Putting Pen to Paper: HR Workplace Documentation Practices to Try

Managing human resources is obviously a major part of HR responsibility but HR workplace documentation practices need just as much attention. An HR manager may be great at de-escalating conflict or assuaging an employee’s concerns, but the moment an employee’s leave is miscalculated or an incident report misplaced, all eyes turn to the shortcomings of the HR worker. The importance of documentation at work cannot be understated as it creates a paper trail of the evolution of the organization and the various changes encountered on the way there.

If you’re in the mind to improve HR workplace documentation to ensure there is clarity and openness every step of the way there are some do’s and don’ts of HR documentation that you can consider.

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HR Workplace Documentation Practices Are Essential For Stability 

HR documentation can refer to any records that the HR team is required to maintain, both formally and informally. Some documents have a fixed structure and format that the HR team will need to maintain and update regularly to ensure they meet the organizational requirements. This refers to more formalized HR workplace documentation practices that are required by the employer or by the bounds of the legal system. Other documentation may be maintained more informally, such as a personal note about an employee’s preferences or ideas that the employer has filed for future expansion. 

Certain organizations don’t have any HR Workplace documentation tips and guidelines for the maintenance of necessary paperwork such as a complaint against a manager or an employee, but the HR team is still better off using their own assessment to set up an informal system of recording such reports for future reference. Sure, some organizations overdo the documentation criteria and demand that every interaction is recorded and reported to the company, but despite being excessive, it is better to be on a team that is safer.

From the day an employee joins an organization to the day they quit, HR teams rack up a vast collection of documents in relation to the employee’s time at the company. These can include their joining details, personal address, salary accounts, performance reviews, performance improvement plans, citations for poor behavior, absence from work, employee benefit records, progress towards promotion, feedback for the workplace, employer notes about the employee, etc. Even when you don’t consider the HR workplace documentation practices in relation to employees, there are a lot of changes concerning the employer such as policy shifts or the introduction of new cultural elements that need to be recorded diligently.

Decoding the Importance of Documentation At Work

A contract between an organization and its client needs to be kept carefully because it highlights the agreements between the two parties. In a similar vein, documentation between an employer and an employee or an employee and his team is essential to maintain. Before we begin to break down the dos and don’ts of HR documentation and how you can improve documentation within your own workplace, it’s essential to emphasize why it is important.

• Helps maintain a record of an employee’s identity and complete history before your organization and within it
• Records of medical and disability accommodations create a record of an employee’s needs
• Eliminates the concern of miscommunication as all the details are recorded and kept safe for future reference
• Creates a record of employee performance regardless of changes to management
• Allows managers to create performance improvement plans
• Helps plan promotions and the distribution of rewards
• Payroll and leave tracking becomes much easier with fixed records
• Tracks conflict between employees and what action was taken so all parties are held accountable
• Decisions made following conflict can be duplicated in similar situations to maintain consistency
• Repeat offenders might require more serious action to be taken to convey the organization’s commitment to creating a healthy workplace culture
• Creates a legal defense when clear records are maintained of every employee transgression and its resulting repercussions
• Helps document employee concerns and fears so HR can strategize on how to assist them
• Termination records help ensure all procedures are completed and handed off correctly
• Creates a reserve of ideas that can be used to make necessary changes within the workplace every year
• Using an HR document management system provides even further statistical insights into trends and general experiences

Dos and Don’ts of HR Documentation: How to Improve Documentation within the Workplace

Going over the benefits of HR documentation practices in the workplace, the importance of documentation and its role in furthering the well-being of the organization cannot be ignored. Working with the organization is the best way to perfect the documentation processes as it requires quite a bit of resources to set up, especially if there is a preference for an HRIS system that may be more expensive but is beneficial in the long run. 

Even without a dedicated HR document management system, it is still possible to maintain workplace records, although it does take a little bit more work.

Regularly Document and Update Workplace Policies

The employer’s rules and regulations of every aspect of the workplace need to be documented formally and provided as a handbook to employees. From the employer’s stance on bullying and harassment to their policies on paid time off, it is essential for them to state all the necessary details clearly and simply to employees.

When any changes are made to the policy, an updated circular should be shared with employees and any related platforms with the information should be updated so they don’t refer to the wrong guidelines.

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Do not be vague or include language that could be misunderstood. Also, do not change policies too frequently as they will only confuse employees. Ensure sufficient thought has been put into the new regulation and release it in a manner that is digestible to the team.

Include Timestamps and Other Critical Data in the Records

While setting up the process of HR documentation, it can be a good idea to also include necessary data such as the date and time of when the record was created as well as a record of when action was taken next and what it entailed. When it comes to legal proceedings, these documents become very essential in tracking the response time of the organization as well as corrective action taken. 

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Not all documents need to reveal every single detail about the employee’s identity. In some cases, employee anonymity might be prioritized over stamping their name over a complaint for the accused to see and respond to. The employer should have their own policies in place for handling such situations. 

Set Up a Clear System for Recording Data

Before collecting employee data, there needs to be a system for recording it. Set up a clear system of where employee information will go, how data will be collected, how frequently it will be updated, who will access to view or edit these records, the format of the documents that will collect the data, etc. These details need to be established early on so there is no issue with collecting the relevant data. 

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Don’t create multiple forms are records of the same information over and over again as it will only inflate the database and make pertinent information hard to find. Ensure that the HR workplace documentation practices focus on what is necessary and why.

Create a Pathway to Process Employee Data and Feedback

If information is being collected from a mix of sources with no structure to determine where it comes from or what the report includes, it can become chaotic very quickly. To improve HR workplace documentation, try to create simple channels for reporting different information and then communicate these channels to employees. If an employee knows what form they need to fill out and forward to register a complaint about a coworker, they won’t have to hang around the HR office anxiously waiting for an appointment.

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Do not overdo how many channels you set up. If you have too many complex stages of reporting and communicating, an employee will be forced to give up and sit with their concerns. Assess your department’s capacity for monitoring and addressing these feedback channels and ensure they are always cleared out. 

Use an HR Document Management System

One of the best HR workplace documentation practices is to utilize an HR document management system that streamlines the process of collecting and recording data. A smaller organization might be able to get away with maintaining dedicated folders of Excel sheets with relevant information but this is much harder to keep track of for a larger organization. A management system can be beneficial for many reasons but one of the biggest benefits of such systems is how it helps maintain the employee database.

For example, these systems can help the entire team track who is on leave and for how many days they will be away. The employee who needs the break can also glance at their dashboard for a sense of how many paid days off are left in their inventory. This eliminates the confusion that occasionally arises when employees and HR are on different pages about how many leave days were used up.

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Avoid picking an HR document management system at random and look into the different types that are available and what plans they have to offer. Depending on the size of your organization and its needs, pick a plan that won’t push you over budget but will still give you features that are relevant to you.

Secure Your HR Documents As Carefully as Possible

If you’re making the conscious choice to collect employee information, you also need to ensure you have the resources to keep it safe. If your systems are outdated and susceptible to hacking, your employee and client data might be vulnerable to hackers who can misuse that information. 

Don’ts of HR Documentation: Don’t allow too many people to have access to HR documents. Access should be limited to a few members and they should receive regular training on security measures and best practices that can keep the information safe. Antiviruses on company systems should be required at all times to further the goal of security.

These HR documentation practices for the workplace are a great start to getting all your papers in order to create an organization that holds all its cards out for its employees to see Maintaining records of all the relevant HR procedures creates a culture of transparency, which is invaluable to any business that has its eyes set on growth. 

The post Putting Pen to Paper: HR Workplace Documentation Practices to Try appeared first on The HR Digest.

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