How to make an employee handbook your staff will actually want to read

Creating a unique staff handbook can encourage them to read the rules of your company as they grow accustomed to daily life in your workplace. Of course, an employee handbook isn’t exactly a gripping adventure that will leave your employees wanting to read more. That’s why it is up to you to make sure that your employee handbook is a document that they would actually want to read. Afterall, apparently only 1 in 3 people actually read their company’s employee handbook. It’s up to you to change this. Take a look at our top tips to encourage your employees to learn everything inside your work handbook.
Be unconventional
Instead of making it look like a boring manual, why not make it look like something new and exciting? A book cover can say a thousand words. Make it colourful and give it a title that makes it more exciting than an employee manual. It should be named in a way that inspires and makes employees curious. For instance, it could be called “Our Work Life” or “Welcome to the family!” Use your imagination and think big. You should also consider the colour of the binding and font. Make it interesting to read.
Be interactive
Booklet makers like Duplo International, know all about what it takes to make an attention-grabbing booklet. Instead of just listing out the important information, why not make it visual? This should capture the attention of anyone who reads it. For instance, if you have a dress code, why not give some examples of colour schemes and the types of outfits that are expected. That way if you accept casual dress or solely business outfits, you can demonstrate it in a fun manner.
Include a quiz
Now you may feel like a quiz may be a bit too immature to include in some sort of employee handbook. However, it can be the perfect thing to solidify the rules of the company in their mind, especially if you offer a fun reward for getting a number of questions correct. If they get a question wrong, you can remind them about the company’s policy. That way you can keep it light-hearted and let your new employee get used to the company’s policies.
Writing styles: engagement and empathy
When you think about employee handbooks, you think that they should be written in an extremely formalized style. That way people can fully understand the rules of your company. However, if you want to truly make it engaging, you should try and make it sound a bit more empathetic and informal. That way you can show the values of your business and what you expect from your workers in “layman’s terms”. You may also want to tell your company’s story to show how much it has achieved.
Obvious Benefits
Remember! When you are writing a guide, promote all of the benefits that come with your rules. If you have a “casual dress” day, show it off. You need to show what makes your workplace unique. That will catch their attention.