The Ultimate Guide: Crafting a Personnel File Structure in 5 Key Stages

Keeping all documents in a structured record gives you easy access and, when needed, digs out the required page easily. 

Maintaining an employee’s personnel records in a structured form is a key role of the HR department in any organization. In this article, we’ll describe the personnel file and its key particulars to better understand the way.

 

Personnel file cover color to separate it as per employees' contract nature: The red color file is used only for Regular employees who have more than 3 years of employment contract. The pink color file is for that employee who has an extended-term contract of not more than a 2-year job contract.

 

Green color personnel files are for short-term employees whose contracts are extendable on demand of the supervisor and the contract duration should be less than one year.

 

FILE COVER DESIGN TEMPLATE:

 

CONFIDENTIAL

FILE NO: PF-0234/2019

Department: MARKETING DEPARTMENT

 

OFFICIAL LOGO

ORGANIZATION NAME

 

(PERSONAL FILE)

 

NAME: ALEXANDER SMITH

 

DESIGNATION: DIRECTOR OF MARKETING DEPARTMENT

 

PLACE OF POSTING: HEAD OFFICE JOHANNESBURG RSA

 

Bio-Data

 

CNIC No_______________

 Employee #. 0234

Their Father’s/husband’s name is ALEXANDER SHAW

Date of birth: 02 JANUARY 1972

Domicile: LAS VEGAS

Date of Joining: 10 AUGUST 1999

Qualification: Master's IN MARKETING

Department: ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT Field of Specialization: VALUE CHAIN

Permanent address: STREET # XYZ SECTOR # XYZ CITY LAS VEGAS

Present address: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

 

Career Progression: Total pages in P/F on Different Dates

 

CHECKLIST: 

S. NO	DESCRIPTION	PAGE #
1	Job Specification	1
2	Job Description	2
3	Advertisement cutting	3
4	Job Application + CV	4
5	Shortlisting Sheet	5
6	Call for a written test	6
7	Written Test Result	7
8	Call letter for the Interview	8
9	Compile Result Sheet	9
10	Offer letter	10
11	Joining Letter	11
12	Policy Undertaking	12
13	Orientation	13
14	Educational Documents	14
15	Appointment letter	15
16	Placement Letter	16
17	Evaluation Sheet	17
18	Confirmation letter	18
19	Benefits Eligibility Letter	19
20	Health Insurance Letter	20
21	EIR Format	21
22	National Identity Card	22
23	Annual Increment letter	23
24	Transfer letter, if any	24
25	Performance Appraisal	25
26	Leave Details	26
27	Policy Undertaking	27

 

In addition to the above, the following documents also need to be kept in the personnel file. Annual renewal of health/life insurance policy documents in the staff personnel file. Complete the dependent list with annual addition/deletion cases. 

 

The Human Resource department should include newborn Children in the health policy and delete names from the list in a death case. The Human Resource department should seek a nomination certificate from an employee in case of his/her death in service, who will be the legal person to collect all dues from the organization.  

 

A complete list of required documents, including a relationship with an employee, for this purpose, the employee needs to provide attested documents, i.e.

1. National identity card:
2. Relation evidence
3. Passport-size photo
4. Contact address
5. Contact cell no

 

Basic Appointment letter:

Contract extension letters, travel approval forms, monthly salary slips, and salary deduction records, if any. Annual leave provision letter, leave taken forms, Leave Encashment details, and leave accumulation record, if any.

 

Performance Appraisal Process:

Annual performance record, promotion/demotion letters, performance bonus record, below performance action, had taken letters, etc.

 

Employee Disciplinary Action Letter:

Action inquiry reports, decision letters, punishment letters, if any,  paternity/maternity leave a records if the employee is female, and sick leave records of respective employees in their personnel file.

 

An employee’s personnel file is a mandatory document in any organization to keep all information related to academic, professional, and personal competency, details resume, and full hiring process documents, including with dependents list to acquire employee benefits as per the organization policy. 

 

Personnel File Record Retention: Sequence Rules:
The human resource section is the custodian to maintains all information of an employee in the respective personnel file and makes sure all papers are in safe custody. The HR person is fully responsible for keeping the retention of the personnel file and updating it from time to time.

 

Employee File Management:

The key task of the Human Resources person is to keep all employees’ personnel files in order to track them easily when needed.

 

Employee file management is the top priority; either keep it in soft form by scanning all required documents in the database, or keep records in hard form. These 2 types of file management are common practices in today's era.

 

HR Document Management Software:

There are several file management software programs in the market; it totally depends on the organization’s requirements. To keep the documents in software, an organization needs to purchase licensed software with top-level safety and security plugins. However, totally depending on software is risky, so we need to keep all HR documents in hard form as well, with a standard filing system.

 

How to Maintain Employee Records?

Personnel file/document management is a key responsibility of an HR person. It is mandatory to maintain all employees’ records properly from the hiring to the firing stage with full confidentiality.

 

HR personnel should keep all papers in a proper file and introduce systematic filing procedures to avoid mishandling the employee's personal record. 

 

Key Documents in The Employee’s Personnel File:

The job Specification is a key document to justify the position and allocate the financial budget to create the position. The necessary paper should be kept in the employees' respective personnel files.

