If your Slack DMs are a graveyard of “What’s our PTO policy again?” and “Where do I find the benefits guide?”, you’re not alone. As companies scale, so do the repeat questions—and they all seem to land on HR’s plate. That’s why HR wiki setup isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore—it’s the secret to keeping your team sane and your processes scalable.
Done right, internal documentation for HR becomes your always-on assistant. It reduces back-and-forth, supports smoother onboarding, and gives employees the confidence to self-serve—without pinging you every five minutes. But let’s be real: building something that people actually use is harder than it sounds.
This guide breaks down what it takes to start building HR hubs that are easy to maintain, adopted by your team, and integrated with the tools your people already use—like Slack or Microsoft Teams. No fluff, no theory—just tactical advice, templates, and tools to help you roll out an HR wiki that sticks.
Know What Belongs in Your HR Wiki (Hint: Start With the Questions You’re Tired of Answering)
Before choosing tools or templates, the most important part of your HR wiki setup is knowing what content will actually move the needle. If you’re building a resource that’s meant to reduce friction and boost self-service, it should be rooted in reality—not theory.
A good rule of thumb? Start with the questions that make you sigh when they pop up in Slack.
Here’s a solid starter list of what most internal documentation for HR should cover:
- Time Off and Leave Policies
PTO, sick leave, parental leave, bereavement leave—clearly outline how it works, how to request it, and who to contact if there’s an issue. - Benefits Overview
Health insurance, dental, vision, mental health support, 401(k), stock options—what’s available and how employees can access or change it. - Onboarding Process
Step-by-step breakdowns for new hires, including tools to set up, trainings to complete, and key people to meet. - Payroll & Compensation
When employees get paid, how to access paystubs or update direct deposit info, and who to contact for salary-related questions. - Company Policies
Think: code of conduct, remote work policies, travel reimbursements, expense procedures, and DEI commitments. - Career Growth and Performance Reviews
How performance is measured, how feedback works, timelines for reviews, and how to navigate promotions or role changes. - Org Charts and Contact Info
Who’s who, what they do, and how to reach them. Bonus points for a “Who to Ask for What” section.
When you’re building HR hubs, the goal isn’t to document everything—it’s to document the things that matter most to your employees and drain the most time from your day.
Choose Tools That Work With How Your Team Already Operates
The best HR wiki setup isn’t the one with the most features—it’s the one people actually use. That means choosing a platform that feels natural inside your team’s existing workflow. If your company already lives in Slack or Microsoft Teams, your HR knowledge base should, too.
Here are a few battle-tested options for internal documentation for HR:
Confluence or Notion (for depth and structure)
Great for long-form documentation, page hierarchies, and easy linking between policies. Ideal for teams who already use it or want a centralized source of truth.
AttendanceBot (for fast answers in the flow of work)
Perfect if your team prefers quick Slack pings over digging through docs. Tools like AttendanceBot can pull answers from your HR hub right inside Slack—no tab-switching required. Plus, it doubles as a self-service tool for PTO requests and time-off balances.
Google Drive or Shared Folders (if you’re just starting out)
Not fancy, but functional. A clean folder structure with labeled PDFs or Google Docs can still get the job done—especially if paired with good naming conventions and Slack search tips.
SharePoint or a Company Intranet (for larger orgs)
If your company already uses an internal portal, your HR hubs can live there—as long as it’s searchable, updated, and doesn’t require six clicks to access a PTO policy.
Whatever you pick, keep this in mind: the wiki isn’t “done” when it’s live—it’s only useful if people know how to find it and trust that it’s up to date.
That’s why the next step is all about driving adoption and making it part of everyday work, not a dusty corner of the internet.
Pro Move: Set Up an “Ask HR” Slack Shortcut That Pulls From Your Wiki
Here’s where most HR wiki setup guides fall short: they stop at documentation. But your real goal isn’t just building a wiki—it’s getting people to use it without thinking twice. And that’s where smart integrations come in.
One of the easiest, highest-impact moves? Create an “Ask HR” shortcut or Slack command that connects to your internal documentation for HR.
Here’s how it works:
- Create a custom Slack shortcut or use a Slack bot like AttendanceBot to field HR questions.
- When someone types /askHR or clicks a shortcut button, it pulls top results from your HR hub—PTO policy, benefits, onboarding steps, etc.
