It goes without saying that when we talk about the progress and growth of any organization, the role played by their HR policies is something that cannot be overlooked. After all, policies that not only inform the employee’s of their responsibilities but also help them protect their rights are of paramount importance.
Developing effective HR policies is by no means is an easy process. With the internal and external factors of any organization that never stop influencing each other, the need to come up with HR policies that are not just effective but are also flexible for any changes that may be required can become somewhat of a challenge. To make your job of developing policies, which are in lieu with the trends dominating the HR in 2017 easier, here are some for steps for you to follow.
1: Know the Area of the Policy:
Before you can officially begin drafting any policy, it is important you streamline exactly what is the area for which you are developing the policy for. Confidentiality, compensations, recruitment, attendance, benefits, performance management…there are several areas for which an HR policy may be required. A good way to select which area does the HR department of your organization needs to work on is to question the need of that area with reference to your organization.
Once you have the area/areas lined out in front of you, you can get started on developing the content of the policy.
2: The Content of the Policy:
To a great extent the content of the policy is determined by what the legislation has to say about that area of interest. Consider carefully going through the requirements of the legislation regarding the labour standards, workers compensation, human rights, occupational health and safety and privacy legislation. A competent HR department also stays on top of any updates/changes made to the legislation and then quickly introducing them in their own policies too.
This brings us to another important issue; updating the employees about the changes made in an already existing HR policy. They have a right to know and it is your duty to deliver the news to them at your earliest.
3: Be Clear and Concise:
Once you know what to write in the statement of your HR policy, you need to focus on how it should be written down. Aim for a statement whose meaning would be understood loud and clear by whom the policy is intended for (the employees.) Use words that clearly depict what the policy’s statements wants to indicate. And if there are any special terms/jargon that are to be used within the statement, define those terms as well. A good tip here is to avoid using terms like “always” and “never” since the HR policies can hold a different meaning depending on the situation; opt for terms like “generally” or “typically.”
For more thorough help with developing and implementing effective HR policies, you can even consider signing up for any training workshop that may be happening in your vicinity.
Veeramachineni Lalitha
I am Finance Content Writer. I write Personal Finance, banking, investment, and insurance related content for top clients including Kotak Mahindra Bank, Edelweiss, ICICI BANK and IDFC FIRST Bank. My experience details : Linkedin