 

Job Announcement/cutting of newspaper: The HR person is responsible for keeping all related papers regarding the proper announcement of job openings, either cutting of newspaper or other media sources of the announcement, in the respective staff personnel files.

 

The detailed job description of the vacant positions: HR should develop a comprehensive job description of the said position, with the coordination of the concerned line manager. 

 

Key requirements, i.e., qualification, relevant experience, and other filters that allow HR to shortlist the appropriate person for the said position. 

 

Update CV and application for the said position: HR should collect updated CVs along with verified documents from the candidates during the interview session, and get a verification certificate from the respective institution.

 

Relevant district domicile documents: If the vacant position is specifically for any district, then HR should check the domicile-related papers to make sure the concerned district person to be the shortlist.

 

Photocopy of Computer National Identity card (CNIC): The Computerized National Identity card is the main source to determine whether the person belongs to the respective district. HR should check this to maximize district-level potentialities.

 

Valid light/ heavy driving license (applicable driver’s position): LTV/HTV is only applicable for driver-related positions. HR seeks valid documents from the candidate to check his/her eligibility.

 

Short-listing criteria/filters: There are some key factors to evaluate the candidate for shortlisting, i.e., relevant qualification, experience, gender, locality, physical fitness, age, etc.

 

The written part of the interview results: HR issues a call letter to all candidates for the written part of the interview to assess the candidate's writing skills of the candidate.

 

Invitation letter for verbal interview: The third stage of selection is to conduct a verbal part of an interview with successful candidates in writing.  The verbal interview is to go deep to analyze communication skills, self-confidence, maturity, relevant knowledge, etc.

 

Interview evaluation forms with panel signatures: Key papers of interview evaluation results with a panel signature. HR should keep these documents in the respective employee's personnel file for reference.

 

The consolidated result with panel signatures: HR keeps the written/verbal part evaluation in the respective personnel file for annual internal/external audits.

 

Other Letters are:

Offer letter/ job acceptance, Policy undertaking, Joining report as in prescribed formats, Contract/appointment letter, Placement letter in the concerned department, and Health/life insurance nomination forms. 

 

Other forms of papers, i.e., transfer, promotion, up-gradation, explanations, leave record, performance appraisal, contract extension letter, and Comprehensive orientation plan.

 

Personal Data Sheet Army:

Including the above-mentioned papers, the HR department should keep the following papers of ex-employees for perusal of pension cases, etc.

 

1. Exit interview sheet
2. Deepened nominations forms
3. Pay & pension-related papers
4. Final clearance form from all concerned departments

 

Employee’s information report, i.e., personnel, educational, past job experience certificates, and experience certificates from the last employer.

 

Document Required For Personnel File:

Group A:

Job Application with the following documents

Attested copy of SSC, HSC, Graduation, Master's Degree, or certificates

Attested copies of Training certificates, if any

Attested copies of the Experience certificate, if any

Attested copy of National Identity card

Attested copy of Domicile certificate

Complete CV

Copy of EOBI card (if already registered with EOBI)

Three copies of photographs (PP size)

 

Group B:

Call letter for the written test

Call letter for interview

Result Sheet

Result information/job offer letter

Joining report

Contract

 

Group C:

Health insurance questionnaire

Health Insurance Letter

Pension Registration format if already not registered

 

Group D:

Employee Information Report with all necessary documents

 

Group E:

Any other related documents

All office memos

Officer orders

Transfer orders

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a Personnel File?

A personnel file may be a paper or electronic folder for storing HR and payroll documents associated with new, existing, or past employees. 

It should include basic employee and compensation information in compliance with the organization’s personnel policy.

 

What Kind of Documents shouldn't be in the Personnel File?

Pre-employment records (except the application and resume)

Monthly attendance transaction documents.

Whistleblower complaint notes are generated from informal discrimination complaint investigations, promotion, and demotion letters.

 

How Can I Access My Personnel File?

Normally, employers have a routine procedure to provide employees with access to their personnel files. 

If there's a negotiation agreement, the procedure could also be included within the agreement. 

If this process fails, an employee may write to the concerned official to request access to the personnel records. 

 

Can I Ask HR to Review My Personnel File?

As an employee, do I even have the right to ascertain my personnel files? The short answer is 'yes. 

You’ve got the right to form a note to your employer, asking to ascertain your personnel files, at any time. 

Your employer has the proper to ask why you would like to access your files, but must then provide all of your records to you. 

 

How to Organize Personnel Files? 

The human resource person is fully responsible for keeping all personnel information of an employee. The personnel file should be organized according to the HR rules, i.e., Personnel information, Hiring process documentation, educational evidence, past experience certificates, performance appraisal papers, routine letters, i.e., increment, promotion, transfer, appreciation, warnings, leave record, etc. 

 

What Kind of Information is Confidential in HR?

This data, which may pertain to age, sex, religion, race, or national origin, must remain confidential. Similarly, Social Security numbers, birth dates, home addresses, and family information also must remain confidential within employee personnel files.

 

What is Employee File Management?

It is good practice to manage all documentation by keeping all information accurate from start to end and putting a traceable reference number on each page. However, use different-colored separators with flags to make it easy to access the relevant portion of the file.

 

What is Personnel File Meaning?

The closest meaning of a personnel file is employee record-keeping, where the employer maintains the employee's information. The personnel file is a key part of HR compliance with the organization's HR and compliance policy.