While it may feel tricky to create the perfect HR resume, you can use tried and tested methods to put your best foot forward. 

These HR templates and job descriptions can help you take the next step in your career.

What should an HR resume look like?

Successful job seekers in HR write clear, organized, and skimmable resumes. A hiring professional could glance over a great HR resume for less than a minute and understand the key highlights of the candidate’s experience and skills. 

Successful HR resumes include enough white space to guide the eye naturally over the key points, while still fitting on a single page. You can use a template to guide you in keeping clean lines and avoiding a messy appearance. Successful HR resumes include an introduction, a timeline of key experience, education highlights, relevant skills, and important certifications.

<<Download HR resume templates.>>

How to write an HR resume

When crafting your HR resume, be specific and concise to showcase your relevant experiences. Here’s where to start: 

HR resume headline or objective

Open your resume with a quick, impactful headline or a statement of your goals. You don’t need to include both a headline and an objective—choose the best fit for the particular role. 

Write an HR resume headline that’s short enough to only take one or two lines. A strong headline draws your reader in and conveys your unique value to a potential employer. It’s an opportunity to capture your voice and professional identity and sets the tone for the rest of your resume.

An HR resume objective highlights your relevant experience and states your career goals clearly. It makes a case for why your particular skills and background are a fit for the role and showcases your enthusiasm and passion. Update your objective to align with each HR role you apply for. 

Examples:

Headline: Results-driven HR coordinator optimizing retention and connection

Objective: Skilled HR coordinator seeking to grow my career by contributing to a human resources team in a supportive workplace. Helped improve retention by 28 percent in my role at [company name]. Passionate about developing meaningful connections between teams and creating a positive work culture. 

HR resume career summary 

You can open your resume with a two or three-sentence career summary instead of a headline or objective. In many cases, newer professionals and career changers may opt for an objective, while more experienced professionals may open with a career summary. 

Provide a brief overview of your background, key skills, and notable accomplishments. Use a career summary to showcase your potential and past achievements immediately.

Example: 

Systems-oriented HR operations professional with over 15 years of experience managing and improving core HR processes. Expert in implementing HR systems to enhance operational efficiency and improve employee satisfaction. Demonstrated ability to optimize budgets and performance management practices to drive a culture of productivity and continuous improvement.

Education 

In the education section, provide details about certifications, degrees, and coursework relevant to the role. Include where and what you studied and highlight key accomplishments, like graduating with honors. 

Start with your most recent degree and then work your way back. 

Example: 

Human resources work experience 

The work experience section gives hiring teams a clear view of your career path status. Provide an overview of your relevant work history, starting with your most recent experience at the top. For each work experience, include your job title, company name, the dates you worked there, and a short, clear list of your responsibilities and results. 

Example: 

• Increased compliance and efficiency through the implementation of a new HRIS
• Reduced time-to-hire by 18 percent by optimizing recruitment initiatives
• Enhanced employee development through targeted training programs
• Managed benefits administration team members to ensure compliance

• Supported the HR department in data entry and document management
• Managed employee records to ensure accuracy
• Prepared employee onboarding templates for company-wide use 
• Maintained and updated recruitment database to fill open roles

HR skills

Even though you may have covered some skills in the work experience section, you can include a designated “skills” section on your HR resume to highlight your capabilities relevant to the role. 

Example:

Relevant skills:

• Conflict resolution
• HR dashboard management
• ATS management
• Interview coordination
• Job posting
• Software optimization
• Retention strategies
• Clear communication
• Data analysis 

HR certifications

If you haven’t included your relevant HR certifications in the education or skills sections, include them here. You can use this section to review credentials earned through courses outside of the traditional education system. 

Example: 

Certifications

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – 2023
• Professional in Human Resources – 2021
• Talent Management Practitioner – 2021

Human resources cover letter 

Use a one-page cover letter to introduce yourself to the hiring manager, highlight the skills most relevant to the role you’re applying for, and express your interest in their specific organization. You have limited space to show hiring managers everything that makes you the perfect fit, so try not to repeat the same details in both your resume and cover letter. 

Let your personality shine through and elaborate on your top achievements while explaining how those accomplishments pertain to the specific role. 

<<Download free HR resume templates.>> 

Human resources resume example templates

When it’s time to submit a resume, take time to make sure the details fit your unique personality and tailor the messaging to the company you’re applying for. Use a template as a broad starting point. 

Instead of writing a resume from scratch, use one of the following resume example templates to get started. 

Follow the overall structure and dig into your experience to fill in the blanks.

1. General human resources resume template 

Use a general human resources resume as a starting point for all your job applications in the human resources world. Whether you’re casting a wide net and applying for various job openings or you’d just like to start by organizing your career path thus far into a resume format, you can use this basic template to get started.

<<Download these human resources resume templates.>>

2. Entry-level HR resume template 

Career changers and recent grads can take a fresh approach to their HR resume. While you might not have specific experience in a past HR role, you can highlight the roles, internships, and life experiences laying the groundwork for your desire to work in HR. 

Maybe you worked in a restaurant and honed your conflict management skills or maybe you worked in a data analytics internship that inspired you to be an HRIS analyst. Use this template to call attention to the unique experiences that make you a good fit. 

<<Kickstart your career with an entry-level HR resume template.>> 

3. Human resources manager resume template 

If you’re applying for a human resources manager role, you can use your resume to highlight your many years of experience and demonstrated skills. Use this template to stay organized and make sure none of your impressive accomplishments go unnoticed.

<<Showcase your management skills with the Human Resources manager resume template.>> 

4. Chief People Officer template

The Chief People Officer resume template focuses on your contributions to company culture and overall strategy. Spend time honing the professional summary section to accurately reflect the proudest moments of your career so far. The template can showcase your long-term expertise in enhancing engagement and aligning HR practices with organizational priorities. 

<<Use this Chief People Officer resume template to sum up your career achievements.>>

5. HR business partner resume  

An HR business partner acts as a strategic advisor to specific teams within the company and streamlines communication between business management and the HR team. They provide high-level guidance on HR goal-setting to help every team support company objectives and internal changes. 

Use your HR resume to highlight your strategic impact, showcasing your experience in aligning HR initiatives with business goals, facilitating organizational change, and driving employee engagement and performance.

Source

6. Human resources specialist resume 

You can find HR specialist roles in enterprises with large teams and extensive HR needs. Use a human resources specialist resume template to highlight the specific skills that make you the best fit for your chosen HR specialist path. Whether your focus lies in payroll, recruitment, or operations, you can use this outline to illustrate proficiency in your specific field. 

Source

7. Human resources assistant resume 

If you’re making a career pivot or you recently graduated from university, this human resources assistant resume will help you start the application process. 

In most cases, HR assistants don’t need many years of previous HR experience. However, use the skills section to call attention to the aspects of your background that will make you an asset to an HR team, such as time management, familiarity with key technology, and interpersonal skills.

Source

8. HR recruiter resume 

Since HR recruiters spend much of their time reviewing resumes, your resume for this role should illustrate your deep familiarity with them. Get straight to the point without distracting from your impressive experience and proven results. Demonstrate your success in sourcing, interviewing, and hiring top talent, as well as any innovative recruitment strategies you’ve implemented.

Source

9. HR professional resume 

Anyone in HR can use an HR professional resume, but be sure to get specific in the skills and experience sections. Guide a recruiter through the various aspects of your career, from work experience to core competencies. Call out special skills and specific software and tools you use. 

10. Human resources coordinator resume 

A successful human resources coordinator understands the daily requirements and responsibilities of the HR department as a whole. HR coordinators bring a breadth of skills to the team, so include examples about your experience with new joiner processes, data reporting, and team member development initiatives. 

Begin with a strong summary to highlight your organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to support various HR functions effectively.

Source

11. Fresher human resources resume template

A fresher refers to someone new to their desired field, often a recent graduate. A fresher human resources resume focuses more on skills and personality traits than on past work experience. Craft an effective summary to show hiring teams your personality and then outline relevant work experience, expand on your skills, and highlight your education. 

Remember that you’ve probably developed many relevant skills as a student, such as organization and time management.

Source

12. Senior HR manager template 

Use a senior HR manager template to showcase your impressive past work experience. Include quantifiable results, such as increases in skill development, performance, and retention. The more you can quantify your past performance in numbers and percentages, the better. 

Source

13. Global HR operations template 

Professionals in global HR operations manage several moving parts to ensure smooth and effective HR functions across different regions. From navigating time differences and differing schedules to acknowledging cultural nuance and language barriers, keen focus and strong organization skills will help you succeed in this role. 

Use a global HR operations template to highlight experiences when you’ve coordinated global teams toward a common goal. List your language skills and cultural competencies to drive home your preparation for the role. 

14. HR associate resume template

HR associates keep the entire department up and running smoothly. Include key results you’ve driven in past roles, whether you’ve decreased time-to-hire, increased retention, or implemented a new time management system. Use a simple template to help keep the focus on your developing experience and useful skills.

Source

15. HR compliance resume 

HR compliance requires consistency and accuracy across all tasks. Dive right in to describe your background and call attention to your most impressive metrics, like reducing compliance violations and improving workplace safety. 

Discuss the software and innovative platforms you’ve mastered and highlight your experience maintaining regulatory standards and ensuring legal compliance.

Source

16. HRIS specialist resume template 

HRIS specialists focus on the technical aspects and software involved in the HR department. But they also need a thorough understanding of broad organizational goals to ensure that their analysis targets relevant company needs. 

Place your top HRIS software skills near the top and highlight any certifications relevant to data analysis, software management, and strategic planning.

Source

17. HR generalist resume

Adapt an HR generalist resume to fit your current career goals and achievements. Highlight your range of experience, from managing onboarding processes to mediating team member conflicts. You may decide to exchange a summary for an objective if you’re early on in your career. 

Or, add more detail to the experience section to showcase the breadth of your experience, since generalists need a working knowledge of many facets of the HR process. 

Source

18. Human resources administrator resume 

Use a human resources administrator resume template to illustrate your operations and administration skills and background. Include skills around records maintenance, HR report generation, and recruitment process development.

Source

19. Benefits manager HR resume

Benefits managers must prove they’re flexible, sharp, and innovative. Use a benefits manager HR resume to show the hiring team you’ll be able to manage benefits software, educate team members on their benefits, create retirement plans, and improve recruitment and retention efforts. In the skills section, outline your communication proficiencies and call out which benefits tracking software you’re familiar with.

Source

20. Recruitment manager resume 

A recruitment manager understands the nuances of candidate selection and hiring processes. Recruitment managers strategize recruitment efforts, facilitate partnerships with teams in need of staffing, and coordinate growth within the recruitment team. 

Use a recruitment manager resume template to highlight your proficiency in applicant tracking systems and your past successes in hiring top talent.

Source

21. HR data analyst template 

HR data analysts merge broader organizational goals with HR tools to gain insights into areas for improvement and strategies for optimizing HR processes. 

Use an HR data analyst template to showcase your calculating eye and technical skills. Include the platforms you’re most familiar with and cite qualitative examples of improvements you’ve made in past teams, such as helping reduce time-to-hire or improve workforce performance.

22. Benefits coordinator resume 

Benefits coordinators bridge the gap between the HR department and the many teams within an organization. Use your resume to illustrate the way your past experiences have prepared you to fill this essential role and lend a strategic eye to company benefits policies. 

Source

23. VP of human resources

As an integral player in an organization’s overall strategy and function, the VP of human resources must demonstrate several years—usually decades—of HR experience. Craft your resume for this role with an emphasis on your continuous growth over a long HR career. 

Use metrics to quantify your value in past roles and highlight your understanding of important HR goals. 

Source

24. HR officer resume 

In your HR officer resume, focus on showcasing your advanced ability to handle various HR functions effectively. Highlight your experience with employee relations, policy implementation, and HR administration.

Prove you’ve saved time, added efficiency, or updated systems in past roles using metrics and clear examples, like increases in retention or improvements in retirement plans. 

Source

Streamline the application process with HR resume templates

With a well-crafted resume, you can confidently showcase your qualifications and stand out to potential employers. Use these HR resume templates as a starting point and then  customize them for each .

Start your job search with a strong foundation and set yourself up for success in landing your dream HR role.

<<Download free HR resume examples.>>

The post Advance your HR career: Human resources resume templates appeared first on HiBob.

Organizations and individuals can use career path templates to create structure and clarity in an otherwise uncertain professional landscape.

Let’s take a look at how organizations can use strategic career pathing to give team members peace of mind and something to strive toward.

What is a career path? 

A career path provides guidance on how to progress through a series of roles within a specific profession. It details the job titles, necessary skills, and ongoing experiences team members will need to move forward on a given path. Organizations can create a career path to give team members an overview of their options as they progress with the company. 

Providing a clear development roadmap helps companies motivate their team members and drive overall employee satisfaction. With a clear direction and an inspiring journey ahead, team members can target their learning and involvement toward their crystal-clear goals. 

Career path stages

Every career path looks different, but most of them follow these core stages:

• Exploration: Some team members may follow a straightforward path, while others explore several roles to find what’s right for them. The exploration phase may involve a few months of research before applying for jobs. People might also explore different pathways multiple times throughout their careers. Organizations can encourage the exploration phase to ensure team members follow a career path aligned with their unique skills and passions.
• Education: Team members enter the education stage when they join the workforce or a new department. This stage includes working with mentors, completing necessary on-the-job training and certifications, and sitting in on broader team meetings to understand key objectives. A strong employee onboarding experience helps new joiners move through this phase smoothly. 
• Starting point: Organizations can support team members in early career stages by providing continuous learning opportunities, offering mentorship programs, developing leadership skills, and paving the way for career advancement. Communicate with team members about their career path’s next steps and clarify which experiences and skills will help them move forward. When you prioritize employee enablement at this stage, you can help team members reach their full potential and positively impact the business. 
• Step up: At this stage, team members start to take on more responsibilities and may begin to lead projects or small teams. Organizations can support them by offering advanced training and leadership development programs and providing regular feedback and clear communication about career advancement opportunities. 
• Mid-career: People spend the majority of their careers in the mid-career stage. At this stage, they hone their collaborative skills, mentor junior team members, and take on managerial roles. They help fill operational gaps, set goals for the next stage of their careers, and determine key initiatives with higher management.
• Late career: In the late stage of the career path, team members may hold titles including Director, VP, or Executive. The team member has accumulated many years of meaningful experience. They may have impactful ideas to share and an influential view of long-term goals within the organization. 
• Retirement and legacy: As team members prepare to retire, they might spend their time sharing strategic insights and supporting team members in earlier career stages. They can empower others to step into their shoes and may take on a teaching role or strategic advisory position. They can exit smoothly knowing they’ve laid the foundation for growth and prosperity in the organization. 

