Five Samples of Employee Handbooks
Pulling together an employee handbook can be a daunting task. But it's also an important one. An employee handbook is a vital resource that communicates the employer's history, values, policies, procedures, and benefits in a written format. It's also an important way to protect both the employee and employer by establishing clear workplace expectations from the beginning.
In the process of putting together a great employee handbook, it can be helpful to look at samples of how other companies have expressed their brand story through their employee handbooks.
Employee Handbook Samples
Valve Software
The first sentence in game company Valve's employee handbook is, "A fearless adventure in knowing what to do when no one’s there telling you what to do." The handbook is a work of art which really allows the company's culture to shine through. View the handbook
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, the beloved retailer, has their Code of Business Conduct and Ethics available through their investor portal. This is often a major component of employee handbooks and shows the clarity and customer focus that is a hallmark of their brand. Read the policy
Zappos
Zappos's famous Culture Book is a great example of a company that is continuously creating and reinforcing its own culture. This means that not every prospective employee will want to work there, but those that do are entering with a good understanding of what they're getting into. View the culture book
Zaarly
Zaarly is a service to hire local home services. They've published their handbook online and it's a great example of a clearly written and concise company handbook that gets everyone on the same page with regards to their culture, communication, and workplace. View the handbook
Trello
Trello, a web-based project management app, has a unique employee manual that does a terrific job of showcasing their product. Their manual is actually contained within one of their project management boards, and shows off how versatile the product is while encouraging new employees to familiarize themselves with the product. View the handbook
Using Notejoy for your Employee Handbook
Focus your time building high-performing teams and less time managing the onboarding process. Notejoy can help with multiple aspects of your onboarding process, from managing new hire checklists to sharing employee handbooks to setting goals.
Share your handbook with the team
Share a Notejoy library as the single source of truth for your policies and procedures. Easily manage who has permission to view and edit notes. For example, you can establish a team of HR administrators who have the ability to adjust and edit policies and make it view-only for the rest of the employee base.
Up to date, searchable, and accessible wherever you are
When you make changes to policies, it happens in real-time so everyone stays in sync. Materials in Notejoy are accessible through web, desktop, and even mobile devices so your employees can easily search for content even when they're away from their desk.
Fast and easy to use
Rather than setting up a complicated process or another complex form, Notejoy's interface is fast and easy to use. That way, everyone can get started quickly.