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Your employee handbook is a powerful culture-building tool. It can drive productivity, keep workers aligned with corporate values and prevent (costly) miscommunication.
The problem is: 60% of employees don’t even read their employee handbooks. With so many handbooks out there putting employees to sleep, how do you make sure yours hits the mark?
One way is to learn from companies that have cracked the code.
In this post, we’ll show you some great examples of real-life employee handbooks from top brands like Apple, HubSpot, Figma and Valve.
We’ll break down each example, why it works and offer templates to help you create similar or even better handbooks for your own company.
An employee handbook is a document that outlines a company's policies, procedures and expectations for its employees. It serves as a go-to resource for your staff and provides clarity on workplace rules, benefits and company culture.
A handbook is typically given to new hires during onboarding and can be accessed by all employees throughout their time with your company.
Here are some sections an employee handbook might include:
Employee handbooks don’t need to look the same. Your company’s handbook might contain more or fewer sections and can be a multi-page document, presentation or even an interactive website. You can also choose to share it online or hand over a printed version.
Everyone knows what a boring handbook looks like. But what makes a great one?
That’s exactly what we’ll discover by looking at how leading companies transform standard policies into engaging content their employees actually read (and practice).
Here are some of the best employee handbook examples and why they work.
Jump to:
Apple’s business conduct policy outlines the company’s ethical standards and expectations for all employees and board members. It covers a wide range of topics like workplace conduct, protecting Apple’s assets, individual accountability and maintaining business integrity.
The document has a professional design with numbered pages, plenty of whitespace and easily readable fonts–all of which are perfectly in sync with Apple’s signature minimalist aesthetic.
Why it works: Apple’s employee handbook is organized and easy-to-read. The table of contents offers a clear overview of the different sections and each page has interactive topic buttons to help readers navigate through the document easily.
Create an Apple-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
PeopleHR’s employee handbook is refreshing in design and format. It uses colorful illustrations and lighthearted copy to reflect the company’s fun-loving ethos. Plus, employees are more likely to read and enjoy a handbook like this one, rather than skim or ignore it.
Why it works: PeopleHR’s employee handbook is highly creative, with humorous, conversational copy that’s relatable and easy to understand
There are also lots of hand-drawn characters, illustrations and icons that capture attention and keep things interesting. The printable checklist and success roadmap are also nice ways to help employees out in their first month at work.
Create a PeopleHR-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
Valve redefined what a company handbook could be when they publicly released theirs in 2012. Instead of hiding their unconventional workplace practices (e.g. no bosses, self-directed work, desk on wheels), they proudly showcased them, creating a handbook that doubles as a powerful recruitment and branding tool.
It tackles traditionally dry topics like organizational structure and compensation with refreshing honesty and even pokes fun at corporate handbook traditions.
Why it works: Valve’s handbook does double duty. Inside, it gives employees clear guidance on navigating an unusual workplace. Outside, it attracts talent and generates buzz by showcasing their unique culture.
By proudly displaying their values and methods, they build trust with current employees and attract people who share their vision.
Create a Valve-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
HubSpot’s Culture Code deck is everything an employee wants in their handbook. They ditch stuffy language and pack their slides with illustrations, icons, memes and handwritten notes.
More importantly, they tackle serious topics like customer focus, accountability and transparency in a way that makes you feel like you’re having a casual conversation with a friend
Why it works: HubSpot’s employee handbook is full of personality, which makes you want to keep reading. They’ve also shared it in presentation format to keep it digestible.
Finally, the fact that they’ve published their handbook publicly and keep revisiting it to update the content shows their commitment to transparency and change, which helps them in three ways: attract new talent, retain existing employees and build an awesome employer brand.
Create a HubSpot-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
Figma built their “Figmanual” in Notion, turning typical handbook content into an easily searchable, well-organized wiki. Their employees can find everything here, from company values to HR policies to brand guidelines to the office lunch menu.
In fact, the Figmanual is an actual Notion template that anyone can use for their own company’s employee handbook (including you!)
Why it works: With this handbook, Figma proves they understand how modern teams actually work. The wiki format allows employees to search for answers instead of scrolling through a PDF. Plus, by sharing the Figmanual publicly as a template, they reinforce transparency as well as their values of building a community and helping each other grow.
Create a Figma-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
Walmart’s employee handbook opens with a personal message from the company’s CEO, which immediately sets the tone of leadership commitment. They also cleverly organize content into thematic sections to make the material more relatable and easier to navigate.
As for the design, this code of conduct features high-quality images of Walmart staff, colorful icons, on-brand fonts and tables to make the content more engaging.
Why this works: Walmart manages to turn a subject as dry as corporate policy into a compelling narrative. It presents ethics in terms of trust and creates an emotional connection with employees. We also love how they use Walmart’s brand colors throughout the document to keep the brand’s visual identity at the forefront.
Create a Walmart-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
GitLab takes transparency to the next level with their 2,000+ page public handbook, which documents literally everything – from hiring processes to training principles to allowable company expenses. They break topics down by department and even added a search bar to help team members find relevant information.
As a remote-first company, GitLab operates on a “handbook-first” approach, meaning if it’s not in the handbook, it doesn't exist. They keep it meticulously updated in real-time, making it the single source of truth for their global team.
Why it works: GitLab’s handbook site offers a unique way for employees to interact with the company’s policies and methods. Instead of digging through a PDF, team members can quickly search specific sections and suggest changes through GitLab's own version control tools.
Plus, by making their handbook public and treating it like a product, GitLab shows customers, candidates and competitors exactly how their company operates.
Create a GitLab-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
Digital transformation company Futurice created a culture handbook that feels more like a sleek magazine than a corporate guide. They break down concepts with infographics and sprinkle vibrant photography, original illustrations and bold typography throughout the document.