No matter what stages you’re currently helping your people navigate, take a look at a career path to help guide your goals and measure your success as you progress.

What is a career path template?

Companies use career path templates to lay out potential career progressions for people within the organization. You can use them to provide clarity and direction for your people and give them a motivating picture of how they can progress in their careers. 

Benefits of a career path template include: 

• Boosting engagement and motivation. When people envision a clear future within their organization, they bring commitment and enthusiasm to their day-to-day activities. Actively investing in their career development shows them you care about their future as much as they do.
• Helping to identify training and development needs. Organizations can use career path templates to pinpoint which skills and training team members need to progress. This helps clarify goals and allows for targeted employee development initiatives. 
• Aiding in succession planning and talent retention. Preparing people for potential future roles ensures you have a continuous flow of qualified internal candidates. This helps boost retention, fill skills gaps, and reduce the cost and hassle of external hiring. 

<<Download and print this career path template to map your people’s careers.>>

HR managers can also leverage development plan templates when crafting career paths for their people. Organizations can use career path and development plan templates to identify skills gaps, align individual career goals with the company’s objectives, and support mutual growth and success. 

Types of career paths

Many team members won’t follow a linear path throughout their careers. Organizations can consider various career paths to support their diverse workforce and ensure everyone can grow and succeed.

Personal vs. operational career paths

A career path looks different depending on whether you view it from a personal or operational perspective. Operational needs are fairly predictable. People are not.  

Operational career paths map the expected roles that someone in a specific team will hold over time. For example, an operational career path may go from HR intern to HR coordinator to HR director to Chief People Officer. 

A personal career path can pivot, meander, and involve breaks or interruptions. By making a strong and supportive company culture a top priority, organizations can retain top talent even when career paths move outside their original department.

Knowledge-based vs. skill-based career paths 

Organizations or industries using knowledge-based career paths assign promotions and raises based on new certifications, degrees, or advanced training. For example, teachers in some United States School districts can earn a higher salary by earning additional university-level credits. 

Other industries move team members forward on their career path when they demonstrate skill mastery. For example, a marketing coordinator might earn a promotion to marketing manager by demonstrating a deep understanding of revenue-generating campaigns. 

Organizations can offer workshops, learning and development programs, and new work experiences to help team members hone their skills and advance their careers.

Why are career paths important? 

Taking time to develop a detailed career path for each department and role offers numerous benefits. 

Increased employee motivation and engagement 

Organizations thrive when people are fully engaged and empowered in their work. Career paths foster a sense of ownership and forward motion, motivating team members to learn and show up as the best version of themselves. 

Better talent and workforce management 

Career paths give team members a high-level view of their future journey while providing managers with a clear structure for development. Leaders can use this to improve talent management and workforce planning. 

Reduced employee turnover 

Talented professionals seek new career opportunities because they don’t see a clear path at their current workplace. Keep your top talent by ensuring each team member knows how to advance in their career path within the company. 

Offer opportunities to help them grow their skills and provide a clear guide for raises and promotions along their path so they can directly see the results of their hard work.

How does career pathing motivate employees?

Many people will have an eye on their futures. With career ambitions and goals at the forefront of your team members’ minds, career pathing can play a critical role in motivation.

Organizations can make people feel considered and valued by helping them understand the trajectory of their careers. When you provide insight into their professional future, they can properly envision their growth within your company.

Organizations can share this foresight to improve key HR metrics such as job satisfaction, turnover rates, and even productivity.

Let’s take a look at some more ways career pathing can help motivate your people: 

Visibility

Having clear insight into different potential career opportunities can empower your team members to visualize their futures as a part of your organization. This transparency helps to set realistic and achievable career goals and reduces uncertainty about their journey. 

Achievement

Including defined milestones in a career path template fosters a sense of accomplishment for your people. As they periodically reach these milestones, they feel a tangible sense of accomplishment and progress, which can further motivate them for the next stages of their career.  

Growth

Career pathing presents the chance for both personal and professional development by encouraging people to learn new skills and expand their knowledge base. This helps to contribute to their overall career growth and improves their adaptability in an ever-evolving work environment. 

Recognition

Developing and implementing a career pathing strategy sends a clear message to your people that you value and respect them and take their aspirations seriously. This sense of recognition can boost morale and increase people’s loyalty toward your organization.

Free career path template

To kick-start the implementation of your own career pathing system, we’ve created this downloadable career path template. 

We designed it to be user-friendly, easily customizable, and flexible enough to reflect a wide range of specific career progression paths—so it’s readily accessible to fit the unique requirements of your people and your organization. 

What makes a good career path template? 

A good career path template includes all of the details you need to guide team members through each step of their professional growth. You can adapt it to the specific details of your organization, but at its core, a good career path template will include:

• A clear structure with well-defined steps and sections
• Specific job titles for every step
• Detailed skills and qualifications for every step
• Spaces for people to fill in their professional and personal goals
• Performance metrics to track along the entire career journey
• Details about where and how to find career support

How to use our career path framework template 

Using our template is simple—just follow these four steps: 

• Step 1: Customize. Adapt the template to fit your organization’s roles and progression paths.
• Step 2: Set goals. Work with your people to set realistic and achievable career goals relevant to each step. 
• Step 3: Skill development. Utilize the template to identify the necessary skills and training, and then create a plan for providing them.
• Step 4: Review and update. Regularly review and update your career path plan as your people grow and your organizational needs change. Calculate the career path ratio over time to guide your updates. 

<<Download and print this career path template to map your people’s careers.>>

Career mapping example

Let’s look at a career map for an entry-level marketing professional in an SMB. The career map would include: 

• Starting point: Marketing assistant 
• Step up: Marketing coordinator
• Mid-career: Senior marketing manager
• Long-term aspiration: Marketing director 
• End goal: Chief marketing officer 

A progression map may look like this:

Creating a career path framework

To develop an effective career path framework, it’s important to have a good understanding of the various roles within your organization and the pathways between them. 

This involves a number of key steps:

1. Role identification 

Make a list of the different positions within your organization. Ensure collaboration between departments and talk with various levels of team leadership to make sure there are no unfilled gaps. Note down any areas where you may need to add roles in the future to fill those gaps.  

2. Self-assessment 

Create a self-assessment for new team members to complete during the onboarding process. The self-assessment can include interests, background, current skills, and desired skills. The self-assessment will get team members thinking about their career path and will guide you in providing the right mentorship and development opportunities.

3. Skill mapping 

Determine the skills and competencies required for each of these roles. Create a clear plan detailing how your team members can develop those skills. 

Will you offer workshops, facilitate in-house training, or provide a stipend for approved training outside of your organization? Make it as easy as possible for your team members to grow their desired skills. 

4. Growth opportunities

Identify how each team member can move vertically and laterally within your organization. For example, if you’re hired as a marketing coordinator, you might move vertically into a marketing manager role, or you could make a lateral move to the internal communications team.  

5. Customization and integration 

Make tweaks to your framework to cater to the different career stages and aspirations within your organization. 

Make sure it fits your team members and aligns with your organization’s goals and culture. 

6. Communication 

To get the best results from your career path framework, involve your team members in the development process. This gives you clear insights into what your people are looking for and what would best suit them so you can create something that benefits your organization as a whole.

Speak with the team members in current leadership roles in your organization. What steps did they take to get there? Which skills did they need the most? What do they see changing about their role in the coming years? 

Use these insights to plan a comprehensive career plan for anyone who hopes to fill their shoes in the future. 

7. Flexibility

No matter what industry your organization is in, things change fast. Make the framework adaptable to changing business needs and regularly update it to reflect new roles and opportunities within your organization.

Measuring success and continuous improvement of your people’s career paths

Organizations can implement career path templates as a solid starting point in a long-term commitment to continuous improvement. 

To truly benefit from your career pathing, set up methods to measure success and ensure you’re always looking for ways to push forward and improve. 

Key strategies for measuring success 

Here’s how you can measure the success of your career pathing: 

• Set up regular check-ins. Set regular meetings with your people to discuss their progress, challenges, goals, and tweaks they need to make to their paths. 
• Define clear success metrics. Define clear metrics such as retention rates, promotion rates, career path ratios, and team satisfaction scores to evaluate the effectiveness of your career mapping efforts. 

Allow for continuous feedback. Put feedback systems in place so people can share their experiences and suggestions they may have for improvements. Ask for feedback during one-on-one meetings and team meetings, but also provide anonymous surveys to encourage more candid suggestions and concerns.

Ensuring continuous improvement

You can improve your career mapping processes by following these steps:

• Stay fully updated. Regularly update your career roadmap template to reflect changes in your organization or the industry. 
• Be adaptable. Be prepared to tweak your career pathing strategy as your organization grows and evolves. If you stay flexible, you can make changes with as little disruption as possible. 
• Keep your people involved. Involve team members wherever and whenever you can in your continuous improvement process. This will ensure the templates always consider their needs and insights. 

How to support your people’s career paths

Crafting thoughtful career paths goes a long way, but you can take additional steps to support your team members in achieving their career goals. First, integrate a thorough career path review into your onboarding process. 

The onboarding period extends well beyond a new joiner’s first day, and you can use a weekly or monthly manager check-in to dive into the details of their career path based on their earlier self-assessment. Managers empower new joiners to get proactive about developing their skills through this strategic review. 

On an ongoing basis, organizations can support team members’ career paths by offering training and skill development opportunities. You can provide these opportunities in the form of seminars for entire teams to attend, conferences for a few specific roles, educational stipends for people to use toward their goals, or self-paced training curricula everyone can reference when they have time. 

Managers can support their teams’ career development by asking individuals targeted questions during regular check-ins. They can use the career path as a guide to review key action items around skill development, goals, and next steps. 

By referencing the career path over time, managers help team members stay focused on the road ahead and find motivation in growing their unique set of skills. 

Career paths vs. career maps vs. career plans vs. career styles

While these terms appear similar, they have distinct meanings and applications. 

• “Career path” describes a direction for career growth. A career path can be as general or as specific as the creator wishes it to be. 
• “Career map” implies a visual aspect to the career overview. 
• “Career plans” are personalized strategies designed to help the individual achieve their set career goals.
• “Career styles” are different approaches to the career journey. There could be dozens of people with different career styles who all follow the same general path but with their own approach to goal-setting, learning, and interacting with others.

Maximize impact with career path templates

A career path template is one of the most valuable tools in your HR toolbox. It can help nurture and progress your team members—ensuring they reach their full potential with your organization. 

It offers a structured approach to learning and development (L&D), empowering your people to take control of their professional journey. 

Implementing a career path template can nurture a more engaged, motivated, and skilled workforce—one with the adaptability, flexibility, and preparation to meet the challenges of today’s roller-coaster business world. 

<<Download and print this career path template to map your people’s careers.>>

The post The pathway to progress: Career path templates appeared first on HiBob.

Companies of all sizes benefit from a well-written, structured handbook. Your people can use your employee handbook to understand and align with your company values and procedures.

With this in mind, we’ve drawn up an outline for the ultimate employee handbook template. You can follow this structure as a basic blueprint to make your own document. 

What is an employee handbook? 

HR leaders create and regularly update comprehensive employee handbooks: Documents detailing a company’s policies, procedures, and expectations. Handbooks can help organize, guide, and inspire goal-driven company activities. 

You might give your new joiner a physical or digital copy of the employee handbook during onboarding, so that they can review key details, and follow up with questions.

New and seasoned team members can use the handbook on an ongoing basis to keep details like leave policies, code of conduct, company culture, and review processes top of mind. 

Why do you need an employee handbook? 

A handbook serves as a guiding light and helpful reference point so that the team knows which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. Company leaders can organize company policies, procedures, and expectations in a written document to help define the company culture.  

Managers can refer to the employee handbook to build out strategic team plans and move toward overarching company goals. 

<Download a free employee handbook template.>>

What to include in an employee handbook

We’ve split our sample employee handbook template into eight different sections:

• Introduction
• Employment essentials
• Policies and conditions
• Code of conduct
• Compensation and continuing development
• Benefits and perks
• Paid time off and holidays
• Employee resignation and termination

Each section is just as important as the last. They include vital information for team members and act as the comprehensive go-to guide for new joiners.

1. Employee handbook introduction

Your introduction can give the new hire a brief overview of what will be in the handbook and include a short welcome paragraph. Share your mission statement, your value statement, and a brief history of the company. 

This may be the first official experience a new joiner has with your company. This introduction acts as a first impression—and we all know how important first impressions can be.

If you have a digital handbook, you can add a video to introduce the document. This way, your team members can put faces to names, and get a feel for the general atmosphere of the working environment. This helps engage team members—especially remote and hybrid colleagues who won’t physically immerse themselves in your company culture. 

2. Employment essentials

This is an in-depth, highly informative section that helps establish the basic definitions related to the company. It acts as a basic FAQ section for whenever a new or existing team member has a question. 

Your employment essentials section can include:

Employment contract terms

Outline the basic terms and conditions of the employee contract. You can define the difference between your full-time and part-time employees, as well as other types of employment your company offers. 

Attendance terms

HR leaders can use a handbook to create essential clarity around attendance policies. The attendance policy outlines core procedures like how team members call in sick or how they can officially file for paid or unpaid time off. You may also include the exceptions for an unreported absence. 

Company processes

Include all of the company’s vital processes, such as how the business handles performance reviews, how meetings are set up for remote and hybrid workers, and how you go about setting individual and team goals. 

This section can also detail the communication avenues your business uses—whether an instant messaging service or email—as well as the proper way to set OOO (out-of-office) or send WFH (work-from-home) messages. 

Company values

In this section, you can lay out the basic expectations you have for the work environment and your values surrounding teamwork. Give a clear indication of the company culture each person is expected to uphold. 

