If It’s Engaging, They Will Read It!
The best handbooks are the ones employees actually read.
Your team members don’t need to remember everything in the handbook – just where to find the information they need and who to ask when they have questions.
Employee handbooks are extremely useful tools for conveying key information about an organization’s mission, vision, values and culture – in addition to performance expectations, safety rules, benefits and compensation, and other essential information for your team to be successful in their roles.
However, handbook are only effective when employees read and understand them. So how can you make it easier for that to happen?
"Nobody reads what bores them. Nobody." - Walter Dean Myers
Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014) was an African American author who overcame childhood speech problems to become the 2012-2013 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. He wrote over 100 books that engaged even the most reluctant readers. His secret? Creating content that authentically connected with his audience. The same principle applies to workplace communications — if we want people to read it, we need to make it worth reading.
I recently worked with a new client who needed to develop their organization’s first employee handbook. They were a small organization that had grown quickly and the executive director (ED) realized that the informal communication that worked well when they had 2 or 3 employees was no longer sufficient now that they had a team of over 10.
What was fun and exciting about this project was that the organization could design a handbook that was meaningful for them, as they developed procedures and benefits to reflect their culture and business needs, and took the time to assess current practices and determine how they could be improved. Because the ED knew this was such an important project for them, they were also a bit apprehensive because this project seemed huge. Small bites and steady progress allowed us to be creative and intentional about the handbook.
Handbooks are about expectations. Mutual expectations. They convey what you, the employer, expects from your employees and what your employees can expect from you. So you need to do that in a way that your team can understand, appreciate, and enjoy.
During our meetings, the ED described key aspects of their organization from the perspective of what would be most meaningful and impactful for new employees to understand. They explained their current informal practices and we discussed options for how they could establish policies, procedures, and structures. We ensured that their values were reflected in all the decisions that were made.
This feedback process was important for several reasons:
Employee Engagement – Employees developed a sense of ownership in the handbook, making them more likely to use it.
Clarity and Understanding – A handbook is only useful if employees understand what’s in it. And remember — they won’t understand the content if their eyes glaze over when they try to read it.
Implementation - It’s one thing to write a handbook, and another to bring it to life. Reviewing the policies helped the team think through how to put them into action.
Proofreading – The team members who were skilled with looking at details such as continuity, use of terms, spelling, and abbreviations brought a fresh perspective to the proofing.
Feeling Creative?
Some companies have turned the concept of a traditional handbook into an impressive handstand! Here are a few examples:
A handbook should be more than a list of rules. Be sure yours is a tool that supports your team’s success!
Ready to transform your employee handbook with specific tips? Connect with on LinkedIn or email me for your complimentary guide: 10 Steps to Turn Your Policy Manual into a Handbook Employees Want to Read.
Nicole Norian is the founder of Chrysalis HR Consulting, an experienced HR leader, and a certified executive coach. With over three decades of HR expertise and a deep commitment to helping individuals and organizations thrive, she has dedicated her career to empowering leaders and fostering dynamic, mission-driven cultures.