships with their employers, and each other. Essentially, employee relations is any effort or programming a company implements to ensure their employees are treated fairly, feel safe, and are happy in their work environment. Additionally, employee relations cannot be successful unless employees feel there is a level of transparency from management. Employee Relations Examples Employee relations programming will vary from one company to the next, however, the issues they tackle are very similar. That said, there are a few common categories most fall under: 1. Unsafe Work Environment Employers are tasked with providing a safe work environment for employees. If an employee is injured on the job or has an accident, the employer may be liable. Having safety protocols in place and communicating them to the team is a must. 2. Employee Performance It’s not a fun...

10 Positive Feedback Examples Your Employees Need to Hear Years ago, I worked at an office where the only time I ever heard from my manager was if I fell short of expectations. Without positive feedback, I felt like all of my wins went unnoticed and that they didn’t matter nearly as much as my losses. This caused me to lose motivation and my productivity began to suffer. It also pushed me to leave the company and seek better opportunities elsewhere. While it’s important to let employees know where there are areas that need improvement, it’s equally important to give positive feedback so they know where they shine. Giving positive feedback boosts morale, instills confidence, and motivates employees to do their best. It also helps you retain great people who will move your business forward. A survey by the Society of Human Resource Management found that 80% of HR leaders work at organizations that have an employee recognition program. Of those leaders, 89% reported their recognition program helped improve the overall employee experience. 86% said it improved employee relationships and 84% said it improved employee engagement. There are many ways to give positive feedback, but first you must understand what it is. What is positive feedback? Positive feedback is the act of recognizing and praising someone for their accomplishments, strengths, and talents. Positive feedback tells an employee what they’re doing right and what they should continue to do. “If you focus on what someone shouldn't do without also...