If you can get tailored made HR documents specific for your business, then I highly recommend it.
But why you may ask when I can simply download them from the Internet or borrow one from a mate who has a business?
The chances are high that the document you have downloaded is not fit for purpose and does not reflect your business and your industry.
I’ve learnt the hard way and used a template contract for services agreement for Hello Monday and found out that not everyone has your best interest.
Since that experience, I got all out documents tailored and checked by someone who knows what they are doing. Even for us in compliance businesses, we need someone else to review our own documents.
What I have found through this practice is that we have become better and better at what we do. I have no problem proclaiming this because our clients trust us to ensure that their business is protected and that any risk mitigated.
Cheaper is not always the best way. What I have found is that the time you spend upfront to get tailored and fit for purpose documents for your business, the better off you are in the long term.
Template
Pros
- Easy to use and download
- Cost-effective and covers all your basic needs
- Use for the short term as a fix
Cons
- They don’t always reflect your company, industry or the roles in your business
- Can miss crucial steps in a process or clauses in an employment agreement
- Risk for personal grievance can be high
Tailor Made
Pros
- They are specifically made for your business, the role and your industry
- They can change and evolve at the same time as your business changes and grows
- You have someone you can talk to as they draft the documents for you
Cons
- Cost more, but you are protected in the long term
- More documents than you originally wanted
- Can take longer to build (not instant)
In the times that we are living in which things change quickly, from my experience it is better in the long term to get tailor made documents for your business.
And you will have the comfort of knowing that what you have is designed for your business and your needs.