- If the answer isn’t found, it can escalate to your team or drop the question into a triaged channel like #ask-people-ops.
This turns your HR hubs into a dynamic, searchable experience inside Slack—exactly where employees are already working.
Why it works:
- It reduces context-switching (no need to open a new tab or remember a wiki URL).
- It conditions employees to check the wiki first, ask second.
- It scales. Every time someone uses it, it reinforces a self-service culture—and saves your HR team another repetitive answer.
Want help setting this up? Here’s a quick guide to creating custom Slack shortcuts.
Beyond Policies: 6 Unexpected Things That Belong in Your HR Wiki
Most HR teams fill their wiki with PTO rules, benefit summaries, and onboarding steps—and stop there. But if you want your HR hubs to feel essential, not optional, you’ve got to think like an employee. What do they wish they could find—fast?
Here’s what most teams forget to include (and why you shouldn’t):
1. How to Give Recognition
Whether it’s peer shoutouts, kudos in Slack, or quarterly awards—document how appreciation works in your org. Employees want to celebrate each other; show them how.
2. Company Rituals and Traditions
Have a standing donut Thursday? Do new hires give an intro in Slack? Documenting internal culture makes people feel like insiders faster. It also helps remote workers feel connected.
3. “Who to Ask” Guide
Org charts go out of date fast. Instead, list roles and the go-to person (with Slack handle or email). Think: “Talk to [@Paula] for questions about learning budgets.” It saves everyone time.
4. Your Tech Stack—Explained
Don’t assume everyone knows what Lattice, Deel, or Miro does. A page with tool names, what they’re used for, and who manages them reduces confusion—and boosts tool adoption.
5. How Decisions Get Made
Especially in fast-growing companies, people don’t know where decisions come from. A short blurb like “We use team input + manager approval for role changes” sets clear expectations.
6. Quick Links to Cross-Functional Wikis
If Finance, IT, or Legal has their own documentation, link them here. Your HR wiki setup becomes a central launchpad, not a silo.
Future-Proofing Your HR Wiki: Make It Smarter Over Time
Your HR wiki setup isn’t a one-and-done project—it’s a living system. The best internal documentation for HR gets more helpful, more personalized, and more trusted as your company grows.
Here’s how to build for scale without creating more maintenance work.
Use Search Data to Spot Gaps
If your wiki lives in Notion, Confluence, or even Google Drive, you likely have access to search analytics. Track what people are searching and not finding—it tells you exactly what to build next.
💡 Pro tip: Tools like AttendanceBot can show what HR-related questions are being asked most in Slack—those should become your next top-level wiki entries.
Integrate AI for Smarter Answers
AI tools aren’t just for chatbots. Many modern knowledge bases now include AI search or summarization. Instead of digging through paragraphs, employees get quick, relevant responses based on what you’ve already written.
Automate Wiki Maintenance With Workflows
Don’t rely on memory to update policies or outdated links. Use automations (like Slack Workflows or Zapier) to send reminders every quarter to wiki owners or trigger updates when a doc hits 6+ months old.
Rotate Ownership With Team Stewards
Instead of HR being the bottleneck, assign each core wiki page a “content steward.” They don’t have to write the updates—but they’re responsible for reviewing them on a cadence. This makes scaling sustainable.
Start Building Institutional Memory
Your HR hubs can do more than answer questions—they can preserve why things are done a certain way. Adding short notes on “why we chose this policy” or “past versions” creates transparency—and helps future HR teammates onboard faster.
Conclusion: Your HR Wiki Is a Living, Breathing Resource—Make It Count
Building a HR wiki setup that sticks is about more than just answering FAQs—it’s about creating a dynamic resource that grows with your team and evolves alongside your company. From practical integrations like Slack shortcuts to the strategic use of data and AI, every decision you make should prioritize accessibility, adoption, and long-term value.
By following the steps outlined above, your internal documentation for HR can become an essential tool for every employee, fostering a culture of self-service, transparency, and efficiency.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to create a wiki—it’s to create a system that actively contributes to a smooth, scalable HR experience. Start small, stay adaptable, and watch your HR hub evolve into a powerful asset for your growing organization.
Need help building the ultimate HR hub? Reach out to see how AttendanceBot can help streamline your processes, integrate your wiki, and make HR questions a thing of the past.
