POLICIES & PROCEDURES

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (AND WHY THEY’RE IMPORTANT)

Policies and procedures are a critical part of any company. Combined, policies and procedures furnish a roadmap for routine operations. They safeguard compliance with laws and regulations, provide guidance for decision-making, and simplify internal processes.

However, policies and procedures won’t become beneficial to you, your employees or your organization if they are not followed.

People don’t always like to follow the rules when the rules require additional work. However, taking the time to educate employees on the logic behind these directions provides a foundation for establishing the routine and consistency that success and scalability require.

The Value of Following Policies & Procedures As your organization’s leaders craft and impose policies, it’s important to make sure your workforce understands why following policies and procedures are essential. Here are just a few of the helpful outcomes of following policies and procedures:

Trustworthy processes and structures Policies and procedures keep companies from shifting into total mayhem. When all employees are following policies and procedures, an organization can run efficiently. Management has structure and departments operate as they’re meant to. Therefore, errors and setbacks in processes can be promptly detected and tackled. When your staff is following proper guidelines, your organization will make use of time and resources more

effectively. You’ll be able to progress and achieve your goals as an organization.

Stability in methods is also good for employees individually. They know what they’re accountable for, what’s required, and what they can anticipate from their direct reports and co-workers. This allows them to do perform their roles with self-confidence and excel.

Better quality service When employees follow policy, they execute tasks properly and provide dependable customer service. This boosts the quality of your organization’s products and services. And, in turn, enhances your company’s character.

A safer workplace By following protocol, workplace accidents and incidents are less likely to occur. This minimizes liability threats and limits interruptions in operations. Your staff can feel safe and relaxed in their environment, knowing that management is looking out for their best interest and that they’ll be taken care of if something does happen.

Ways to Implement Policies and Procedures Maybe your employees already understand the significance of adhering to policies and procedures. How can you confirm your staff follows through on compliance? Here are a few steps to make sure your team knows how to follow procedures:

Provide more accessible policy manuals Your employees can’t follow procedures they aren’t aware of. Many companies continue issuing a paper version of their policy manuals, passing out three-ring binders that contain the employee handbook.

These policy manual notebooks end up in the back of a desk drawer or on a bookcase collecting dust. 43% of millennial employees and 30% of non-millennial employees have never read the majority of their employee handbooks. Over one-third of employees are unaware of where they placed their handbooks.

This is troublesome because employees must refer to policies from time to time. If they don’t have easy access, they won’t know the proper procedures and will likely make a mistake, causing a delay in productivity and repeat work.

Many organizations are switching to an online policy management system that allows their staff to access policies and procedures from anywhere at any time. This confirms they are following protocol instead of trying to remember the correct steps off the top of their minds.

Implement training courses Having employees sign that they read your policies and procedures handbook is the first step toward ensuring conformity, but it’s not sufficient as a standalone measure. Employees may not grasp policy and not have a chance to ask questions.

Every organization needs to train employees on the core policies as well as on how to implement them in real-life settings.

Comprehensive training on procedures should take place for every new hire during standard onboarding practices. Data shows that workers who receive training are more productive, gain expertise quicker, and have a greater chance of hitting their performance benchmarks.

Nevertheless, policy and procedure training should be constant for all personnel. Training, of course, varies depending on your line of work and size of your business.

Test employee comprehension Policy dissemination and training don’t ensure that every employee genuinely understands policies. An employee may sign a document of understanding without totally grasping it.

This may not seem to matter immediately, but down the road, it could cause employees to not following policies and procedures.

Creating customizable quizzes for employees to complete after reading a policy or finishing a training course can help showcase the importance to your employees. This exercise can, therefore, address any gaps in comprehension and provide for any additional training that is needed as a result.

Encourage accountability Policy and procedure execution takes place from the top down. Employees are more likely to accept policy if they see their leaders reliably following the handbook, as well. Employees also must know the outcomes of not following procedures. Having a structure for discipline and corrective action is a must.

Once more, this begins with managers. Supervisors must be trained on the timing and methods of conducting disciplinary reviews. This system can also reward employees in addition to offering corrective action. Employees who are straying from procedures may just need some assistance or continued training. Regularly review policies and procedures When practices differ from policy, it usually means one of the following:

1. Your organization needs to better convey policy and procedure with your team and require compliance.

2. Your policy and procedures are archaic or lacking.

Employees can’t follow procedures that don’t exist, undermine other policies, or neglect to focus on a major change in knowledge or routine.

Management must frequently review and improve policies and procedures, taking updated regulations, industry standards, and technology into account.

Each time you revise policies, be sure to follow the suggested steps listed previously. Make sure you send out policy updates to your team, integrate them into training sessions, test employees on the policy, and hold employees responsible. This takes work, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge.

PowerDMS contributed to this article

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