3. Company policies and conditions

This section highlights what sort of workplace your company is building. It describes the conditions your people will be working in and covers internal policies.

The policies and conditions section usually includes:

Physical health and safety

This section provides your teams with everything they need to know in order to stay safe in the case of an emergency. It includes your fire drill policies, regulations on a smoke-free and drug-free workplace, and steps to take if an injury occurs at work. 

Mental health and safety 

This section outlines your company’s policy for maintaining the mental health and safety of its team members. It includes how to take sick leave for mental health reasons, what measures the company has in place to protect the mental health of its people, and how to access emergency mental health resources. 

Hybrid and remote working policies 

Hybrid and remote work is a significant part of today’s work landscape, with 54 percent of employees working in a hybrid format and 27 percent working remotely. According to Gallup, companies will maintain these flexible work policies, so you can use this section to cover guidelines relating to remote and hybrid workers, including communication avenues, remote monitoring, and virtual team-building opportunities.

Confidentiality and data protection

Companies have access to a large amount of personal information about team members. Organizations can help their team members feel more comfortable about sharing this information by explaining how their data is protected. This helps to build a strong culture of trust between team members and the company. 

Many companies will also be privy to a lot of customer information. This section can also highlight how team members can keep their customer data secure. Everyone is responsible for data security, and companies benefit by educating team members on properly handling and protecting all data they access.

4. Code of conduct

Your code of conduct outlines expected workplace behavior. Providing a clear moral compass helps create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone.

The code of conduct section includes: 

Equal opportunities

Employee handbooks often include a statement about equal opportunities. For example, companies in the United States may include an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) statement. HR leaders can also add details on their organization’s DEI&B (diversity, equity, inclusion, & belonging) initiatives.

Harassment, violence, and discrimination

Feeling safe and content contributes to a happy and productive workplace. In this section, you can include your policies on forms of harassment, violence, or threatening behavior in the workplace.

Define exactly what constitutes each of these behaviors and describe the repercussions. Include clear steps for reporting concerns, such as who to contact and how to reach them.

Conflict of interest and solicitation

The rules surrounding a conflict of interest or solicitation may not always be clear. Clarify what constitutes a conflict of interest or solicitation and the consequences of violating these policies.

Reporting a breach

This section outlines how to report a breach of the code of conduct. Highlight that reporting is confidential and there aren’t negative consequences for reporting a breach.

5. Compensation

This part of the employee handbook can cover salary, bonuses, and other forms of compensation. 

Payroll 

This section reviews how and when team members are paid, overtime rules, deductions, and advancements. Provide a detailed schedule of paydays to empower team members to accurately plan their finances and cover expense reimbursement processes. Explain the legality behind each section to help reduce confusion.

Bonuses and equity

Outline your bonus program, whether it’s a yearly bonus, a quarterly bonus, or commission-based bonuses. If your company offers equity, you can include how equity is distributed and vested.

Pension and retirement

Clearly communicate the eligibility criteria for pension and retirement benefits and explain company contributions and matches in detail. For example, in the United States, many companies match a portion of team member 401(k) contributions. 

If your company offers various options, outline each available plan. Provide how-tos so that new joiners know how to access and manage these funds and benefits.

6. Benefits and perks

Many companies provide their people with a range of benefits and perks. This is a great way to show appreciation for your people and support retention efforts. 

Your benefits and perks section can cover: 

Support for employee wellbeing 

This section covers anything from discounts for local gym memberships, a recommended and discounted psychiatrist or therapist, or a home office stipend. 

Learning and development

Continued learning and development is an important part of a business’s retention strategy. It helps team members visualize their future path at the company and paves the way for exciting opportunities to grow their skills.

Discuss what training your company offers, recommended conferences for specific teams to attend, and if you provide a stipend for work-related seminars. 

Insurance

This section includes a detailed description of what is and isn’t covered by the company’s insurance. Insurance options might include health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and others.

Company car and parking

You may offer a company car as a benefit if your team members are often on the road. Outline the criteria for the car and whether you’re covering a portion or the full value. 

For team members who work in person at the office, state whether or not you offer free parking. 

Expenses

Some companies offer to cover work-related expenses, such as restaurant bills from work-related meals or gas for the company car. Detail which expenses are covered and which aren’t. 

7. Paid time off and other leave

Holidays are a great way for your team members to take a well-deserved break. It’s important to encourage team members to have a good work-life balance and take the time to maintain their mental health, which you can highlight in this section. You can also include a detailed outline of the official holidays your team members benefit from, as well as how the accrual of paid time off works. 

Your paid time off and holidays section includes:

Paid time off (PTO) and unpaid time off

Outline how your paid time off and unpaid time off work, including how much time you offer and how to request time off. Cover policies for all team members, including contractors, hourly employees, and interns.

Sick leave

Sick leave gives team members time to recover from illness or act as a caregiver to a sick family member. Sick leave requirements can vary by jurisdiction, so it’s helpful to check local laws to stay compliant. 

Holidays

Different countries observe different holidays, which can be confusing for global teams. Outline the holidays your company observes in each country where you have team members.

Compassionate leave

Companies may offer paid compassionate leave when team members lose a loved one or receive bad news. Compassionate leave gives team members time to be with their family, sort out difficult details, and prioritize self-care without the stress of maintaining work responsibilities at the same time. 

Parental leave

In this section, state how much leave you provide team members who are having or adopting a child. You can also include if you offer flexible hours for parents who have to pick their children up from school or have other parental duties. In some countries or states, providing parental leave is a legal requirement for employers.

8. Employee resignation and termination

Sometimes a person or a company isn’t the right fit. In that case, you’ll want to ensure the leaver understands the resignation or termination processes.

This section covers:

Resignation

Each company will have its own resignation policies and processes. Clearly detail these policies so that all parties know what to expect when a team member hands in their notice of resignation. In this section, include information about exit interviews, which can provide useful insights about the team member’s experience at your company. 

<<Download a free exit interview template.>>

Notice periods

When a person hands in their resignation, communicate a clear minimum notice period set out by the company so they have time to prepare a replacement. This section outlines the notice periods for both the leaver and the company. 

It’s also important to note that notice period policies tend to vary from country to country. So, if your company has different locations, detail which policies apply to each location.

Contract termination

Here, outline your policies regarding termination along with the compensations and severance pay you offer.

9. Disclaimers and employee acknowledgment

In this section, new joiners will sign to confirm receipt and understanding of the handbook. The acknowledgment and disclaimers section generally includes specifications of at-will employment and a statement that the employee handbook does not act as a sole contract.

HR and legal teams can also include additional legal policies and information, like a non-disclosure agreement.

Employee handbook best practices

Once you’ve created a strong draft of your employee handbook, keep these best practices in mind: 

1. Follow a template

Follow and customize a high-quality employee handbook template so you can cover your organization’s goals, expectations, and culture. A template simplifies the process and ensures consistency. 

<<Download your free employee handbook template.>>

2. Make it customizable and easy to update 

Whether you distribute the employee handbook using physical or digital copies, make sure you keep each version securely saved in an editable format. This way, if expectations change or goals shift, HR leaders can make updates without starting from scratch. 

3. Consult with legal professionals 

While the handbook is separate from a contract of employment, HR teams can still consult with legal professionals before distribution. Check if certain areas require sensitive wording or legal updates to maintain compliance.

4. Share it early during employee onboarding 

While the entire onboarding process can span over weeks, you can share the employee handbook on day one (or even during preboarding). 

New joiners can review the handbook from the start and familiarize themselves with company policies. The sooner team members can access this information, the sooner they can integrate and contribute to their team.

5. Keep it accessible 

Keep the wording in your employee handbook as accessible as possible so all new joiners can easily understand expectations. Managers can also set reminders for themselves to follow up with new team members and answer questions they may have after reading the handbook. 

You can also take steps to make the handbook physically accessible to all your people, either by printing team copies to keep in a central location, providing hard copies for each team member, or sending a digital copy. 

<<Create your customized employee handbook by downloading the free template.>>

Great employee handbook examples

A great employee handbook delivers the voice, purpose, and vision of your company while emphasizing the important role that  each team member plays. Your company handbook will look different from other company handbooks because it will reflect the personality of your business and the tone of your company culture. 

Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, these companies created impressive handbooks that empower their team members:

The Patagonia handbook places the company’s mission center stage and begins with facts about climate change. Grounding all team members in a central mission lays a strong foundation for cohesion and a culture of teamwork. 
The Netflix handbook emphasizes the power of each individual within an organization. Netflix highlights nine desirable behaviors and skills, with a strong emphasis on personal responsibility and high performance.

Download your free employee handbook template

New joiners rely on having a comprehensive employee handbook to streamline their transition into working for a new company with new rules and responsibilities. When everything’s in writing, there’s little room for confusion. Your teams can fully immerse themselves in the company’s culture and have a handy go-to guide for when questions inevitably arise. 

Using this sample employee handbook template, you can build your own handbook filled with useful nuggets of information and your company’s personality.

<<Download the template to create your customized employee handbook.>>

Meet Bob

At HiBob, we’ve built a modern HR platform designed for modern business needs—today and beyond.

An HR platform such as Bob offers a one-stop-shop for all things HR. It sits at the center of your HR ecosystem, is fully customizable, and grows with your organization.

For HR

It delivers automation for many common processes, allows greater oversight and visibility of the business, and centralizes all people data in a secure, user-friendly environment.

For managers

It provides access to data and insights to help them lead more effectively and streamline processes.

For employees

It’s the tools and information they need to connect, develop, and grow throughout their journey.

In a short time, Bob can be deployed to enable communication, collaboration, and connectivity that drives stronger engagement, productivity, and business outcomes.

The post All the essentials: employee handbook template appeared first on HiBob.

HR teams can use an employee onboarding checklist to follow each stage of the onboarding process correctly. A great onboarding checklist merges HR and compliance efforts with management tasks and technology set-up to create an optimized experience for the new joiner and the organization. 

What is employee onboarding? 

The Oxford English Dictionary defines onboarding as, “The action or process of integrating a new employee into an organization.”

A successful onboarding process starts when the chosen candidate accepts the job offer. This marks the beginning of the employer’s and new joiner’s journey together.

While some businesses adopt a day-long onboarding schedule, others integrate their new hires into the team with preboarding and onboarding processes that extend well beyond the new hire’s first 90 days of employment.

A good employee onboarding process retains talent, increases engagement, and fosters a productive workforce. 

What are employee onboarding checklists? 

HR teams can use employee onboarding checklists to ensure new hires transition smoothly into their roles. These checklists outline important tasks like completing necessary paperwork, setting up workstations, introducing team members, and providing access to tools and resources.

For the business, an onboarding checklist ensures compliance with legal regulations. It also provides a system of fairness and equality so one new hire isn’t left behind if another has a more diligent, hands-on manager. This means that new hires can start being productive and contributing to the company soon after they join. 

For HR professionals, an onboarding process checklist reduces the admin associated with welcoming new people to the company—a particularly significant benefit in fast-growing companies that hire new people on a weekly basis. When they know that a plan to support new hires is in place, HR professionals can focus their time and attention on other business areas.

For new hires,  a checklist creates consistency and nurtures a genuine feeling of belonging from day one. With the support they need to start work and focus from the outset, new people can quickly develop a sense of commitment to their new employer and contribute to the bottom line.

HR teams can follow these onboarding checklists to make sure new people feel welcomed, informed, and ready to contribute effectively from day one.

Why streamlined onboarding is important 

The saying, “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression” is as true for companies as it is for people. HR leaders who understand this—and optimize their onboarding to create a positive first impression with new hires—can reap a wealth of benefits, including improved cultural inclusion and increased engagement.

Improved retention

HR leaders who introduce structured onboarding can avoid the high costs, lost productivity, and potential damage to company culture that can result when people leave their jobs. 

People who experienced a good onboarding process feel 18 times more committed to their new organization.

Increased productivity

Whether new hires are direct replacements for leavers or they’ve been hired to fill new roles, it takes time for new people to get up to speed. Proper onboarding can help with that. People with a formal onboarding process are 70 percent more productive than those who go without.

Better understanding of company culture 

Each company has its unique culture. A streamlined onboarding process allows new joiners to understand the values of the company they work for and the people they work with. 

Benefits of using employee onboarding checklists

A good onboarding process covers many areas, including compliance, logistics, management, training, and cultural engagement. Your organization may require additional sections that are particular to your business or industry.

<<Download these onboarding checklists and put a solid procedure in place.>>

1. Compliance

You can usually complete most legal and compliance tasks remotely before the new joiner’s first day on the job. Using a legal and HR compliance checklist can help the new joiner complete their:

• Employment contract review
• Health and safety training
• Employee handbook review
• Additional legal documents relevant to your business (e.g., non-disclosure agreements)

2. Logistics

Solid logistics ensure your new hire arrives at the right place, on time, and with the tools they need to start off on the right foot. The best onboarding workflows include:

• Sharing locations and directions so new joiners know where to go
• Ensuring ease of access if the person has a disability
• Setting up their phone
• Providing access to the employee directory
• Providing a computer or helping them set up their own device for your systems
• Giving them internet access
• Setting them up for payroll

3. Management

Hiring managers play a critical role in supporting new joiners as they learn how to perform key tasks. They can use a detailed checklist to ensure they’re: 

• Providing relevant company and team information
• Explaining company and team processes (e.g., booking meeting rooms or booking holidays)
• Setting objectives and goals for 30, 60, and 90 days

4. Training

The majority of new hires will need some training on arrival, so it’s best to consistently provide learning opportunities that will bring them up to speed quickly:

• Introducing learning processes, systems, and policies so the new person knows what to expect
• Carrying out skills assessments to gauge knowledge and ability
• Setting up supervision and mentoring 
• Beginning role-specific training

5. Cultural Engagement

HR leaders can use an employee onboarding checklist to intentionally lay the groundwork for cultural engagement. To get this right from day one, you can:

• Explain company culture and values, so the new person understands your “why”
• Set up meetings with their direct team and other people they’ll work closely with regularly
• Facilitate meetings with key people in the company, such as department heads, members of the management team, and IT support
• Help the new starter foster personal connections with the team based on work and personal interests
• Organize welcome events such as new-starter meetings with the CEO, after-work drinks, and welcome lunches

<<Download these onboarding checklists to keep everything in one place.>>

What to include in your employee onboarding checklist 

Hiring managers can use an onboarding checklist to guide new people through their first days and months at a company. 

