While general work instruction templates try to cover different industries, they often do not meet the specific requirements of a single sector.
If you’re a user, work manager, or project manager looking for suitable work instruction templates, you know how diverse your needs can be. These templates must adapt to new tasks and tech, but often, you need to update them, or they will lack flexibility.
It gets even more challenging with technical language that’s tough for non-experts to understand.
Making templates that fit specific job requirements takes a lot of time, as does dealing with company rules while staying accurate. A standard format is necessary for collaboration between teams and industries.
It’s crucial to tackle these challenges and find solutions to write work instructions that beat these hurdles.
In today’s post, we’ve compiled a list of the best free work instruction templates to help you get started!
What is a Work Instruction Template?
An essential work instruction template is a standardized document or step-by-step guide outlining procedures for performing a specific organizational task, process, or job.
A work instruction describes everything you need to know—what to do, what materials and tools to use, safety info, and step-by-step instructions for each task.
These templates ensure everyone carries out tasks similarly and clarify necessary details.
What Makes a Good Work Instruction Template?
A great work instructions template gives you clear, manageable steps and all the details about materials, tools, and how to use them. It must make sense to whoever’s reading it so everyone does the job the same way every time.
The template should cover safety rules for the job and have some visual work instructions with diagrams or pictures to make things easier to grasp.
Keeping things up-to-date with changes and sticking to a standard format helps make your assembly work process and training smoother.
10 Work Instruction Templates
Which work template should you use?
While work instructions are helpful for almost every business, not all work instruction templates are equal. We’ve curated a list of the top ten free work instruction templates so you can immediately get started!
1. Employee Manual Template
Efficiency goes for a toss if there’s miscommunication within your team. ’s employee manual template builds a strong connection between you and your team, making things smooth.
Customize the template, fill in the guidelines, update documents, and provide unified instructions across all departments without hassle.
The template lets you organize and add details, providing a clear layout of your employee manual. Also, set up your layout using views like List, Gantt, Workload, Calendar, and more.
You can tweak how you see the document, making it easier to use and increasing user satisfaction.
Once you use this basic work instruction template, say goodbye to those lengthy hours onboarding new hires. This manual serves as a guide, clearly outlining roles and expectations and fostering workplace clarity.
Organizations often use workflow management software to save new employees from the chaos of juggling multiple tasks in a single project. It automates all your manual workflow steps, assigns responsibilities, and tracks progress to ensure the timely completion of tasks.
📮 Insight: 92% of knowledge workers risk losing important decisions scattered across chat, email, and spreadsheets. Without a unified system for capturing and tracking decisions, critical business insights get lost in the digital noise. With ’s Task Management capabilities, you never have to worry about this. Create tasks from chat, task comments, docs, and emails with a single click!
2. Process and Procedures Template
We all know how organizations have a never-ending list of processes and procedures.
It might take months to create these procedures, but it’s all worth it when employees understand and use them effectively.
This is where ’s Process and Procedures Template template comes into play, centralizing all procedures in one place.
The template has it all—whether it’s pictures or clear step-by-step instructions—it covers every angle. Adding custom statuses helps you track tasks as they move along, those that are finished and those waiting to be done.
Try using process mapping tools to improve your operations and visually enhance your workflows. They’re handy for project managers to create diagrams and charts, making processes smoother and keeping track of progress at each stage.
You get seven custom attributes, such as issue level and completion rate, and five views, like Process Flowchart and Documentation List, for in-depth insights.
Use this template to clarify tasks and improve project management.
Track, label, get priority reminders, and even stay updated via emails. It’s like having a handy guide to make sure everything runs smoothly.
3. Work To Do Template
Are you fed up with missed deadlines?
It’s time to rely on a framework that helps you sort out your tasks. This Work To Do template helps you stay organized and meet deadlines effectively.
Whether you’re working solo or part of a larger team, this template serves as a practical to-do list maker. It keeps everyone in the loop about the status of tasks, whether they’re in progress, canceled, or completed.
The built-in calendars assist in managing your time effectively, ensuring everyone completes their tasks as scheduled. The time-tracking capabilities help you stay on top of deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks.
It simplifies complex processes into manageable steps, making the workload more manageable for everyone involved. Combine this template with Getting Things Done or GTD apps, to boost productivity.
After all, if your team has detailed to-do lists, they will likely perform specific tasks better.
4. Procedure Template
Standard operating procedures and process efficiencies go hand-in-hand in any organization. So, if your efficiency is not up to the mark, it’s time to change how you frame your procedures.
