There's a point in most organisations where informal stops working. Usually it arrives a little before anyone notices, around the time the founder can no longer be in every conversation about every person.
Start with the documents you'd rely on
- Contracts that match what people actually do and what you actually promised.
- A small set of policies you would be comfortable following to the letter.
- Probation that is used as a real decision point rather than a date that passes.
- Somewhere consistent to keep records of people conversations.
Then invest in manager confidence
Documents don't manage people; your managers do. Most avoidable problems come from a capable manager who wasn't sure whether they were allowed to say the obvious thing. Giving them somewhere to check, quickly and without ceremony, is worth more than another policy.
None of this needs to happen at once. It does need to happen before the next growth spurt makes it urgent.
Written by Kristy West, Chartered MCIPD
Founder of Alika & Co Bespoke HR Solutions. 20+ years of HR experience across private, public and charitable organisations. This article is general information, not advice on your specific situation. For that, get in touch.