The goal is to inform new team members about what to expect in the early days and what the company expects in the long run.

Finalizing the recruitment process 

Ensure complete clarity on all terms of employment and complete negotiations. Confirm all necessary paperwork is signed and set a start date.

Setting up accounts and devices 

Begin account set-up before the new joiner’s start date to minimize unnecessary wait time and address technical issues early on. This way, you can sort out potential issues before they interfere with the rest of the onboarding process.

Preparing documentation 

Compile all onboarding paperwork and documentation that the new joiner will need to complete. These can include your company’s performance management practices, an employee handbook, a staff directory, and your attendance policy. 

Organizing your workspace (if applicable) 

Greet your new joiner with a beautiful and organized workspace. A few minutes of thoughtful preparation goes a long way in making new joiners feel welcome. 

Scheduling new hire orientation 

Coordinate a time for new hire orientation, where you can review the basics of company culture and expectations, complete paperwork like tax forms and benefits enrollment, and share information about team structure. 

You can also answer questions to help the new joiner begin on the right foot.

Giving an office tour 

If your company has an office, show the new joiner around. 

A tour might include locations of the bathrooms, cafeterias, break spaces, and outdoor areas, along with introducing key team members. 

If your company works remotely, you can still support the new hire. Virtual tours can include shared drives, key communication platforms, and where to find team assets. 

Informing team members and assigning a mentor 

Build excitement among the team and prepare members to welcome the new joiner. If appropriate, assign a mentor to help the new person navigate the ins and outs of the team and culture.

Introducing company culture 

Make time to address specific factors of your company culture. Whether you have a strict dress code, a relaxed Friday schedule, or a monthly team lunch, provide details your company handbook may not cover.

Discussing expectations

It’s easy to assume new people will understand the expectations of a workplace based on their previous experience, but every organization is different. Make expectations clear to avoid confusion.

<<Download these onboarding checklists and put a solid procedure in place.>>

New employee onboarding checklists

Use these onboarding checklists to guide your workflows as you welcome new joiners to the company.

1. Onboarding checklist for the week before

HR leaders can use this onboarding checklist the week before a new joiner’s start date to thoroughly prepare for their welcome.

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: Get employment contracts in order.
• Culture: Schedule welcome activities with the team, like Friday drinks or a first-day lunch with the team.
• Logistics: Set up all necessary accounts, distribution lists, and calendar access. If applicable, clean and organize the new joiner’s desk. 
• Management: Send an introductory email and schedule a date for orientation.

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

2. Onboarding checklist for the first day

The first day can be a whirlwind, so HR leaders can use this onboarding checklist to keep everything in order. 

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: Set the new joiner up in the HR system, provide all necessary checklists, and organize health and safety training.
• Culture: Schedule introductory meetings for the new joiner with each of their direct team members.
• Logistics: Set the new joiner up in the payroll system and provide internet access.
• Management: Explain basic procedures like how to book a meeting room or request time off. Give an overview of each direct team member’s key role. 

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

3. Onboarding checklist for the first week

You can use this onboarding checklist for the first week of the new joiner’s tenure to help them steadily ramp up and learn company processes and expectations. 

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: Bring the new person up to speed on key company policies and enroll them in the pension plan
• Culture: Schedule meetings between the new joiner and relevant department heads and management team members 
• Logistics: Finish all staff benefit enrollment steps
• Management: Set objectives and goals for the next 30, 60, and 90 days

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

4. 30-day onboarding checklist

HR leaders and managers can use this checklist as a guide to make new team members’ first month as smooth as possible. 

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: Follow up on incomplete contracts, policy signatures, and safety training.
• Culture: Introduce the new joiner to adjacent teams and additional team members they didn’t meet in week one. Include them in meetings relevant to their future projects, even if they don’t have assignments yet.
• Logistics: Set up training for software and tools the team uses. Provide materials that review company functions and goals. 
• Management: Schedule weekly one-on-one meetings to address ongoing questions and concerns. On day 30, meet to touch base on the 30-day goals set in week one.

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

5. 90-day onboarding checklist

By the time three months have passed, new joiners should feel comfortable on the team and perform expected duties smoothly. To complete the transition, you can use this 90-day employee onboarding checklist.

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: Send necessary tax forms and stay up-to-date on new safety training.
• Culture: Gather feedback on the onboarding process and address ongoing questions. 
• Logistics: Answer additional questions about team workflows, additional tools, and staff roles as specific situations arise. 
• Management: Identify gaps in expected skills or training, and create plans to support these needs, and communicate goals. Bring the new joiner in on projects and assign meaningful deliverables. 

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

6. Onboarding checklists for managers

Onboarding plays a key role in workforce management. Managers can use this checklist to stay organized as they welcome new joiners.  

What this checklist includes: 

• HR: Facilitate a welcome tour, send a preboarding questionnaire, and arrange job training. 
• Compliance: Make sure the new person has signed and submitted all employment contracts, tax forms, health declarations, permits, insurance, and other paperwork.
• Logistics: Make a welcome kit and give the new joiner a thorough tour of the physical office space and the technology they’ll use. 
• Management: Communicate with the new joiner about ongoing questions, concerns, and outstanding checklist items. Set frequent meetings for the first month.

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

7. Virtual onboarding checklist

Use a virtual onboarding checklist to stay organized as you onboard new joiners remotely. This process involves some additional steps that need early action.

What this checklist includes: 

• HR: Confirm that all contracts and signatures come in correctly and send a welcome email
• New joiner: Fill out questionnaires and attend all conference calls
• Compliance: Prepare and send e-sign versions of all contracts, health declarations, work permit confirmations and disclosures
• Logistics:  Order and ship all office hardware and computer equipment and schedule calls between the new person and IT
• Management: Send an email to the team welcoming the new joiner and discuss communication preferences

<<Download this onboarding checklist.>> 

8. Employee onboarding documents checklist

The onboarding process can involve a lot of paperwork. HR leaders can use this checklist to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for everyone involved.

What this checklist includes: 

• Compliance: New joiners need to fill out compliance documents, including the employment contract, I-9 eligibility form, W-4 tax form, and NDAs (or the equivalent, depending on location)
• Culture: Send a preboarding questionnaire to get to know the new joiner and collect details for future culture events
• Logistics: Facilitate completion of the direct deposit form and send all information on payroll, benefits, pension, and insurance
• Management: Send and review the offer of employment, health declarations, employee handbook, organizational chart, and emergency contact lists

<<Download all these onboarding checklists and put a solid procedure in place.>>

9. New employee welcome email templates

A nice welcome and introduction goes a long way toward helping a new person to fit in. You can use onboarding email templates to help. 

Here are two essential emails that you can copy and paste. Just customize the parts in brackets:

• Welcome email
• Introduction email

Next steps after employee onboarding

Completing an onboarding checklist doesn’t necessarily translate into a successful onboarding. 

After onboarding, how do you transition your new joiner to engage at the same level as other people in your team? Do you have a plan?

Find the right time

Review your team’s regular cycle of activities to determine the best time to integrate your new hire. For instance, if they start in May and annual performance management reviews are in June, it’s best to exclude them from that year’s review.

Let them know what’s expected

Communicate early and often about company procedures and expectations. 

A short email with a list or a guide in your employee HR documents file will allow them to refer back to it. After all, what’s second nature to you could be completely new to them.

Touch base throughout the first month, 90 days, and year 

Clear communication and ongoing support benefit team dynamics and overall performance. Schedule regular meetings to address goals, questions, and concerns to keep everything running smoothly. 

Get feedback on the onboarding process 

Ask for candid feedback about the onboarding process from your new joiner. Gather insights about the logistics, support, and learning curve so you can improve the process for each new person. 

Streamline onboarding with free onboarding checklists

Employee onboarding checklists can simplify the complexities of onboarding. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the excitement of welcoming a new team member, HR leaders can follow these organized checklists to lead with confidence and integrate new people into the team smoothly. 

<<Download all these onboarding checklists and integrate new joiners seamlessly.>>

Meet Bob

At HiBob, we’ve built a modern HR platform designed for modern business needs—today and beyond.

An HR platform such as Bob offers a one-stop-shop for all things HR. It sits at the center of your HR ecosystem, is fully customizable, and grows with your organization.

For HR

It delivers automation for many common processes, allows greater oversight and visibility of the business, and centralizes all people data in a secure, user-friendly environment.

For managers

It provides access to data and insights to help them lead more effectively and streamline processes.

For employees

It’s the tools and information they need to connect, develop, and grow throughout their journey.

In a short time, Bob can be deployed to enable communication, collaboration, and connectivity that drives stronger engagement, productivity, and business outcomes.

The post Welcome Onboard! Essential Employee Onboarding Checklists appeared first on HiBob.

HR leaders use Learning Management Systems (LMS) as a strategic platform to streamline learning, engage team members, and retain top talent. An LMS can provide structured training programs, track development progress, encourage a company culture of learning and growth, and much more.

How do you determine which LMS is right for your strategy? A well-crafted LMS Request for Proposal (RFP) simplifies this decision. It helps you define your learning requirements, assess potential systems, and make an informed choice.

We’ve developed a comprehensive LMS RFP template you can download and use to identify the right learning management system for your people.

<<Compare vendors and make informed decisions with our printable LMS RFP template.>>

What is an LMS RFP?

LMS RFPs invite LMS vendors to submit bids to an organization. The RFPs outline what an organization needs from an LMS, including specific functionalities and technical requirements.

Vendors respond with details about their systems, how they meet these requirements, and their plans and pricing. 

What is the purpose of an LMS RFP template?

HR leaders use LMS RFP templates to streamline the selection of an LMS. Templates like this one help systematically gather and compare the same information from various vendors. 

Potential LMS partners can submit the same information, simplifying the evaluation process and ensuring fair comparisons.

<<Ask LMS vendors the right questions with our printable LMS RFP templates.>>

Benefits of using an LMS RFP template

Using an LMS RFP template helps: 

Establish requirements 

HR leaders can use RFP templates to define their team’s learning and development needs. For example, you might require specific platform integrations, mobile accessibility, or certain reporting capabilities. 

This helps LMS vendors demonstrate how their systems can benefit an organization while enabling teams to rule out platforms that don’t meet their criteria. 

Enhance efficiency 

HR leaders use RFP templates to streamline the process of gathering and organizing critical information from potential LMS vendors. This way, they have all the data they need in one place, eliminating the need to hunt down details individually.

Standardize evaluations 

HR leaders can evaluate vendor responses against the same benchmarks to encourage an unbiased selection process. This consistency helps teams compare LMS options on the same measures, like interface usability, technical support quality, and data security standards.

Streamline the decision-making process 

With structured responses, leaders can identify the strengths and weaknesses of each LMS proposal. This saves time and minimizes the risk of missing details that could affect decision-making.

<<Compare features with our free LMS RFP template for vendor selection.>>

Types of LMS RFPs

Different LMS RFPs focus on various aspects of a learning management system’s capabilities: 

• Functional RFP: This type of RFP concentrates on the features of the LMS and asks vendors to detail how their systems can support specific educational and training operations.
• Technical RFP: This type of RFP details the technology behind the LMS. Vendors must provide information about the software’s design, compatibility with existing systems, and data security measures.
• Services RFP: This format focuses on services that accompany an LMS, such as implementation support, training for HR leaders and users, ongoing technical support, and additional services that can help the organization maximize the value of the LMS.
• Compliance RFP: Compliance RFPs are essential for organizations operating in regulated industries or with specific data handling and privacy requirements. This RFP asks vendors to explain how their systems comply with relevant laws, standards, and regulations.

HR leaders can also send a comprehensive RFP covering all these areas. This all-encompassing approach ensures every aspect of the LMS is thoroughly evaluated. 

Free LMS RFP templates

We’ve compiled the top 5 LMS RFP templates you can use to start your vendor selection. Download these templates, then use the best practices in the next chapter to refine the details and make the templates fit your needs.

1. Project overview

This section outlines the purpose, scope, and objectives of the LMS project. It typically includes explaining the need for an LMS, expected outcomes, and how the platform will fit into the broader organizational learning and development strategy.

2. Organization structure

This part details your organization’s structure, including the number of users, whether these users are on-site or remote, and what departments will use the LMS. Clarifying the audience helps vendors tailor their proposals to meet the needs of different people. 

3. LMS requirements

This section lists specific functionalities an organization needs from the LMS. It may include particular integrations for the technology they use or requests for feature customization. 

It can include both non-negotiable and optional features and categorize them by importance. 

4. Vendor information

This component requests detailed information from the vendors, such as customer testimonials, case studies, and performance metrics. This helps teams assess each vendor’s reliability and track record in delivering successful LMS solutions.

5. Pricing and budget

This section of the RFP serves two primary purposes. It asks vendors to provide detailed information on their pricing models, including implementation costs, recurring fees, support costs, and future expenses. It also discloses the organization’s budget to ensure proposals align with its financial capabilities.

<<Download these printable LMS RFP templates to find the best Learning Management System for your people.>>

Best practices for writing an LMS RFP

Consider these best practices when drafting your LMS RFP with the templates above:

1. Clearly define the scope and objectives

Start by detailing what you aim to achieve with an LMS. Include specific problems you want to solve and your learning and development goals. For example, if you’re going to enhance training accessibility for your team, specify this in the scope. 

This helps vendors understand the critical focus areas and tailor their solutions accordingly.

2. Communicate the expected outcome

Describe what success looks like for the project. Include expected benefits, performance improvements, and quantitative or qualitative goals you wish to achieve with the LMS. 

For instance, you might specify goals like reducing time to ramp up new team members. You may also consider including qualitative goals like enhancing employee satisfaction with learning resources or increasing engagement with training programs.

3. Allow for vendor flexibility

Encourage vendors to suggest creative solutions or alternative approaches to benefit your organization. You may discover innovative features and functionalities that could provide significant value to your people.

