Not all of us get a new car or a new appliance and immediately read the manual. But, confessions: I just might be one of those people who do find a thorough manual read to be useful! (What can I say, I like to be prepared.) With that said, it’s not every day I run across a well-written, easy-to-read manual for an organization. When I joined the Atomic Object team as a Delivery Lead six months ago, I was pleasantly surprised to be handed just such an opportunity.
When I started my new role at Atomic last October, I didn’t just receive a laptop and a Slack login. I was also given a clear description and task list for my first 90 days of onboarding, each linked to relevant posts on our Atomic blog or our Confluence-based employee manual. That experience reminded me of something I’ve come to believe deeply over the years: organizations should create and share clear expectations new employees can rely on — not just to be read once and forgotten, but to reference regularly and keep up-to-date as the organization evolves.
My appreciation for the “Atomic Manual” has only grown since then. It’s a cornerstone of how we communicate our values, policies, and cultural norms. It’s the first place Atoms (what we call our team members) can turn to find answers, and it’s designed to be approachable and searchable.
The Case for a Living Manual
Many organizations have employee handbooks. These are typically static, compliance-driven documents full of legalese and vague descriptions of culture that rarely see the light of day after onboarding week. But a living manual is something entirely different.
A living manual grows and changes with the company. It reflects the voices of its people. It’s searchable, linkable, and relevant. It does more than outline how things work—it explains why they work that way. And perhaps most critically, it serves as a first stop, not a last resort, when someone has a question.
This approach to documentation is essential for scaling culture and operational consistency without adding friction or red tape. It’s a foundation that allows people to self-serve information while still staying connected to the humans behind the policies and processes.
My Onboarding at Atomic
My own onboarding experience at Atomic was a model of how to integrate a living manual into an employee’s journey. From day one, I had access to a well-organized, well-maintained guide to company life. I wasn’t expected to read it all at once or figure it out alone; it was paired with an onboarding guide that came in the form of a Trello board, broken down by topic and timeline and sprinkled with links to relevant manual entries and blog posts from Atomic Spin, our company blog, and Great Not Big, a blog written by our Atomic leadership about our business practices.
I worked closely with my orientation manager during those first critical weeks. Each time we met, we’d discuss topics I’d learned about in my pre-reading and I’d get a chance to ask any questions on my mind. That structure allowed me to ask better questions, process information in digestible chunks, and build real understanding. It was onboarding designed for humans, not checklists for robots. It set the tone that this manual wasn’t a relic from HR, but a tool I could keep coming back to in the future when I needed a refresher.
Lessons from ZingTrain
Before Atomic, I worked at a software incubator and led a team of product managers. During that time, I had the opportunity to attend a ZingTrain seminar focused on Systems for Support Staff. ZingTrain is the training arm of Zingerman’s—a community of businesses known for world-class service and people practices.
Their message was straightforward: clear expectations and repeatable systems are what turn good intentions into consistent experiences. They advocated for onboarding systems that meet new hires where they are, guide them with clarity, and include living resources they can return to again and again. The best tools for that? Thoughtful manuals, engaging training materials, and structured mentorship. (Want to learn more about their approach? Check out their free webinars on creating a training program and an onboarding guide!)
Atomic’s approach felt like a ZingTrain case study come to life. The manual wasn’t just a verbose binder I was handed; it was embedded in how I learned, how I worked, and how I connected with the company’s culture.
Not the Whole Story — Just the Beginning
Of course, not every answer lives in a manual, nor should it. Human connection, coaching, and conversation will always play a central role in how we help new hires thrive. But a strong manual and onboarding process sets the stage: it creates psychological safety, it reduces uncertainty. It tells people, you belong here—and here’s how we do things around here.
The Atomic Manual contains practical information about everything from company holidays to our values to our policies around parental leave. It’s intended to be the first place every Atom turns to answer practical questions of employment, company information, and operations. It links out to deeper resources and encourages exploration. And importantly, it’s curated with care by designated editors for each section. When something changes, the manual is updated to reflect that change. It’s not just a document—it’s a relationship.
Make it searchable and approachable
One of the smartest design decisions in our manual is that it’s organized around how people actually search. No hunting through irrelevant PDFs. No cryptic file naming conventions. Instead, topics are broken into categories that mirror how employees think: “Values”, “Compensation & Benefits”, “Basic Expectations”, “Tech Infrastructure”, and more. Internal links connect related topics. Keywords help surface content quickly.
That matters because we want our people to feel confident solving problems and answering questions independently. When employees are empowered to find information themselves, they feel more capable, confident, and respected. They waste less time and have more headspace to contribute meaningfully.
How to Start Building Your Manual
If your organization doesn’t yet have a living manual—or your current documentation is gathering digital dust—start fresh and keep it simple:
- Clarify your goal. Are you solving for new hire confusion? Inconsistent operations? Team autonomy?
- Choose a platform that works for your team. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Google Docs, Notion, Confluence—whatever makes information easy to update and search.
- Design for discovery. Organize topics the way your team thinks. Use friendly headers, links, and keywords.
- Invite contributions. Don’t treat the manual as a top-down artifact. Let your team shape it and provide feedback. They’re the ones using it, after all.
- Embed it in onboarding. Link to it. Talk about it. Refer to it in conversations. Make it part of your everyday operations.
- Keep it alive! Revisit and revise regularly. A stale manual helps no one.
Final Thoughts
At Atomic, we typically collaborate in-person for our day-to-day, but we’re still distributed across four offices in different states. The Atomic Manual helps establish that common foundation for all Atoms who onboard, no matter where they’re located. Today’s fast-moving, often-distributed work environments require a culture of clarity and empowerment; it’s no longer optional if you want your organization to be successful. A living manual is one of the most powerful tools you can offer your team. It says: We’ve thought about your experience. We want you to succeed. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
At Atomic Object, the manual isn’t just about process—it’s about people. Every organization has the opportunity to build the same kind of trust, clarity, and empowerment. It starts with writing it down, and then never letting it gather dust.