This Procedure template will help you save hours of work, errors, and error corrections in just a few clicks.
Whether you want to draft a document for a new customer account or test new software, the template makes it easy.
Quickly brainstorm ideas and the procedure’s scope in the Doc in . Once you have all the steps and relevant procedure information, organize it in the table view in .
Click on Add template, invite your team members to collaborate, and get started. You will have a logical flow of steps, complete monitoring of progress, and regular discussions to ensure total efficiency.
5. Work SOP Template
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are critical for any business to thrive. They keep things consistent and drive growth in your organization.
’s Work SOP template allows storing and organizing your procedures in one accessible location. This ensures everyone on the team can quickly grab the newest approved SOPs, reducing the chance of errors occurring.
The template lets teams edit together in real-time, so everyone’s brainpower chips in to improve the SOPs constantly.
6. Standard Operation Procedures Template
Crafting SOPs from scratch is time-consuming, given the attention to small details. This is where ’s Standard Operation Procedures template comes in handy to give you a head start.
Everyone is on the same page with a unified workspace with established workflows and checklists. The template also has various project management features, making setting SOPs quick.
Giving everyone clear instructions using this template helps get tasks done quickly. But to ensure everyone follows these instructions, consider looking for employee monitoring software.
Generate detailed productivity reports, gain real-time insights, and facilitate team collaboration for maximizing output.
The step-by-step guidance not only minimizes errors but also contributes to the establishment of a highly professional work environment. This helps you motivate your employees and create an efficient workplace.
7. Simple Work Plan Template
Do you ever feel worn out from the constant planning and organization of work-related tasks? Imagine if you free yourself from all that stress with the help of a single, straightforward Simple Work Plan Template.
Yes, this template simplifies project planning with a visual work instruction list, a timeline of tasks, milestones, and deadlines. Assign each team member their responsibilities, making tracking progress more manageable.
The Summary view provides a quick overview of the plan and the designated roles. Similarly, the Timeline and Progress view ensures all the tasks are monitored and finished as per the deadlines.
Quickly update statuses to ensure you consult subject matter experts, keep all the stakeholders in the loop, and maximize productivity. If that’s not enough, consider using work prioritization tools to ensure your team completes all crucial tasks without delays.
8. Scope of Work Template
The scope of work is a detailed roadmap that outlines the specific tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables associated with a project. Project workflows are complete when there is a clear scope of work.
’s Scope of Work template provides a user-friendly solution for this purpose. With this template, defining the objectives of your project, establishing realistic timelines, and outlining specific tasks becomes a straightforward process.
Beyond that, the template offers a valuable feature by automating stakeholder communication. This saves time and creates transparency, which is crucial for building trust.
Whether tackling a one-time project or managing ongoing operations, the template’s immaculate design will cater to all your needs.
The scope of work templates, when combined with work order templates, gives your stakeholders the clarity they need to proceed further.
9. Microsoft Word Technical Work Instruction Template
via Microsoft
The Microsoft Word Technical Work Instruction Template is a valuable resource for documenting detailed step-by-step procedures.
It’s mainly there to ensure things stay consistent, clear, and easy for users who need these instructions to complete their tasks.
One of the standout features of this template is its adaptability. You’re not stuck with a fixed format. This template is customizable to fit the specific needs of various tasks or projects.
This flexibility lets organizations customize work instructions precisely as they need them.
With pre-defined sections like objectives, scope, materials, and procedures, you’ve got a solid starting point that you can easily adjust and build upon.
10. Microsoft Word Work Instruction Manual Template
via Microsoft
The Microsoft Word Work Instruction Manual Template is a handy tool to help create detailed instructions for smooth task execution. It boosts employee training and cuts down errors by giving clear and thorough guidelines that are easy to understand.
No matter your industry—whether it’s manufacturing, IT, or customer service—tailor this template to adapt to your organization’s needs. It’s versatile, making it a valuable resource for many businesses by smoothly including industry-specific details.
Standardize Work Instructions with
Designing work instruction templates for different industries is quite a challenge. It’s an ongoing journey to make instructions that are crystal clear and cover all the bases for various job roles and industries.
Your work instruction template should adapt to whatever you need it for – that’s the key! These 10 templates offer heaps of value for your processes, but the right choice boils down to your preferences and your company’s way of doing things.
is a versatile tool for all team sizes and industries. It offers tools to craft and enhance your workflows from scratch or by picking one from our template collection. And guess what? It’s totally free! Sign up to use now.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