Why it works: Futurice’s handbook doesn’t just tell; it shows. Instead of leading with rules, they share real employee stories and examples of their culture in action. This makes their values feel more authentic, tangible and relatable.
The professional design quality also shows they care as much about internal communication as they do about client work.
Create a Futurice-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
Wise (formerly TransferWise), the global fintech challenging traditional banking, brings their mission of “money without borders” into their employee handbook design.
The document stands out with its brutally honest approach to explaining workplace norms. They tackle everything from their autonomous team structure to their controversial “no drama” value with refreshing directness.
Why this works: Wise's handbook cuts through corporate fluff to deliver straight talk about how they work. The stark design and direct tone mirror their company values. We also love how they include an entire section on what new hires should do next, which includes practical advice to help them integrate quickly and “get up to speed”.
Create a Wise-inspired employee handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital or interactive version online.
The State of Rhode Island offers a good example of a government handbook. It’s 67 pages long and discusses a wide range of topics in detail, such as workplace conduct, legal requirements, job-related information, benefits, health and safety, and time management.
Why this works: This handbook is pretty simple compared to the other examples on our list, but it does the job – and does it well. The content is straightforward, organized and clearly formatted, which enhances readability. There’s also an interactive table of contents at the beginning where readers can click through the topics to jump to the page.
Create an employee handbook inspired by the State of Rhode Island’s handbook by customizing the template below. Download it as a PDF or share a digital version online.
The best employee handbooks help your staff understand their work and feel more connected to the company. In addition to learning from the examples above, follow the best practices below to take your employee handbooks from good to great.
Stop thinking of your handbook as a legal document and start treating it like a user experience. Use plain language that actually sounds human, and structure your content with clear headers and logical sections.
Make sure you add a table of contents. Along with helping readers navigate through your handbook, it shows you respect your employees’ time. If you’re going digital, consider adding a search function so people can find what they need instantly.
Pro Tip: All Visme employee handbook templates come with tables of content. You can easily customize them to organize your sections and even make them interactive (i.e. clickable).Your handbook is a living demonstration of your company’s values, not just a list of them. For example, if you value transparency, you could make your handbook public (like GitLab).
Similarly, if you pride yourself on innovation like Valve, make it creative. If you’re building a collaborative culture like HubSpot, use conversational language and encourage feedback.
When your handbook’s style matches your stated values, it strengthens and reaffirms your company culture and proves to employees that you mean what you say.
Pro Tip: Use Visme’s AI brand design tool to automatically pull your logo, colors and fonts from your website and apply them to your handbook to stay consistent with your visual style.Transform dense information into engaging content with strategic visuals. Beyond making your handbook look good, it aids communication.
For instance, you can use infographics to explain complex processes, icons to highlight key points and illustrations to bring abstract concepts to life.
If you look at the examples above, companies like Valve and Futurice use visuals not just to grab attention, but to make information more memorable and accessible.
Remember that different people learn differently – visual elements make it easier for your message to reach everyone.
Pro Tip: Use Visme’s infographic maker to break down processes and complex information. You can also browse our built-in, searchable asset library with millions of icons, illustrations, shapes, images and more to create a highly engaging, visual handbook.Even if you choose to share a physical copy of your handbook with employees, creating a digital version offers various benefits.
First, it’s highly convenient and accessible, especially for remote and distributed teams. Employees can check policies and revisit values in seconds from their computers, regardless of where they’re located or where their physical copy is at that moment.
Having a digital handbook is also great for engagement. You can make it interactive by adding animations, clickable buttons and links, embedded videos, forms and more. All of this creates a fun experience for employees and gets them to actually read your handbook.
Pro Tip: Create a fully interactive employee handbook with Visme. Add links, hover effects, hotspots, videos, quizzes, animations and even a fun flipbook effect. Download your handbook in HTML5, share it with a link (public or private), embed it anywhere online and even track analytics to see how many employees viewed it and how much of it they read on average.
A static handbook becomes outdated the moment it’s published. Treat your handbook like a product that needs regular iterations. Schedule periodic reviews to update policies, add new sections based on employee feedback and refine explanations that cause confusion.
Updating your handbook regularly shows employees that your culture evolves with their growth. It also gives you opportunities to reinforce company values and address emerging challenges before they become problems.
Pro Tip: Make real-time updates to your online employee handbook in Visme. Any changes you make will instantly reflect for all users – no re-downloading or redistribution needed.
Here are some items that shouldn’t be in an employee handbook:
There’s no set rule on how short or long an employee handbook should be. It all depends on the company size, industry and the policies and procedures you want to address in the handbook.
Here are some general guidelines on employee handbook length:
Remember, the goal is to be comprehensive yet concise. A longer handbook isn’t necessarily better if it sacrifices readability and engagement.
Here are some examples of employee policies:
Having an employee handbook can benefit small businesses in various ways. It helps with onboarding new hires, sets clear expectations for employees and ensures all policies are applied consistently.
An employee handbook also protects your small business legally, shows professionalism and builds a solid employer brand to attract talent that resonates with your core values. It can also be a valuable tool when seeking funding or partnerships.
The best employee handbooks inspire, engage and strengthen your culture. The examples above will help you learn what works and apply it to your own company.
Whether you’re creating your first handbook or revamping an existing one, you don’t have to start from scratch or hire expensive designers to make it happen. Visme gives you all the tools you need to create a professional handbook your employees will actually want to read.
From customizable templates and branding tools to interactivity, online sharing and real-time updates, you can build, share and maintain your handbook all in one place. Plus, with built-in collaboration tools, your team can contribute to keeping your handbook current and relevant.
Ready to transform your employee handbook from a dusty document into a dynamic cultural asset? Sign up for free or learn more about how Visme can help you improve your training and development processes.
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