How to build a company culture guide: parts 2 and 3

Executive overview

Most employee handbooks document policies without explaining expectations or daily operations. A culture guide fills that gap across three parts, giving new hires everything they need from day one.

The core insight: writing down expectations — including how to leave — prevents ambiguity, saves HR time, and builds a consistent culture.

Part 2: expectations

• Organisational structure: list brands, teams, titles, email signature standards, and required reading for new hires and managers.
• Communication norms: rank channels by appropriateness (e.g. collaboration tool → email → chat → phone → in-person interruption as last resort).
• If an employee asks HR a question already answered in the guide, refer them back to it — the guide exists to save time.
• Compensation transparency: document target compensation (base + variable pay), how salaries are calculated, PTO, remote work rules, and exempt vs non-exempt differences.
• Technology: specify which roles receive which hardware and software; prevents one-off requests and promotes fairness.
• How to leave: address departure expectations on day one — notice period, how to notify the manager, and transition responsibilities.
• Provide template language for departing employees; share examples of staff who left with grace to model the behaviour.

Part 3: everyday operations

• Part 3 is the longest section and most resembles a traditional employee handbook — HR owns it entirely.
• Much of the content can come directly from an existing handbook; use this as an opportunity to update stale policies.
• Keep Part 3 in a digital format so logistics changes can be applied quickly.

Checklist of what to include:

1. Contact list and defined abbreviations
2. Compensation and benefits (paycheck deductions, PTO, sick leave, HSA, 401k, parental leave)
3. Business expenses
4. Anti-discrimination policy
5. Data security policy
6. Social media guidelines
7. Logistics (printing, webinars, office supplies, payment processing)
8. Tech skills and support resources
9. Industry-specific requirements (licensing, certifications)

How to use your culture guide

• Get leadership buy-in before distributing.
• Communicate it to all employees and use it in onboarding, coaching, and training.
• Reference it regularly — direct employees back to it when they ask questions it already answers.
• Review and update annually; Parts 2 and 3 will change as the organisation evolves.