If you are creating an employee handbook, it is ideal to add a welcoming statement for new team members. This doesn’t need to be complicated, just something that defines your business and the culture you are aiming to promote.
Check out this simple example below.
Employee Handbook Welcome Statement Example
Welcome to YOUR BUSINESS NAME!
We are excited to have you as part of our team. You were hired because you ‘stood out from the crowd’ and we believe you can contribute to the achievement of the goals of BUSINESS NAME while also progressing in your career.
BUSINESS NAME is committed to distinctive quality and unequaled customer service in all aspects of our business. As part of the team, you will discover that you will be challenged to pursue excellence which will become a truly rewarding aspect of your career. As a team member, you must “own” the results of your productivity.
This Employee Handbook contains the key policies, goals, benefits, and expectations of BUSINESS NAME; and other information you will need as part of our team.
The success of BUSINESS NAME is determined by our success in operating as a team and your ability to be part of this team. We must earn the trust and respect of our customers every day in order that they return for more. We sell customer service and service is provided by people. We sell BUSINESS NAME product type, and our products are provided by people.
Our success is guaranteed by creative, productive employees who are empowered to make suggestions while thinking “outside the box.” Your job and every job in BUSINESS NAME is essential to fulfilling our mission to “provide distinctive quality and unequaled customer service” every day to more customers who “trust and respect” us.
The primary goal at BUSINESS NAME, and yours, is to live our Mission Statement and continue to be an industry leader. We achieve this through dedicated hard work and commitment from every employee. It is the desire of BUSINESS NAME management to have every employee succeed in their career and assist in achieving our goals.
You should use this Employee Handbook as a reference as you pursue your career with BUSINESS NAME.
Additionally, this manual should assure good management and fair treatment of all employees. At BUSINESS NAME, we strive to recognize the contributions of all employees.
Welcome aboard. We look forward to working with you. Sincerely, Your Name Owner Managing Director Operator Manager
If you are creating an Operations Manual, you will already know this is a mammoth task. Don’t lose hope. You can actually create your operations manual relatively easily if you approach it with an open mind and persistence.
The best way to do this is to get your team to help you. You need the resources to gather the information and help you collate it in a way that makes sense. So take the time to plan it first.
Want to Save Massive Amounts of Time? Use our Operations Manual Template. Read More
Start planning it out by creating a table of contents about how you want it to look and then engage with your team to create each area based on their expertise.
You might need to look at the bigger picture when you start. For example, a crucial decision is how are you going to deliver it? What format will it be in? Will it just be a MS Word document or are you going to create a super-intranet system?
Either way, if you get your team to help, before you know it, you will have a comprehensive Operations Manual. You team will want to use it because they helped create it. They will find it really helpful in their daily tasks and best of all, the performance of your business will skyrocket.
It’s worth the effort. Believe me, it will make a difference and you will be glad you started.
Operations Manual Table of Contents
So the table of contents will help you plan your document. If you list our each section and then sub-sections you will quickly be well on your way to creating a document that is useful and relevant.
The last thing any business needs is useless paperwork that no one reads or uses. This occurs in many organization. It doesn’t have to in your business.
Just create something that is relevant, clear, easy to read and easy to update and use.
What Should be in your Table of Contents?
It will really depend on your business, how complex it is, what you produce and how it operates. However, you can pretty well assume that you will need the basics such as Vision, Finance, Operations and Marketing at the very least. Take some time to get together the main pillars of your business.
There isn’t any right or wrong way to do this. It comes down to your organization and how you want to structure it. Below we propose 8 pillars that are typically relevant to any business.
8 Important Pillars
The following 8 areas will allow you to create a relatively comprehensive Operations Manual and get your system underway. These are:
Business Introduction Vision and Values Administration Manual Finance Manual Human Resources Manual Operations Process Manual Emergency Procedure Manual Marketing Manual.
You might need additional areas for your business, however if you just start with the above, you will be well on your way to creating something of value for your organization.
Within each area there is likely to be a lot of detail. If you have particular personnel in your business that manage these areas then it would be ideal to get their input and ask them to take charge of their section.
With your guidance you will soon create a significant Operations Manual that will become an extremely useful tool that you can use daily and provide to new team members when they arrive in your business.
Detailed Table of Contents
Once you have determined the important pillars of your organization, you can then drill down into the detail. Below is an example of this within a Marketing Pillar.