4. Tailor the LMS RFP to your company’s needs

Customize the RFP to reflect your specific learning and operational requirements. This could involve detailing your company’s unique training cycles, performance management initiatives, or specific compliance standards you need to meet.

Choose the right LMS with an LMS RFP template 

HR leaders can use the right LMS to transform your organization’s learning experience, improve engagement, and drive efficiencies. It can support diverse learning needs, adapt to various training styles, and provide robust analytics to measure the success of their learning and development initiatives.

A comprehensive LMS RFP template simplifies the decision-making process, enabling informed decisions and maximizing the impact of your learning and development programs. 

<<Compare vendors and make informed decisions with our printable LMS RFP template.>>

The post Choose the right LMS: Complete LMS RFP template appeared first on HiBob.

Parting ways with team members can be a tricky, even emotional affair. Depending on the context, it can feel like the best thing to do is limit communication and move forward with a replacement hire.

But, a team member’s exit interview presents a golden opportunity to learn about your company and how to improve retention rates and the employee experience your organization provides for the long term.

How you say farewell says a lot about your company culture and the effort you make to create a happy and healthy environment for everyone.

These days, people leave companies for all sorts of reasons, and it’s possible to give your people a positive leaving experience. This is why, as an HR leader, it’s important to carefully consider your offboarding process and include an exit interview for everyone.

Getting it right will give you specific insights into why people leave your company. This critical data will allow you to reinforce the holistic approach you take to individual satisfaction and help maintain a happy relationship with people who may return someday. 

This exit interview guide will highlight the benefits of conducting exit interviews, what to watch out for, and the questions to consider to keep things on the right track. 

Want to skip right to the interview questions? Download our free employee interview template: 

What is an exit interview? 

An exit interview is a conversation you may want to have with a team member when they’re leaving your organization. This conversation can help you gain insights into the team member’s experience working with your company and better understand why they’re resigning. 

Exit interviews are also unique opportunities to collect candid feedback. It’s best to approach them as significant learning opportunities, rather than just more elements to mark as complete on the checklist. In all likelihood, you’ll uncover issues to improve that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

It’s well worth preparing questions in advance and creating a structure for the conversation to ensure the most productive and valuable exit interviews.

Why do exit interviews matter?

Regardless of the reason behind a team member’s departure—and whether they resigned or were let go—exit interviews are an important part of a truly effective HR process. They can reveal areas for improvement and play a significant role in creating a happy and healthy working environment for all of your people.

Exit interviews are a key step in offboarding and help give people a positive experience with your company. They provide a unique setting in which people are more likely to feel comfortable sharing their true thoughts and feelings. Exit interviews also help show people that the company genuinely cares about their opinions, suggestions, and insights.

Ultimately, they’re part of creating a company culture that supports a positive employee experience and an open feedback culture. HR leaders can reduce turnover by collecting and implementing exit interview feedback by making changes to company policies and employee benefits packages to increase employee satisfaction and happiness.

A positive employee experience also has a strategic impact on your business. For example, with the prevalence of boomerang employees, parting ways with people on positive terms can have a significant impact on the likelihood of team members returning.

Who conducts exit interviews? 

People may feel more comfortable giving feedback to someone who isn’t their direct manager. Because exit interviews entail asking departing team members strategic (and sometimes, sensitive) questions, a neutral third party, like an HR representative, typically conducts them. However, managers and HR personnel may conduct the interview together depending on the company and the circumstances behind a team member’s departure.

You can conduct exit interviews in person or online and they typically take about 30 minutes to an hour. 

What kind of things can you learn from an exit interview?

• Specifics about the team member’s role. This is especially useful if you discover that it differs from how it is currently defined. It will help you create a more accurate and specific job description when recruiting a replacement.
• Opportunities for future improvements. A leaver’s candid suggestions and criticisms are a great source of information to help you identify areas of friction you can address to increase workplace happiness and improve retention in the future.
• Issues with systems or other team members. In pursuit of making your operations as efficient as possible, exit interviews can help uncover bottlenecks or issues deep within your organization.
• The most attractive benefits of the role or company. Take the positive selling points you discover and feed them into future recruitment drives to help attract and retain top talent.

What should the ideal exit interview cover?

Here are some of the main areas to consider when planning your exit interview:

Cover the basics

From time to time, people might come to exit interviews with a clear issue they’d like to discuss with you. While that’s helpful to hear about, it can quickly railroad your planned conversation and take time away from other issues. 

Keeping a checklist of the basic topics—and areas of conversation—is a great way of making sure you cover all the bases.

Discuss key relationships

Departing team members have first-hand experience working alongside colleagues and with direct managers. An exit interview is one of the only times they’ll feel comfortable giving honest feedback on their strengths and weaknesses and the specific dynamics of the team.

Reasons for leaving

Think about long-term, structural issues such as career progression, a change of environment and pay structure, as well as short-term triggers, such as specific projects, a change in team make-up, and any specific issues that might have occurred.

Any perks, benefits, and opportunities they feel are missing

In a competitive hiring environment, keeping track of the specific benefits others may be offering is key to staying in the race. Modern professionals value perks like:

• Regular learning and development opportunities
• Performance bonuses
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage
• Insurance plans 
• Wellness programs 
• Childcare support 
• Flexible work arrangements 
• Retirement plans

These are key considerations your competitors might use to attract the best talent.  Make sure to ask resigning people about how satisfactory the organization’s employee benefits are and if there’s something more they would have liked.

Further actions

Finally, if more serious information comes to light during the exit interview that warrants immediate further action, be sure to establish whether or not you can follow up with the ex-team member. This will demonstrate your willingness to address an issue and your determination to resolve it.

Pro tip: To gather the most useful data, stick to a consistent format across all of your exit interviews. This protects anonymity, keeps things fair, and helps you identify patterns.

What is an exit interview template?

An exit interview template is a helpful guide for HR leaders who want to ask open-ended questions to team members leaving the company. The questions in the template typically prompt lengthy discussions with the team members. The template can also help HR managers stay focused when conducting interviews so they can collect valuable feedback. 

The best templates include general questions about why the person is leaving, job circumstances, company culture, and work environment—information that helps you create a structure to manage your workforce effectively. It can also include questions about specific areas within the organization. 

For example, if the company uses a learning management system (LMS), the interviewer might ask questions about whether the individual found the tool useful and if it contributed to their career growth.

Exit interview questions to ask departing team members 

This exit interview structure is intended to help you keep the conversation focused and productive while creating a positive employee experience. It’s broken up into five sections. Feel free to use it as a baseline for creating your own exit interview questionnaire:

Download your employee exit interview template

Here’s your printable exit interview template. Feel free to use it as a baseline for creating your own exit interview strategy.

<<Download, print, and use this exit interview template for a proper farewell.>>

How to conduct a successful exit interview

Try some of these helpful tips the next time you conduct an exit interview. 

1. Clearly communicate the purpose of the interview

Start by clearly communicating the purpose of the exit interview to the individual. Inform the individual that you’d appreciate honest feedback about their experience in the company.

2. Offer different exit interview formats

Productive exit interviews aren’t only about the questions you ask and the way in which you steer the conversation. The format and setup of the offboarding process can also heavily influence how much the person you’re interviewing is willing to share.

People have different comfort levels when it comes to face-to-face HR meetings, so it’s worth considering offering a range of interview formats people can choose from. For instance, you might offer a written form as an alternative, or a video or phone interview in lieu of an in-person meeting.

Some team members may also feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts once their term of employment has expired since this can lift their confidence in the anonymity of the process.

3. Send exit interview questions in advance

Sending over the questions in advance can give people a chance to prepare and understand which areas you’d like to cover. That way, you’re likely to get deeper insights rather than off-the-cuff answers. However, another approach is to only provide general information about the interview questions so you can capture honest, candid feedback.

Creating a comfortable environment will help individuals tell you what they really think—and give you the most useful information possible. 

4. Choose the right date, time, and interviewer

Make it easy for the individual to take part in the interview by scheduling the exit interview as close as possible to the end of their notice period and during their workday. Choose a date and time that fits into their offboarding schedule. 

It’s also important to choose the right interviewer. Whoever you choose must be neutral and someone the person is comfortable with. For example, a leaving team member may not be comfortable giving negative feedback to their direct manager.

5. Encourage transparency and listen carefully 

Make it clear that all feedback will be confidential and used to improve organizational processes. This helps create a non-judgmental environment where people can feel comfortable expressing their opinions. 

During the interview, listen carefully to what the person has to say. Keep in mind that an exit interview is not for you to address concerns or counter team members’ opinions. It’s important to avoid being defensive. This shows you value their feedback. 

Pay attention to nonverbal feedback (tone, body language, emotions). For example, the person says they were valued and supported—but their voice lacks enthusiasm and they avoid eye contact. This indicates there’s an issue they don’t want to address. In situations like this, you can encourage people to speak up by asking open-ended questions like, “Is there anything specific that could have been better during your time here?” 

When you demonstrate genuine interest and concern, you’ll get in-depth reviews that can help improve company culture, support your current team member’s experience, and reduce attrition risk.

6. End the interview positively 

Once you’ve concluded the interview, thank the person for their time and feedback and review everything they said. You can also allow them to review their feedback before you record it in their personal file.  

Ending the interview positively reflects on the organization’s culture and reputation. It fosters goodwill even after people leave and leaves room for collaboration in the future.

Pro tip: Offer any additional support and assistance that the company can provide during their offboarding, such as providing references.

7. Document and analyze the feedback  

Document and organize the individuals’ feedback into categories such as what they liked about the organization, what they disliked, and their suggestions for growth. Analyze the feedback to find trends and patterns and make strategic improvements in company culture, internal processes, employee engagement, training and development programs, and overall job satisfaction.

This practice not only benefits current staff but can also attract future talent.

8. Keep everything confidential

Maintaining confidentiality throughout the process ensures the individual’s privacy. It’s also good practice to keep everything confidential, even after they leave. This involves storing all surveys and written and audio feedback in a secure location accessible only by authorized personnel. 

Avoid sharing specific details of the exit interview with the individual’s direct manager unless necessary.  

<<Download, print, and use these exit interview templates for a proper farewell.>>

Learn more about exit interviews

Here’s additional information to help you with conducting an exit interview:

What should you not say in an exit interview?

Treat departing team members with respect and professionalism, regardless of why they’re leaving. During the interview, try to avoid: 

• Gossip or hearsay about the individual 
• Criticisms about their performance 
• Issues that have already been addressed in the past 
• Words that make the person feel guilty about resigning 
• Asking the individual to reconsider 

Should you use the same exit interview questions each time?

Using the same exit interview questions for each departing team member can provide consistency, which allows for better comparison and analysis of data over time. It also ensures that everyone is given an equal opportunity to provide feedback on similar aspects of their experience.

However, it’s important to recognize that not all roles, relationships, or experiences within a company are the same. You can add customized questions relevant to specific departments, levels of seniority, or the circumstances surrounding the person’s departure. Include some open-ended questions to provide people with an opportunity to share their unique insights. 

<<Access all the right questions with this free exit interview template.>>

Can a departing employee decline an exit interview?

Yes, it’s okay for people to decline their exit interview. Participation in exit interviews is typically voluntary and leavers aren’t obligated to take part if they’re uncomfortable with the process.

Is an exit interview good or bad? 

An exit interview gives businesses the opportunity to collect honest feedback from departing team members. Exit interviews provide teams and businesses with a richer understanding of which internal processes (i.e., training, promotions, communication) are effective and which policies they may need to scrap or update to retain and attract new quality talent. 

For individual contributors, a constructive exit interview provides the opportunity to leave the company with a clean slate. People can provide feedback about their work experiences, voice concerns, and suggest improvements. 

Does your company need to host exit interviews?

Exit interviews aren’t required, but they’re a great way to gain insights into people’s satisfaction with your organization. 

Where should an exit interview occur?

Host exit interviews in a private area where the interviewer and departing team member feel comfortable. You can hold the meeting remotely or in person.  

Exit interviews and your future success

At the end of the day, an exit interview is likely to be the last direct experience a person has with your company. So getting it right and making sure they feel heard and respected goes a long way towards leaving them with a positive overall impression.

Adapting our exit interview questions template and preparing in advance can help you conduct productive meetings that contribute to a positive and amicable parting. You’ll reap the rewards of highly valuable feedback on what it’s like to work for your company, and your ex-team members will take away a positive final experience that they can share in conversations with friends, relatives, and future colleagues alike.

When deeply rooted in your company culture, a productive exit interview might even turn out not to be an ending after all, but merely the start of a new relationship that culminates in a valued professional’s eventual return.

The post Cultivating positive work cultures: exit interview questions template appeared first on HiBob.

Whatever your decision, when organizations change their attendance requirements,  it’s not unusual for questions (and challenges) to arise. A clear employee attendance policy—based on a comprehensive employee policy template—can help.

What is an employee attendance policy?

An employee attendance policy document sets out company expectations for work attendance and absences. Think of it as a set of boundaries or ground rules that help everyone in the business work together without conflict.

It outlines, in writing, the overview of when people are expected to be available—whether that means they’re in the office or free to jump on a video call from home.

An employee attendance policy also clarifies how your company defines and calculates absences. This empowers your people by making it easy to manage their time at work and their time off.

The attendance policy can also outline your company’s definitions around the problems that can arise with tardiness and absenteeism—and explain how you’ll manage unforeseen absences. You may also want to include an explanation of what good behavior looks like.

Finally, you can use your employee attendance policy to highlight managerial responsibilities around attendance and the standards the company expects managers to hold people to.

In general, your company’s employee attendance policy is there to offer helpful guidance to your managers and employees. It should apply to all team members regardless of their position or type of employment.

Why you should have an employee attendance policy

Every company is different, and there’s no right way to do HR or create individual policies. Still, by setting your expectations from the start with an employee attendance policy, you can improve your employee utilization rate and help everyone understand their role and contribution to the company—as well as what they can expect from their colleagues.

Here are some reasons why an employee attendance policy can be helpful—if not invaluable—for your company:

You can introduce the company culture on day one

Including your attendance policy in your employee handbook can be a great way to ensure all new hires know what the company expects of them regarding their attendance and time off. It’s also a great way to introduce your company culture and help people understand your values from day one.

