Starting out right with new employees requires some good planning and documentation. It’s important to put your vision on paper to avoid any misunderstandings down the road. You will be amazed at how writing personnel policies really helps you to learn more about what you want for the future of your business.

Personnel policies are essential. Make sure that you have them. Personnel policies allow you to determine how your business will run and how you will handle certain situations. You want to have the guidelines already established should you need them, rather than trying to document the procedures as you are in the midst of a situation.

Writing your personnel policies is like writing the rules to your own game. You determine how you want people to act who are on your team. In the same manner, you must determine what will happen when the rules are not followed. Simple rules of conduct often become more complicated when they are not followed. So be clear and have your attorney review them, if possible. Make sure to be fair in the guidelines you establish and allow for employee appeal of certain decisions. You do not want to be a dictator after all.

When your new employee arrives on his or her first day, the most important resource waiting on the desk should be a copy of the personnel policies. Be sure that they are read and that all employees sign that they have read the policies, understand them, and agree to abide by them.

Having solid personnel policies in place will help you substantially if the time comes (which you hope it does not) when you have to terminate an employee. For more on this subject, check out our section: Letting Employees Go.