Operations Manual Template Table of Contents Sample
Looking for a Operations Manual Template Table of Contents Sample? Review this sample below. This is a basic sample for a typical business, so it may not apply to your business.
But generally, there are aspects of most businesses that are the same. Depending on how large your business is will depend on how detailed your Operations Manual is.
You may need to break your operations down into the pillars as mentioned above or just use a simple document like the table of contents below.
Either way, you should start off by setting the direction of your business with a Mission and Vision and then progress to the general details and safety requirements. Then, after that you can jump into standard procedures and detailed tasks. Finally, summarize it at the end.
Operations Manual Template Table of Contents Sample
Operations Manual Template Table of Contents Sample
Operations Manual Template Table of Contents Sample
Operations Manual Template
There is a ton of work to develop an Operations Manual even if your team help you. If you want to speed up the process then purchase a template and be done with your operations Manual in a matter of days instead of months.
Save a ton of time by using our Operations Manual Template. Create your manual in a matter of minutes instead of months.
A process manual is a system that identifies every process in your business. From how to create a product through to how to market your product, this type of document is crucial to the performance of your organization.
The simplest way to get a free process manual template is to complete your own using MS Word. This is the easiest and cheapest way to create a manual. However, as your business grows, it will quickly outgrow this format.
You may need to move to some other type of format and there are plenty of options online. However, beware – you could just be wasting a ton of money of some fancy new website that doesn’t really give you value for money.
MS Word really does provide a cost effective and fast way to create a process manual that you can roll out to your team instantly.
A Place to Create and Find Answers Easily
All you really need is a place for your team to create and review up to date procedures and processes. It isn’t really that complex. These days there are way too many choices online about the latest website system that is going to boost productivity.
The truth is – these websites usually waste a lot of time. And they aren’t cheap either. Don’t bother. All you need to do is create a system that is easy to access, easy to update and easy to use and you will excel in this area for your business.
The key is to keep it simple. Make it easy to update. Make it accessible for all your team and keep the cost down.
This is why starting off with an MS Word Process Manual Template is a great start. After you have built your system up then you can move to another space that has more functionality.
A process manual is a document that is given to your team so they can understand all the aspects of the processes of any particular task. Let’s take a closer look and also let’s investigate further where we can find some free process manual template that you could use for your business.
What is a Process Template Used for?
A process manual or guideline explains step by step instructions on a process. It’s nothing too complicated, however the process can be complex depending on what you are creating.
If you have a small business, it is highly recommended that you create this type of process manual with your team. Get them involved in the task of building your manual as soon as you can. Ask for their input. Ask them to review the steps and ask them to help you create it.
After-all, if you involve them in the process then they are more likely to take ownership and actually use the system. There is no point having a huge procedure and process manual if no-one uses it.
What Should be in a Process Manual?
Let’s say you own a small business coffee shop. What should be in the process manual for this type of business?
Well it really depends on how you operate your business, however it is a good idea to include all procedures, policies and processes you and your team perform everyday.
Let’s take a look at an example of how to clean the coffee machine below. This example has detailed step by step processes to get the task done easily and efficiently.
If you are employing people on a regular basis – the last thing you want to be doing as a business owner is repeating yourself over and over and over again. Yes, you will need to repeat yourself a lot – however the best thing you can do is document your processes so you can reduce the amount of repeating you need to do.
3 Places to Find a Free Process Manual Template
If you need a free process manual then consider these 3 options below.
Free Option Number 1
Download this Free Process Manual Template
We are keen to help small business owners as much as we can. We understand that having a small business is a lot of work. Therefore, we have provided a basic Process Manual Template you can download and start getting your system underway. OK, this is a pretty basic manual, and consider using our fully detailed manual if you can.
Purchase a Process Manual Template. Click the link below to read more.
A process manual template will save you a ton of time creating your processes in your small business. It really is a useful tool if you want to get your systems up and running quickly and efficiently.
Free Option Number 2
Smart Sheet.com
Smart Sheet has a few free options for you. Check out their free options as well.
Free Option Number 3
SAMPLE TEMPLATES.com
Sample Templates has a few free options also. Check out their website if you are looking for a free process manual template.
Whatever you do, consider the amount of effort you will need to put into a free process manual. It will be significant.
It is likely to be easier to purchase a pre-made manual and start from there.
Your Thoughts?
Leave a comment below if you have any thoughts regarding process manuals in your business.
