It is a big step for any growing business to decide to recruit new employees; the concerns of ensuring you meet employee rights, whilst protecting yourself as an employer can make it a stressful process. Getting your HR documents and procedures in place and ready to use is very positive step to help give you confidence that your Employment Contracts, Job Descriptions and basic policies are sound. We talk with a lot of business owners who feel overwhelmed about what to put in place first and the repercussions if they get things wrong.
Well, at QBH we like to try and make things a bit easier and simpler to understand and have produced our Top 5 list of key HR documents with the minimum points that should be included;
1) Contract of Employment
This Contract serves as the main terms and conditions of employment and should document the key details of the employment relationship. As a minimum you will want to include the following;
• Job Title or Role
• Start Date
• Salary
• Hours of Work
• Probationary Period.
The contract is a great place to outline certain expected attitudes and performance, referring to disciplinary and grievance policies. You might also provide details on other company rules such as acceptable use of Company IT and sickness / holiday management.
2) Job Description
A job description is a key tool that details the main duties and responsibilities for the person fulfilling that role. It helps employer and employee to understand the expectations of the position. Have a look at one of our other blogs on Job Descriptions https://www.qbhsolutions.co.uk/job-descriptions/
3) HR Policies / Procedures / Employee Handbook
These documents are excellent tools for setting boundaries and describing how you will manage certain issues and processes within your business. There is a lot you can cover but as a minimum have a think about the following;
• Grievance, how to raise and how you will resolve
• Disciplinary, your rules on gross misconduct and how the process will be managed
• Family Friendly, your commitment to supporting parental leave
• Absence Management, the requirements around annual leave, sickness and other absences.
4) Induction
A formal induction is a brilliant way of introducing your new member of staff to the rest of the team, your site and your business. Induction can be anything from a short briefing on their first day through to more detailed inductions, over several days or weeks, covering all procedures, policies, departments, do’s and don’ts of the business.
There is no right or wrong way but the induction must be recorded on the employee’s file, meet the needs of your business and, as a minimum, cover any specific health & safety issues.
5) Job Chat
Job Chats, variously known as Supervisions or 121’s, could be your most effective and easiest way of formally communicating with your staff. Held at an appropriate frequency, a job chat complements good management and supervision skills and is probably the best method of supporting your employees and ensuring they are doing what you think they should be doing and to monitor performance on any specific projects or tasks that have been set. Have a loose agenda, take notes and agree any actions formally.
The open communication will highlight issues before they become more serious and they can help you to “head them off at the pass” saving you time, energy and resources in the long run. The process will also allow you to identify any changes to the role that may need to be incorporated or updated within the job description.
David Burton is Director of HR & Quality Management Systems Consultants QBH Solutions