You can nurture a positive working environment

Developing a robust employee attendance policy can help nurture a positive, respectful, and productive environment across your organization, improving the employee experience.

It creates the foundation for a professional space where people can rely on each other, where everyone pulls their weight, and where people work together for the collective good.

You can reduce stress for employees and managers

Life happens. Most employers understand that. But sometimes, it can happen more dramatically than we’d all like, like in the event of an accident or a severe illness. Your employee attendance policy can help avoid some of the stress around events like these.

When creating your policy, be sure to clearly define what constitutes an excused absence and provide details of who to contact to ensure someone at work knows what is happening. Generous employee attendance policies also include details about benefits like paid sick days, caregiver leave, and parental leave.

You can make life simple

Your attendance policy sets clear ground rules. It’s not there to act as Big Brother or make people feel they’re being policed. Instead, it outlines the clear and agreed-upon expectations your company has of its people.

It’s there to make people’s lives easier. With detailed definitions of time off and absences, for example, people can easily arrange a dentist trip, get the morning off to attend a school event, or book a vacation in the sun.

You can prevent problems from escalating

A company attendance policy can prevent problems like tardiness and absenteeism from escalating into written warnings or disciplinary action. Reminding someone of the agreed policy can help them remember what’s expected of them—while quietly highlighting that their actions have been noticed.

You can preserve employee morale

When people don’t show up for work regularly, it’s understandable that feelings of frustration, unhappiness, and resentment can quickly spread among those who are there and working hard.

After all, they’re the people who may need to deal with the impact of missed collective deadlines or take on heavier, unplanned workloads. And this can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. A clear reminder of the agreed attendance policy can help prevent such situations.

You can improve productivity and efficiency

When you combine flexible and fair attendance policies with a happy and satisfied workforce, you can see less individual turnover. When professionals can work on their own terms, it increases their efficiency and they are more likely to cover their shifts.

An attendance policy can help you encourage professionals to be present and engaged, fostering a positive work environment. Plus, consistent attendance can also encourage teamwork and collaboration.

You can avoid tardiness

Tardiness is when a team member consistently arrives late to work, takes unarranged breaks, or leaves early without asking permission. It might look like coming back late from lunch or disappearing to do personal errands during working hours. Whatever the reason, it’s disruptive and can cause unhappiness in the broader team, potentially impacting productivity levels.

If you need confirmation that a tardiness problem needs your attention, try introducing time and attendance management software. The software makes it easy to see who’s working and when, shows unexpected absences, and provides accurate, actionable data you can use to follow up and address the issue.

You can avoid absenteeism

Sometimes, it can take a while to notice people’s behavior. By this point, you may find yourself having to deal with an established issue. Problems like absenteeism occur when people regularly fail to show up to work when expected—or take excessive leave without being able to show a sick note when asked.

Absenteeism can escalate into job abandonment, where a person misses work without authorization, fails to show up for a specified number of days, or fails to communicate any reason for their absence.

If you find people taking advantage of your company’s more flexible working situation like this, you can schedule a meeting with them, refer to the expectations outlined in the attendance policy, and try to address the behavior with them in person. This can lead to easier planning, more cost savings, and less downtime for your business.

You can identify and rectify attendance problems quickly

Being proactive and referring people who are repeatedly late to your employee attendance policy can help to nip things in the bud. This also prevents poor attendance records that can lead to performance plans—or even a parting of ways.

Introducing an employee attendance policy can help you improve your team members’ productivity, reduce absenteeism, and set clear and consistent expectations for all your team members—leading to a happier and healthier workplace.

<<Download this free employee attendance policy template.>>

What to include in your employee attendance policy

Whether you’re implementing a new employee attendance policy to tackle ongoing attendance issues or you’re a new start-up—developing an employee attendance policy to include in your handbook helps you clarify what you expect of your team members.

Your company’s employee attendance policy will be unique to your culture and business needs, but, in general, it should include:

Include a policy scope stating the overall purpose of your attendance policy and who it applies to. For example: “This [organization’s name] attendance policy aims to streamline operations and foster a supportive work environment by encouraging regular attendance for all team members.”

1. The company’s employee attendance policy scope

Include a policy scope stating the overall purpose of your attendance policy and who it applies to. For example: “This [organization’s name] attendance policy aims to streamline operations and foster a supportive work environment by encouraging regular attendance for all team members.”

2. Definition of standard employee attendance terms

Clearly define team member’s attendance terms, including:

• Absence: An absence refers to any occasion when a team member does not report for their scheduled hours.
• Excused absences: Excused absences are when an individual is absent but has notified HR or their manager in advance. It covers maternity and paternity leave, Paid Time Off (PTO), and time off in lieu (TOIL).
• Unexcused or unauthorized absences: This refers to instances when someone fails to report to work and does not have an acceptable justification or prior approval for their absence.
• Absenteeism: If an individual is consistently absent from work without prior approval, it’s considered chronic or excessive absenteeism.
• Job abandonment: This is a situation in which a team member fails to report to work for a consecutive number of days without notice, often without intending to return.
• Tardiness: This happens when a team member arrives later than their scheduled work shift or returns late from a break.
• Sick days: Sick days are paid or unpaid days off that team members can take when they are unable to work due to illness or injury. The provisioning and use of sick days may be impacted by labor laws or collective bargaining agreements.
• Early departure: Early departure refers to a person clocking out of a shift before the end of the workday shift.
• Leave of absence: A leave of absence is an extended period of time off work granted by a company. Leaves of absence can be paid or unpaid.
• No-Call, No-Show: This is when a team member fails to show up for work without informing a manager.

Use simple and clear language that leaves no room for confusion in your attendance policy.

3. Work attendance expectations

Communicate the number of hours professionals are expected to work in a day and a week. Specify whether there’s a standard work time (9 am-5 pm) or whether professionals can decide when to start and finish their workday as long as they meet the required hours. Make sure to define what is considered tardiness, an excused or unexcused absence, early departures, and any other of the attendance terms that are organization-specific.

Then, explain how you track time and attendance, including manual time tracking, time clocks, time tracking software, timesheets, or GPS clock-in.

4. A clear procedure for reporting unplanned time off

Unplanned time off leads to understaffing and downtime. This can impact a business’s bottom line and adds unexpected work to team members’ plates.

To minimize incidences where management is unaware of an absence before it’s too late, include a clear procedure for reporting unplanned time off. Specify the time frame for professionals to report to their manager and the channel to communicate the message.

5. A clear procedure for requesting planned time off or leave

You should also set a structured process for individuals to request planned time off or leave. Professionals should know how to fill out requests, who to submit them to, and how many days in advance they need to inform HR or management.

The easiest way for team members to manage time off is with best-in-class employee management software. Team members can send requests via apps or platforms and HR and line managers can approve them within minutes.

6. Realistic consequences of not following the attendance policy

To ensure compliance with the guidelines in your attendance policy, disciplinary actions should be realistic and match the attendance issue. For example, it wouldn’t be fair to fire an individual for being an hour late once.

Disciplinary actions should also be nuanced and consider special factors like previous individual attendance records and on-the-job performance.

Some consequences for consistent unexcused lateness, leave, and absences may be:

• Verbal or written warnings
• Performance improvement plans
• Deduction of PTO
• Disciplinary meetings with HR
• Temporary suspension or demotion

In extreme cases, unexcused absences or tardies may even lead to termination without severance pay.

The first step before taking disciplinary action is to speak with team members and determine the reason for multiple absences. Are they dealing with personal issues? Is it confusing for them to report absences? Supporting your people shows that you care about them and are willing to help them comply with the attendance policy.

7. Optional elements of an employee attendance policy

To enrich your employee attendance policy with more information than standard policies, you can include details like:

• What a good attendance record looks like
• If there are rewards for great attendance
• A point system (if you offer that)
• Flexible working options
• Any attendance exemptions

8. Managerial responsibilities

Including managerial responsibilities in the policy boosts manager accountability and ensures managers know their obligations and what specific actions to take when handling individual attendance-related issues.

Clearly outlining managerial responsibilities instructs managers as to how the organization expects them to monitor attendance and report cases of absenteeism, time off, and other absence concerns. Specifying managerial responsibilities in your policy also ensures managers know when they’re responsible for handling attendance issues on their own and in what circumstances they need to involve other parties, like their human resources business partner (HRBP).

9. Employee sign-off

Include a sign-off at the end of the policy to make sure each team member has agreed to adhere to your organization’s attendance guidelines and procedures. In the future, if there are any disputes about the attendance policy, you can reference the sign-off.

<<Download this free employee attendance policy template.>>

Best practices for implementing your employee attendance policy

Try implementing these best practices to ensure your employee attendance policy is free of errors or gaps people might take advantage of:

Understand your current company culture

You’ll want to create an attendance policy that aligns with your company’s culture and values.

If your organization has a relaxed culture that prioritizes work-life balance, a more lenient attendance policy with flexible schedules can give team members more autonomy over their time and allow people to work when they feel most productive.

Provide accessibility and accommodations

Provide documentation that helps managers handle special circumstances and exceptions like medical appointments or family emergencies. For example, for employers in the US, the FMLA Fact Sheet #280 specifies who is entitled to take sudden leave if they’re dealing with severe mental health issues.

Including accommodation for special situations helps managers recognize and support their people when health or other sensitive personal issues might affect their attendance and performance.

Offer your people supportive resources

Team members are human–they may be dealing with personal challenges that affect their work performance. Sometimes, people are repeatedly late or absent. They may be dealing with health issues, taking care of a family member, or even living far away because they can’t afford to live closer to the office. Regardless of the reason, offering an employee attendance policy that prioritizes team members’ mental and physical health boosts morale and supports healthy workplace cultures.

Consider offering counseling services or an employee assistance program (EAP). These services give your people access to third-party organizations that provide financial guidance, legal counseling, diet and fitness programs, and therapy to support them through challenging times that may impact their attendance and performance.

Consider employee buy-in

Be open to receiving feedback from team members and use it to tweak your attendance policy. You don’t have to implement every change they suggest, but it’s hard to implement a policy team members don’t support.

Ensure legal compliance

Government labor and employment laws specify attendance management guidelines.

For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles certain individuals to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave while maintaining their health benefits. To avoid legal complications, be sure to craft a policy that complies with local and national labor laws.

Take steps to improve employee attendance

If your team members don’t show up on time and forget to call in, show up late multiple times without a valid reason, or don’t email about absences, you may need to take further steps to improve attendance.

Before jumping straight to warnings or disciplinary action, do your best to find the root causes of people’s attendance issues and work as a team to solve them. You can have meetings, send out surveys, or conduct interviews where you encourage team members to speak honestly about what is affecting their attendance and how you can help.

Learn more about employee attendance policies

Here are a few FAQs on employee attendance policies:

What is the acceptable number of absences per year?

All companies and teams are different but as a rule of thumb, the “acceptable” number of absences per year is 1.5 percent of total expected attendance. Anything above this can imply team members are burnt out, stressed, or lack motivation. Absence levels below 1.5 can imply team members are afraid to miss work regardless of their health—which is not good.

These numbers also depend on labor laws and regulations in different jurisdictions.

How many absences are excessive at work?

Excessive absenteeism is when a team member’s absences exceed the acceptable amount defined by the company’s attendance policy.

Every company has its own definition of what constitutes excessive versus healthy absences within specific time frames. For example, using 10 days of annual paid time off (PTO) falls within policy and is considered acceptable standard practice. On the other hand, not showing up for work for three days without warning or regularly calling in 10 minutes before a shift begins can be considered excessive.

Access a free employee attendance policy template

With an effective employee attendance policy, you’ll create a workplace where your people can thrive. Your team members will know when to be at work, when you expect them to be available, and what to do if they’re late—or need to be absent.

One size doesn’t fit all, but with clear conversations and some careful planning and adjustments, you can develop an employee attendance policy that meets your business’s needs. Download the template as a guide to put a clear and simple company attendance policy in place for your team members today.

Once it’s written and agreed upon, include your employee attendance policy in your employee handbook. Ask new and existing team members to sign and date it so you have a record that everyone in the business has read, understood, and agreed to your policy.

<<Download this free employee attendance policy template.>>

The post Free step-by-step guide: employee attendance policy template appeared first on HiBob.

Using an employee directory template can streamline this process and make it easy to access vital contact information across your organization. It also helps foster transparency and efficiency across communications channels.

Why is this so critical? As any organization grows, it becomes harder for people to form direct, personal relationships with their colleagues. 

Social scientists have found that we can only maintain close relationships with a relatively small group of people—beyond a certain point, it becomes too difficult to sustain the interactions required. Dunbar’s number famously suggests that we can only form close connections with 150 people on average, although this varies widely depending on the individual.

That means that for many of your people—not to mention HR leaders themselves—it becomes difficult to remember “who does what” once you move beyond a team of 100, 50, or even 25 professionals.

And that’s not all. Hybrid and remote work has dispersed teams more widely than ever, with colleagues spread out between different rooms, offices, countries, and working hours. With increasingly globalized workforces, these trends will likely continue to grow.

So, how can HR leaders help people stay connected? When people’s behavior and productivity at work become defined by structural relationships rather than personal ones, it’s easy for your culture to evolve into one of transactional arrangements. That removes many possibilities for collaboration, efficiency savings, and an environment that boosts happiness and creativity.

You can solve this problem using employee directories, which provide a single platform where you can store all employee-related data. Regardless of how much your workforce grows, an employee directory ensures you always have a handle on key information about your people. Using a well-designed employee directory template can also help optimize workforce management and simplify collecting people data.

What is an employee directory?

An employee directory is a database that holds key information about your people. Its scope varies: It could include everything from basic data such as names, photos, and job descriptions to more complex culture-focused information. It’s an indispensable tool for keeping track of your teams, collating important details, and sharing information with your people.

Typically, your employee directory will be a part of your Human Resources Information System (HRIS) or Human Capital Management (HCM) system, which allows it to integrate directly with all your other HR resources. For organizations without top-tier people tech, it’s also possible to maintain a separate shared spreadsheet with all the information you need.

The most user-friendly employee directories make it easy to search for information and scroll through quickly. The easier it is to use, the more useful it’s likely to be, which also means that reliably keeping it up to date as people’s circumstances or roles change within your company is crucial.

