Read on to find out why all managers need this guide.
My name is Rob Grattan and I'm the director of a software development company called R&D Software (www.rndsoftware.com.au) located on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. We specialise in website design and implementation.
However, what I'm going to tell you about doesn't fall into our normal remit.
At a networking breakfast, I was in a target group discussing workplace dynamics. Our backgrounds varied but all of us had some involvement with managing people.
It soon became clear that working with and managing other workers was the single biggest headache that we had in common. There were numerous occasions when misunderstandings, assumptions and confusion had made our respective workplaces unbearable.
Some of these situations had seen people resigning, being disciplined or the wronged party taking legal action against others!
How people who were new businesses coped we couldn't imagine!
So I began thinking. I wondered if my years of experience solving software problems could come to bear on the situation my target group were in.
So I started asking questions:
- did all employees have a clear description of their job function?
- did they know their entitlements?
- did they understand the disciplinary procedure?
- actually, was there a disciplinary procedure at all?
- were their guidelines relating to office procedures like smoking and lunch breaks?
- ..and more
In the past a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people.. they no longer can lead solely based on positional power. Ken Blanchard
Before too long it became obvious that during the start-up of these organisations there never was time to fully document what the roles and responsibilities were of members of staff. And, that the same problems were happening in completely different workplaces.
We talked some more and I asked them if I could visit them at their workplaces to discuss their issues in detail - preferably with other management personnel contributing.
Thus 'Employing People' came into being.
As there were so many differing industries and organisations involved, the aim of 'Employing People' was not intended to be an employee handbook, but more to describe the content of one.
After spending some time in discussion I set about creating a draft and sent it to all parties involved. They gave me valuable feedback with corrections, clarifications and omissions. Over the next few weeks it really started to come together.
When it was completed it was distributed to the original group and also to others who were not involved in its production. I left it a few weeks and then started asking for feedback. What ensued was quite remarkable. These are a few of the salient points:
- using the 'Employing People' as a reference point they had all started creating guideline documents. These varied from Health and Safety to Maternity Leave depending on what the organisation felt was important.
- just doing this simple act of beginning to document their organisation's processes had helped them clarify who they were and what their aims were.
- many of the employees themselves wanted to review and contribute to the documents as they were created, thus involving them more in the organisation.
- other employees found that by having their roles and responsibilities described in print gave them a better understanding of what they were supposed to be doing.
- disagreements and misunderstanding had been reduced - everyone knew what their specific job was!
Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Andrew Carnegie
Over time, the organisations that got the best results were those that created the most detailed employee handbooks - all started from 'Employing People'.
No two organisations are the same and results can vary. But even creating one or two of the documents can make a lot of difference. And remember, without clear documentation you leave yourself wide open to litigation in the event that something goes wrong and a disgruntled employee wants a piece of you.
'Employing People' is a resource that is not country-specific and documents 'best practice' in employee and management relations.
The following is a short list of just some of the 68 topics covered:
- Organisation Background
- Employee/Organisation Structure
- Equal Opportunities Policy
- Joining the Organisation
- Induction
- Probation
- Union Membership
- Supervision
- Managerial Supervision
- External Supervision
- Leave/Holidays/Vacation
- ...
This guide isn't just for established businesses - those starting to setup new businesses will probably reap more gains than the established ones because they can start with a clean slate!
Free Bonus 1:
New Employee Checklist:Ensure that your employees get off to a flying start! This checklist, supplied in Microsoft Word format, details the actions that need to be carried out before that new person starts, and the information they will need on their first day. You can edit this document yourself to meet your organisation's requirements. (Microsoft Word or equivalent required.)
Free Bonus 2:
Vacation Request Form:A simple form, again in editable Microsoft Word format, to allow employees and their managers keep track of when vacation has been taken and how much is left. (Microsoft Word or equivalent required.)
Free Bonus 3:
Expenses Claim Form:This is an editable Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that will ensure that you and your employees can enter their expenses in a simple and straightforward manner. (Microsoft Excel or equivalent required.)
Employing People is supplied to you in Adobe PDF format and will be sent to you via email. R&D Software are offering this wealth of information for the incredidbly low price of $14.95USD! At this price it's just too good to miss.
Send us your Name and email address and we'll send you a sample chapter:
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