(Updated 12/20/2021) – Most people would say that a tech start up and a healthcare facility don’t have much in common in terms of what services they provide, clients they serve, and the overall ways they operate their business. However, the way that they handle their data and more specifically how long they retain that data is something both industries share. That’s where each business’ records retention policy governs how long they must keep the information about their clients, vendors, and even employees; and ultimately what is done to destroy that information at the end of its life cycle.
Giving employees authority and ownership of the records retention policy is integral in building engagement and awareness around the policy, ultimately resulting in one goal…
Employees following the procedure.
Take a look at these simple steps when trying to build employee buy-in and awareness surrounding your company’s records retention policy.
Emphasizing Records Retention Policy Training for New Employees
When your business makes a new hire, it is the perfect time to instill in that person that the records retention policy is in place to secure the confidential information your business is producing daily. Sending a clear message to new hires allows them to grasp the concept that your company’s records retention policy plays an integral role in his or her daily duties.
Scheduling Time for Training
Eventually all your new hires become seasoned pros at your business, and even though they have a firm grasp on most procedures, it is still necessary to keep retention policy training top of mind. That’s why outlining a schedule to go over the retention policies with all employees continuously will reinforce the foundation presented to them when hired.
Making the Policy Easily Accessible
It may seem obvious, but the last thing you want to do is communicate the records retention policy to employees and then hide it among a mountain of hard copy or electronic files. Uploading the policy to a shared company drive with a clearly marked and organized folder will help make the policy that much easier for employees to access. When a location for the policy has been determined, letting employees know where it is located will help in winning buy-in.
Setting Reminders
Having an automated system of reminding your employees about the records retention policy is a friendly and efficient way to bring continued awareness. Email is a perfect solution for accomplishing this and can be used for quarterly communication.
Delegate Department Heads
In larger organizations it may be necessary to appoint leaders who oversee enforcing the records retention policy for their respective departments. This way, it is not up to just one person to manage the entirety of a large organization’s workforce. Conversely, for smaller businesses it may only be necessary for one person to manage the policy as there may be less than 10 employees. In either situation the crucial component is assigning the responsibility to someone and not letting the policy go unmanaged.
Periodic Destruction Days
You could do everything right and still have employees holding on to hard copy documents that should have been destroyed months ago. Scheduling destruction days where the whole company participates in destroying the documents that need to be destroyed could be an efficient solution to actively engage employees in the process.
Ultimately, partnering with a NAID AAA Certified vendor to get on a recurring shred schedule can make it that much easier for your employees to follow the records retention policy. With recurring shred service, bins or consoles are installed strategically in the office to allow employees to simply deposit documents that are past their retention, and then let the shredding vendor take care of the rest. Contact Us today to get more information and help increase the efficiency of your office.