Related employee directory terms

When discussing employee directories, you’ll often hear these related terms:

Staff directory: A comprehensive listing of all members of an organization, typically including their contact information and job titles.

Workforce directory: A centralized resource containing information about people and their roles within a corporate entity.

Employee list: A roster or compilation of individuals employed by a company, usually including names, positions, and sometimes contact details.

Organizational chart (org chart): A visual representation of an organization’s hierarchical structure showing relationships between departments, teams, and individuals.

Corporate address book: A directory containing contact information for employees and key personnel within a corporate environment.

Employee photo directory: An employee directory that includes photographs alongside contact details and other pertinent information.

The benefits of having an employee directory

An employee directory provides several benefits that improve organizational efficiency and collaboration. Some include:

Easier collaboration and communication

Your employee directory will be accessible to everyone in your organization, making it easier for them to build connections, communicate with one another, and collaborate on projects.

Time savings

Employee directories typically list staff by department, role, and responsibility. This can save a huge amount of time by helping people immediately identify who to contact when they have a particular question or need. In today’s world of liquid teams and flexible and remote work structures, seeing who can help with your problem has never been more useful.

Even in a medium-sized company, it’s hard to keep track of who works where and does what. A digital employee directory does all that hard work for you, ensuring proper employee utilization.

Staff can double-check who was in the latest meeting, get the answers they need faster, and start their important tasks sooner instead of spending loads of time searching for someone’s contact information.

Assess staffing needs

An employee directory is an indispensable tool for HR leaders to assess staffing needs. Filter by department, role, location, or skill set to quickly identify gaps in your teams and keep private notes about staff members.

You can use your employee directory to find all your team members’ contact information in one centralized location. A directory also helps you streamline your workforce planning process and quickly reach your people during a crisis.

Easier onboarding

An employee directory facilitates smoother onboarding for new hires by providing quick access to team information, structures, and key contacts. This visibility helps new team members integrate seamlessly into company culture and workflow.

It also assists HR during onboarding by introducing new hires to their co-workers, improving productivity and engagement from day one.

How to create an employee directory

Creating an employee directory involves several key steps to ensure accuracy and accessibility. Follow these guidelines to create an effective employee directory:

Use your HR platform

Typically, your employee directory will be built into your HR platform. This makes it easy to create, update, and access information and supports clear and frequent communication among your people.

If this sounds familiar, you won’t need to use an employee contact list template like the one below. Instead, you can simply activate the feature within your core HR platform and let it do the legwork for you.

Your directory will also automatically integrate with the rest of your system, reducing the updating you need to do and maintaining information consistency across your records.

Create an employee directory spreadsheet

If your business doesn’t use an HRIS or HCM, you can manually create a decent employee directory using a spreadsheet and leverage dropdown menus, filters, and conditional formatting.

However, if you’re doing this work manually, make sure your directory is centrally located and accessible to everyone. It’s also important to institute a thorough process for updating and verifying the information it holds. After all, it should improve your people’s efficiency—not contain outdated information that sends them in the wrong direction.

<<Make your life easier with these free employee directory templates.>>

You can also build employee directories with software that allows you to input and update your people’s information, customize the layouts, and ensure accessibility for all team members.  The best employee directory software integrates seamlessly with your other HR tools to streamline your workflows and maintain consistency for your team.

What to include in an employee directory

When making your employee directory, it’s important to include comprehensive information that helps facilitate effective communication and collaboration within your organization.

Consider including the following in your employee directory:

1. Basic employee contact information

Any good employee contact list template provides all the essential information you need in your directory. This includes categories such as name, job title, place of work, photo, and contact information.

However, while this information is important, modern HR leaders know that these don’t get deep enough. To support your work culture, you need more layers of detail.

2. Employee skills and abilities

Include specialist skills and abilities in your employee directory to help identify subject matter experts, facilitate skill-based project assignments, and encourage knowledge sharing among teams.

This information also allows people to identify colleagues with specific skill sets or expertise quickly, enabling better problem-solving and improving team efficiency.

3. Interests and hobbies

Help your teams build stronger relationships and make unexpected connections by including interests and hobbies in your employee directory that your people might not otherwise know about (like sports, art, and other hobbies). 

This additional layer of personal information can promote a more connected and collaborative work environment, encouraging people to engage with each other beyond their immediate roles and responsibilities.

4. Other important information

Other information can also be helpful. If, for example, you have a birthday cake tradition, think about dedicating a portion of your employee directory to food allergies and dietary preferences. This way, you can be sure you’re including everyone at special events (and that no one accidentally buys a regular cake for someone with gluten intolerance).

Enhancing the information you store allows your people to connect according to shared interests and helps create a more fun and inclusive work culture.

Your employee directory template

Ready to make life simple?

Top tip: Think about who will have access to your directory and whether you want to make any of it private for only certain people to view.

<<Download these employee directory templates and add details that help employees connect.>>

Best practices for making and using employee directories

Now that you have your employee directory template, here are some best practices to keep in mind when creating and managing it.

Include an organizational chart

Think of an organizational chart as a visual roadmap of your company’s structure. It lays out who reports to whom and illustrates the hierarchy and relationships between people within your organization.

Including an org chart in your employee directory clarifies team connections, hierarchy, and roles within the organization. It also promotes understanding and collaboration across departments and levels.

Offer a people search function

Implement a robust search feature to make it easy for people to find colleagues. This allows quick lookups based on name, department, or job role, saving time and encouraging connectivity.

Consider what employees to include

When deciding which employees to include in the directory, it’s important to ensure comprehensive coverage across all departments and locations. Consider adding:

Full-time staff: These are the core workforce of the organization, contributing to day-to-day operations. Including them in your directory ensures that all vital team members are readily accessible for communication and collaboration.

Part-time staff: These team members typically work on tasks not delegated to full-time staff. Including them in the directory ensures their full-time colleagues can easily reach out to them when needed.

Contractors: Companies hire contractors for specialized tasks or projects. Recording them in the directory promotes collaboration between in-house staff and contractors so everyone involved in a special project can easily contact one another.

Consultants: Organizations use consultants for various reasons, including gaining external, objective advice, accessing consultants’ specialized expertise, or simply as temporary help during a one-time project, where hiring permanent employees is not necessary or practical.

While creating an inclusive directory is important, you may not want to include your part-time contractors or consultants. You may also not want to add:

• Interns 
• Vendors/suppliers 
• Confidential roles like executives or security personnel

And, of course, it’s helpful to promptly remove any people who are no longer at the company to avoid any confusion with current or new team members.

Determine who can access the employee directory

It’s also important to set permissions to control who can view and update directory information. For example, you may want to grant updating access only to HR personnel, view-only access to full-time employees, and no access to external contractors. Setting permissions helps ensure that only the right people have the right level of access to your directory. This helps safeguard privacy and maintain the integrity of your directory as a trusted resource within your organization.

Learn more about employee directories

Here are some frequently asked questions and helpful resources to maximize the effectiveness of employee directories:

How do I find a company’s employee directory?

Check your company’s intranet or employee portal. Depending on the organization, the employee directory might not be accessible to all team members.

What is an Excel employee directory template?

An Excel employee directory template is a customizable spreadsheet companies use to organize and manage employee information. It typically includes columns for names, job titles, contact details, and other relevant data.

While Excel may be suitable for smaller teams, an employee directory that can scale with you is a better choice for larger or growing teams.

For example, best-in-class, comprehensive employee directory templates enable you to enhance the information you store and allow your people to connect according to shared interests.

With this free template, you can create a directory to help you build an inclusive work culture and promote open communication among your teams.

<<Download the free employee directory template.>>

What does a staff directory look like?

Like an employee directory, a staff directory typically includes employee names, photos, job titles, contact information, and sometimes additional details like department, location, or skills. It provides a visually appealing and informative overview of the organization’s workforce.

Exploring these resources and tools can help you optimize your approach to creating and utilizing employee directories to improve connectivity and productivity.

An employee directory is more than just a phone book

Building a more detailed and culture-driven people directory will help your teams find more significant areas of connection.

Not only will that improve their happiness and satisfaction at work, but it can also lead to unexpected collaborations on projects that require specialist skills—which don’t appear in anyone’s job description.

By creating and maintaining an up-to-date and intuitive directory, you can help your teams learn from each other, reach out to each other, and grow together, building a better, happier, and more productive company culture.

Download our Employee Directory Template to get started on building a more connected workplace!

Meet Bob

Bob’s robust HR features make it easier for you to put your people first. The platform’s culture and engagement features give team members a sense of belonging whether they’re working on-site, hybrid, or remotely.

Bob’s People Directory lets you search for people and see their titles, photos, and who they report to. The platform’s org chart also displays the relationships between people, teams, and departments. You can even create your own customized org chart using multiple layers of data—and sort it according to hobbies, superpowers, gender pronouns, sites, or a category of your creation.

Bob’s complete HR system also provides solutions for:

• Workforce Planning: Optimize workforce productivity and build a strategic hiring plan that tracks current and future position openings
• Hiring: Streamline applicant tracking and interviews, build a strong candidate pipeline, and provide a seamless hiring experience that puts people first
• Onboarding: Use Bob’s onboarding walkthroughs to automate your onboarding process and give your people the best welcome experience
• Payroll: Reduce payroll preparation time from hours to minutes with a centralized dashboard for managing all payroll-related data
• Core HR: Automate HR processes, create reports, and store all HR documentation on a single, easily accessible platform.
• People Analytics: Track KPIs like growth, retention, headcount, and absenteeism to gain insights into your people

Bob’s breadth of Core HR (and more!) gives your team everything you need to operate efficiently and stay people-focused.

The post Keep your team connected: employee directory template appeared first on HiBob.

A bold statement? Yes, but one easily proved. 

Not sure what an ATS does? Put simply, an ATS manages the hiring process and helps you recruit the right people into the right teams at the right times. As you might imagine, this means a more seamless, engaging, and efficient hiring experience for candidates and colleagues. 

But more than this, an applicant tracking system’s features can centralize your data, acting as a one-stop shop for all things recruitment. Some employers then integrate their ATS with their wider human capital management (HCM) software and systems to add another dimension to their data analysis. 

The gold standard is when an employer uses a ‘hire-to-retire’ approach—using a single platform, like an HCM that includes an ATS, to hire and onboard candidates and engage, develop, and eventually offboard employees. 

Having one system supporting the entire employee lifecycle means fewer systems and software, which usually leads to impressive cost, training, and provider support benefits.

However, not all ATS are the same. Different providers’ ATS offer different features, support different stretches of the hiring process, and, of course, require different levels of time and financial investment. 

So, it’s vital that you choose your ATS carefully. 

At a minimum, a good ATS makes hiring simpler for your HR team and speeds up the administrative elements of the process. Pick the wrong ATS, though, and you may need help to get straightforward tasks done, put good candidates off with poor comms, or lose the perfect candidate through cracks in your system. 

The solution? This applicant tracking system features checklist. It’s a play-by-play of what the market has on offer as a whole, so you can laser in on what you really need and the ATS platforms that provide it. 

Selecting the right applicant tracking system

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a startup or a large organization with offices around the globe. The challenge of choosing an ATS provider is simpler when you take a three-step, resource-discover-align approach. 

Step one: resource a team

It won’t come as a surprise that things get done if your people have clearly-defined responsibilities in the procurement process. However, the individuals you choose to pick out the right ATS can greatly affect the result.

You need HR leaders who’ll keep hiring strategy front-of-mind. However, HR ‘doers’ should also be included, as they understand the day-to-day challenges and can see how an ATS will work in practice. Then, there are other specialists: from IT, to ensure the ATS will integrate smoothly, and procurement or finance, to make sure you get value for money. 

Step two: discover your hiring requirements 

Once your team’s in place, speak to stakeholders across the business to determine what different departments and managers want from an ATS. These conversations should be two-way streets: use this checklist to explain the ATS tools and features available and how they can improve the way you hire.

Pretty soon, you should have an ATS requirements document listing your must-have features. Keep coming back to it as you map out exactly what the final ATS (and your hiring process) might look like.

Step three: align your requirements with your ATS provider

With so many ATS providers out there, that carefully developed requirements document will start paying dividends immediately as you use it to select providers whose ATS can match your list of requirements. 

Naturally, compromises might need to be made. Expect to cull some less-important requirements to create a shortlist of capable ATS candidates.

<< Click to download a printable PDF of this checklist >>

ATS features: understanding their breadth and impact on your organization

An ATS’ features, while varied, can be broadly filed together under three different areas. 

An ATS can put all your data in one place, giving you better visibility of your hiring projects and candidate pipeline. The best ATS then harnesses this data to give you better management information and insights. These insights can be exponentially more powerful if your hiring data is merged with your wider employee data streams, as part of a hire-to-retire setup.

An ATS usually leads to a tech stack reduction: so everyone uses a single piece of hiring software rather than a collection of spreadsheets, packages, and applications. This cuts out manual tasks for hiring teams and streamlines operations (just the administrative and collaborative elements. No one’s built an ATS yet that can make sure stakeholders take actions the instant they’re required!). 

Lastly, ATS features improve candidate experiences. There’s more to this than well-formatted offer and rejection emails. Things like pre-filled forms and responsive design make the process of applying for roles simpler and more engaging—improving the perception of your employer brand and helping you stand apart from rival employers. Equally, your hiring teams get a better experience, helping them work and collaborate more efficiently and effectively. 

Look for an ATS that allows you to have all your data in one place

Lighthouse Research & Advisory 2024 Talent Acquisition Trends Study showed that 56 percent of all employers and 75 percent of SMEs struggle to keep accurate and consistent recruitment data because they use multiple systems. 

It’s difficult to use this disjointed information. Effectively, you’re comparing apples with pasta. You can’t draw proper conclusions or back up strategy with proven facts. It’s also a key reason why less than half of all companies provide talent acquisition metrics to their Boards. 

An ATS streamlines this workflow. It provides a single source of truth for your HR professionals, hiring managers, talent acquisition specialists, finance colleagues, and financial planning and analysis strategists. You can link hiring to performance and retention, and hiring operations can properly align to wider businesses resourcing plans. 

