How to Develop Personnel Policies

Take a careful, thorough look at the exact nature and aim of your company or organization.
Determine exactly what it is the company does, and examine the process for how it does it.
Establish your personnel policies based on your conclusions. Make your personnel policies fit
what your company does, and how it does it. Design your policies so that they are specific to
your company but could be applicable and acceptable throughout your industry.

Review how your company is organized. Look specifically at the structure of your management,
the key to correct, efficient implementation of company personnel policies. Create a list of the
most effective, successful managers within your organization to establish and carry out policy
directives. Rank your management list. Use your rankings to assign specific responsibilities in
different areas of personnel policy management. With your implementation team selected, move
to step 3

Evaluate your company's departmental makeup. Make a list of the areas your company's
personnel policies will directly impact and govern. Include in your list the following: hiring
process, new employee orientation, new employee training, hourly schedules, vacation/sick and
personal leave, compensation, benefits, job performance/quarterly assessments and dismissal.
Address within your policies the entire employment cycle from beginning to end. Follow Step 2
and appoint your best management to supervise the various areas named above.

Meet with your managers to assign their respective areas of responsibility. Sit down with each
one and write down the policies you want implemented. Avoid generalities. Make each
requirement specific, measurable and attainable. Assign time lines, with management input, for
each employee to improve and/or correct undesired behaviors. Make sure you have clearly
imparted your expectations to your managers.

Continue to re-evaluate and reassess the policies of the organization. Be willing to modify and/or
eliminate unnecessary policies and those that just do not work. Meet with company attorneys as
needed to evaluate policies. Confirm with them that you are within legal guidelines. Regularly
evaluate your managers in regard to these personnel policies. Welcome discussion and
adjustment as needed, and make sure each employee has in writing a personnel policy handbook.
As part of the hiring process, require employees to read and understand the handbook and sign a
form confirming that they have.