How many times have you gone to Google or another search engine when you need to grab some information quickly? It seems like the obvious place to start and can certainly help us in our background research. However, it can also be a bit of a minefield and we can easily become overwhelmed by the amount of information out there, and exactly what information and sources can we trust?
As a business owner, you might be in a position that you need some people policies to make sure that you’re compliant with the law, or perhaps you know you have some very outdated policies that are long over-due a review.
If you want to ensure that you are driving performance and engagement, and attracting new talent to your business then putting people policies in place and keeping them updated is vital. But before you download your people policies online, exercise some caution and consider the following:
Who is the source?
You don’t have to be an HR consultant or have any relevant qualifications to put up a website and share your views or opinions online. Make sure that you know the source can be trusted and is a reputable one before downloading people policies for your business.
Is the information current?
The law changes regularly with new legislation being released throughout the year. What applied six months ago is not necessarily still going to apply today. As a business owner and leader it is your job to make sure you are compliant.
When you access information and templates online, you need to be able to see when they were last updated and this isn’t always possible.
Your business is unique
Although the law applies across the board, regardless of what kind of business you run, there are certain things that only apply to businesses of a particular size. What applies and works for a large multinational company is not necessarily going to work for a smaller family run business.
Is your employee handbook full of outdated policies or sending warning signs to potential new talent?
Attracting talent to your business is essential to its success. A savvy candidate will do their research about the company, including considering the values and culture. They may well ask to view the employee handbook before they even get a job offer. Your employee handbook gives an insight into the type of company you are to work for. Is your handbook up-to-date and a good reflection of your company? Or does it contain lots of outdated and antiquated policies?
Getting your people policies in place and getting them tailored to your business are vitally important. A word in the wrong place can make all the difference when it comes to winning or losing an employment case in court. So, before you download your people policies, take some time to do your research, and consider seeking professional HR advice.