As part of a hire-to-retire platform, an ATS can complete the map of your entire employee lifecycle—bringing recruitment and retention together to deliver compelling insights. 

Look for an ATS that reduces your tech stack and creates more efficient processes 

According to industry analyst Josh Bersin, “The average large company has 80+ HR tools and many global companies have twice that!”. That’s a lot of time and money wasted on procurement, implementation, licenses, and training. 

This excludes the constant refocusing of minds, the switching between systems, the different forms of collaboration, and the processing of all your data, comms, and content. With 54 percent of companies expecting an increase in hiring volumes this year (according to Lighthouse Research & Advisory 2024 Talent Acquisition Trends Study), you have a perfect storm of tech slowdown where systems and processes hinder, rather than help, your people. 

With just one ATS (or wider hire-to-retire platform), employers can save money by cutting subscriptions to multiple applications. Operations are streamlined, so colleagues can pick up (and run) processes quicker. 

Security is naturally tightened, as your data is with fewer providers. Plus, your people can focus more on collaborating and giving candidates a better experience. In fact, it’s the #1 way employers who find automation efficiencies are reinvesting that time. 

Look for an ATS that provides a consistent user experience, both for internal users and candidates

When looking at your ATS options, it’s worth noting Matt Ferguson’s (CEO CareerBuilder) take on matching your requirements to an ATS’ features: “Companies are willing to accept less functionality just to have their technology with a single platform.”

This is where it helps to step back, look at the bigger picture, and make sure your platform’s easy to adopt and gets everyone on board.

For users, an all-in-one, hire-to-retire HCM platform that includes an ATS means just one system for them to learn, log into, and manage. In terms of hiring, this frictionless process makes it easier for colleagues to engage more deeply activities, collaborate at speed, and get access to your HR team’s methods and advice. 

On the candidate side, a disjointed application process increases the risk they’ll drop out of your process. A joined-up, consistent, on-brand candidate journey shows employers in their best light. 

Candidates find it easier to grasp what you stand for, and those who share your values will then be more inclined to make you their employer of choice. Conversely, poor experiences can potentially lead to candidates misjudging who you are, leading to wrong-fit hires.

Looking beyond simply being better at hiring, here’s a really interesting stat: according to Lighthouse Research & Advisory 2024 Talent Acquisition Trends Study, only 15 percent of companies say they have a highly personalized, engaging, and compliant onboarding process. That’s an opportunity to have a competitive advantage over 85 percent of the employment market. 

Applicant tracking system requirements checklist

<< Click to download this list as a PDF >>

What to consider when implementing an ATS within your HCM strategy

When introducing a new or switching to a different ATS, it’s important to consider how it fits alongside the rest of your human capital management software. 

The big questions to ask are around how much impact it will have and whether there are any potential gains (or reductions) with economies of scale. There are three main ways to implement an ATS: standalone, unconnected to any other HR tools; integrated with a different HCM; or as part of an end-to-end HCM solution. 

A standalone ATS still elevates your hiring activities—and is likely to give your team the ability to advertise, filter, interview, select, and offer with ease. However, when integrated with another HCM, there’s the added potential of merging datasets across the employee lifecycle and mining ever-stronger management information. 

This power is enhanced even further when the ATS is one tool within an end-to-end HCM solution, providing seamless comms, comprehensive MI, and possible savings when compared to working with multiple providers. 

An ATS is your ticket to achieving hiring success

Huge numbers of leading organizations use ATS software in one form or another. Many of these systems provide great returns—saving HR teams’ time and improving hiring ROI. However, their influence doesn’t have to stop there.

Additionally, an ATS can give HR leaders (and their teams) greater visibility of the hiring process, helping to smoothly roll out resourcing strategies. Having all your data in one place can also provide detailed insights that evolve those strategies. 

Then, there are the benefits of using a unified system. Reducing your tech stack not only reduces the time it takes to administer hiring process. It helps people across your organization engage more easily with hiring practices. 

Finally, there’s the consistent user experience. An ATS can basically make an employer look good and, if your ATS is part of an end-to-end solution, it’s a look that continues into employment. 

When delivered by a provider who also offers great support and flexibility, an ATS is more than simply an administrative tool. It helps you find, win over, and onboard the very best talent. More widely, it informs, guides, and reacts to the evolving needs of your HR strategy. 

For many HR leaders, their ATS is the best hire they’ve ever made. 

The post Must-have features: applicant tracking system checklist appeared first on HiBob.

You could spend hours trawling through hundreds of resumes to find the perfect candidate—and things have gotten even more challenging on the hiring front with no end in sight to the “Forever War for Talent.” This is why an efficient hiring process is vital for attracting and retaining top talent. 

But how do you create an efficient recruitment process, especially if your HR and Talent Acquisition teams are juggling multiple HR tech systems for planning, hiring, and onboarding? 

In an ideal world, every organization would have a single, comprehensive data source that encompasses the entire employee lifecycle from initial planning for a role through hiring—and even up to retirement—with robust lifecycle analytics. The whole process would create an exceptional candidate experience and ensure easy collaboration between every stakeholder involved in hiring (from your Talent Acquisition team and hiring managers to HR and Finance), where they can all join forces in one place.

The trick is to start small. A hiring process checklist can help.

When you use a hiring process template, you can simplify and optimize your recruitment efforts. From defining the role requirements to conducting interviews and making offers, a well-structured checklist for hiring talent ensures that you don’t overlook any essential recruitment task—and that your candidates feel valued every step of the way.

You can proactively address each stage of the hiring journey with a recruiting template and create a clear recruitment process that saves time and enhances the quality of your hires. 

We designed the checklist in this guide as a hiring process co-pilot. Use it to support you through the hiring journey and reach your recruitment goals.

What is a hiring process?

An effective hiring process helps you build a high-performing and talented team. It also enhances retention.

A hiring process is how an organization discovers, evaluates, and onboards new team members. The best ones have simple workflows and collaborative processes that involve every stakeholder in the hiring journey. 

Stand-out hiring processes use exceptional HR tech to draw on the support of every stakeholder to navigate through a pool of applicants and pick out those who best align with your company’s culture, values, and job requirements.

Exceptional HR platforms provide a unified journey for everyone involved:

• Your Talent Acquisition teams can use it to bring in the best talent from the best sources — including data on internal mobility, untapped skills in your current workforce, and employee referrals
• Your hiring managers can use it for easy candidate communication that is seamlessly incorporated into their everyday workflows and create tasks designed to provide more control and visibility into the hiring pipeline
• Your HR and Finance teams can use it to create workflows for planning and approving new positions that fall within the established budget and leverage lifecycle analytics to measure the efficacy of the company’s growth strategy

Why use a hiring process checklist?

A hiring process checklist or recruitment process template enables everyone involved to navigate through the recruitment landscape with greater ease, ensuring a quick and methodical evaluation of applicants and a positive candidate experience. 

It also helps you create a structured and organized approach toward hiring the right talent for your organization whether you’re leveraging HR tech or not.

A checklist gives you a clear path to follow, outlining the necessary steps of the hiring process. It ensures you don’t miss any critical tasks during the recruitment process, resulting in better hiring outcomes.

<<Simplify your recruitment. Download our free hiring process checklist.>>

The 8-step hiring process checklist 

Recruitment is a challenging task that requires careful planning and strategy. The comprehensive hiring process checklist below ensures you carefully plan and execute each of the hiring process steps, helping you attract, evaluate, and onboard top talent.

Before diving in, let’s take a closer look at each step of the recruiting process template.

1. Preparation

This step is where you set up the groundwork for successful recruitment. It involves assembling a hiring team and determining resources for the hiring process.

It’s worth considering—along with your team—why you’re hiring for the role, and what your goals are. It’s important to align organizational objectives with the job description, role requirements, and ensure the headcount budget allotted to it meets or exceeds market benchmarks. By clarifying this early on, you can attract relevant candidates who embody your company’s values and goals. 

2. Sourcing and attracting candidates

Once you have a clear idea of the role’s requirements and your ideal candidate, it’s time to source applications. 

Crafting compelling job postings that showcase your company culture and unique selling points can attract candidates who are the right fit for the role. 

Promote your job postings on job boards, social media platforms, and professional networks. When promoting a job opening on different platforms, consider broadening where you post so you can reach a more diverse group of people. 

Are you sourcing candidates globally or from a particular region? Encourage people from marginalized groups to apply, so you can ensure everyone has an opportunity to be a part of your organization, no matter their background. 

Is the position totally remote, hybrid, or office-based? Flexibility will open the doors to more talented candidates worldwide and make your workplace more accessible to differently-abled team members or people living outside a reasonable home-to-office commute.

It’s also a good idea to think about where your ideal candidates spend their time online and focus your efforts on posting job ads on those platforms. For example, if you want to reach Gen Z candidates, consider posting job openings on TikTok. 

Remember that you can source candidates from within your organization, too. Internal recruitment is a low-cost way to fill a role, speeds up the onboarding process, and provides career progression opportunities for your people.

3. Screening and shortlisting applicants

Now that you’ve advertised the job, you’ll soon receive many applications. The next step is to screen and shortlist applicants.

You can screen applications efficiently by developing screening criteria based on the job requirements and necessary qualifications. ATS and pre-employment assessments can support the screening process and help you identify candidates who have the required skills and experience for the role.

4. Interviewing candidates

Conducting structured interviews that focus on both technical skills and cultural fit is important for evaluating a candidate’s abilities and ensuring they align with your company’s values.

Using behavioral interview techniques and asking situational questions can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s problem-solving capabilities and interpersonal skills. 

And by giving a candidate the space to ask questions, you’ll help them feel at ease while also gaining a deeper insight into what’s important to them. 

5. Assessments

Once you’ve conducted the initial interviews and identified your top contenders, it’s time to put the remaining candidates’ abilities to the test. 

Design a practical exercise that assesses whether candidates have the right skills for the job. Consider using real-life scenarios or case studies to test their problem-solving skills—they’re a great way to gauge how candidates approach challenges they’ll face in the role and whether they embody company values.

6. Panel interview

In this final interview stage, you can set up a panel that includes relevant team members (such as the hiring manager, secondary manager, department heads, and even individual contributors).

During the panel interviews, it’s helpful to talk through each candidate’s approach to the skills assessment. This is your team’s chance to ask any remaining questions or answer any of the candidate’s questions, before making a final hiring decision.

7. Reference checks and background verification

At this point, you’ll have a couple of talented candidates in mind for the available position. 

It’s important to verify their information through background screenings to validate their qualifications. To ensure they meet legal requirements, it’s worth confirming their residency status and right to work in your country, too.

Checking references from previous employers and conducting background checks can help mitigate risks. It confirms the candidate’s work history and qualifications so you and your hiring team can feel confident before making a decision. 

8. Offer negotiation and onboarding

Now it’s time for your hiring team to choose a candidate for the role and make an offer. 

Negotiation will come into play here. This involves finalizing the terms of employment, discussing salary and benefits, and presenting a job offer that meets the candidate’s expectations. 

If the candidate accepts, the onboarding process begins. You can help the new hire become familiar with their role and feel comfortable in the workplace by providing any necessary training and support.

A positive onboarding experience sets the new hire up for success and promotes retention.

Your hiring process checklist

<<Simplify your recruitment. Download our free hiring process checklist.>>

How long does the hiring process take?

On average, the hiring process takes around 48 days. But this can vary depending on position seniority, the number of interviews, internal approval procedures, background checks, and the responsiveness of both the employer and the candidates.

Higher-level positions tend to have a longer progressive hiring process due to the complexity and importance of the role.

Hiring process best practices

Here are some best practices to keep in mind that will enhance your hiring process:

• Offer timely feedback. Providing prompt feedback to candidates after interviews shows professionalism and respect for their time. Clear communication throughout the hiring process contributes to a positive candidate experience.
• Prioritize diversity and inclusion. You can prioritize diversity and inclusion in your hiring process by writing inclusive job descriptions, focusing outreach efforts on marginalized groups, and ensuring all shortlisting is fair. Embracing different perspectives and backgrounds within your organization leads to more innovation, higher productivity levels, and greater profits.
• Assess recruiting metrics. Recruiting metrics such as time-to-hire, quality of hire, and the applicant drop-off rate can give you valuable insights that help you improve the hiring process.
• Continuous improvement. Gathering feedback from both successful and unsuccessful applicants can help you refine your recruitment process and improve hiring outcomes. Continuous improvement ensures your talent acquisition strategies stay relevant and effective for attracting top talent.

Automate your hiring process with HR tech

With HR tech, you can reduce administrative burdens by automating tasks that were once time-consuming and labor-intensive. This allows your team to focus on strategic tasks rather than manual paperwork. 

Recruitment often requires the participation of various stakeholders, and HR tech enables easy collaboration between talent acquisition specialists, hiring managers, and the finance team—ensuring everyone has access to the same data. 

HR systems like ATS also enable data-driven decision-making. They provide insights into hiring metrics and trends that help you identify top talent efficiently.

They can also send out automated emails to candidates—which comes with the added benefit of improving the recruitment experience for both candidates and hiring managers.

HR automation can help recruitment teams sift through thousands of applications to identify potential candidates with the right qualifications and experience, saving time and making the hiring process much easier for recruiters. 

Using HR automation to screen and shortlist applicants can also help hiring managers overcome unconscious biases—improving hiring outcomes.

Besides sourcing talent, HR automation also helps your hiring team manage the recruiting process efficiently, so you can quickly hire talented candidates with the right skills and win the “War for Talent.”

Embracing HR technology and automating parts of the hiring process can make recruitment more efficient and help you make informed decisions that drive the success of your hiring efforts. HR automation tech can also free up time so you can focus on the critical relationship-building elements of the recruitment process, ultimately improving the candidate experience.

A roadmap to better hiring outcomes

A comprehensive hiring checklist, or recruitment template, serves as a roadmap, guiding you through each stage of the hiring journey. 

It will help you put a more effective and thorough hiring process in place that attracts and retains top talent. Exceptional hiring processes can create better experiences for all stakeholders involved in the hiring process within your organization and give candidates a stellar experience, whether you make them an offer or not.

With a clear process in place, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and ultimately build a strong, diverse team for your organization.

The post Simplify talent recruitment: Your hiring process checklist appeared first on HiBob.