Does Anyone Really Read the Employee Handbook?
Employee handbooks: must have them, no one reads them.
Kris Dunn, author of The HR Capitalist blog, recommends testing your employees' attention spans by sneaking language into your handbook disclaimers that announce odd or potentially outrageous expectations. One of Dunn’s creative recommendations includes a clause that says, “ If the employee quits within 3 months of hire, he has to wash the HR Director's car weekly for a six-month period after leaving your company.” Give the person who spots the insert a nice prize.
It’s a clever idea, but it's not the only way to get the handbook message out.
Hand Out the Quiz
We love quizzes and games that promise rewards. Create your own reality show by introducing your handbook with a quiz. Employees can work on answers in pairs, in groups, or alone. Then you all reveal and discuss the results. The conversation helps to ensure that people really do understand your “no jeans” policy or what constitutes prohibited personal business during working hours.
If you use an online seminar or other electronic system to introduce employees to the handbook, then you can embed quizzes that help to break the information down into smaller more digestible portions. These are the kind of exercises that encourage an open-book format; you want employees to read the material, and they don’t have to memorize it.
Orientation II
I once created a new-employee introduction in two parts, but I never thought of better names than "Orientation I" and "Orientation II." The first day concentrated on presenting the company culture. If we did a good job of hiring for the right fit, people got it and understood expectations around performance results that sprang from the organizational mission and vision. The handbook was introduced with a quiz, and then clarified with a tour and introductions to the key players in the company.
Orientation II followed about three months later with benefits training for the newly eligible and more culture reinforcement. This time we used a scavenger hunt to illustrate the concepts and handbook content. Employees used their basic knowledge about the workplace to work in teams to share information and -- yes -- compete for first place.
In all of these contexts the creative presentation of handbook information took dry rules and explanations and made them relevant. Employees may not have read every word of the booklet, but they demonstrated knowledge of highlights, and gained information and understanding from each other.
Look for ways to make the employee handbook a living document a few times a year. It's a process that is sure to help employees and supervisors function with more consistency and clarity.
