Collect the facts first
Start with a list, not a drawing. Export every employee with their code, designation, department, location and reporting manager's code. Check the headcount against the latest payroll. Then look for the problems every first attempt uncovers: people with no manager, people claimed by two managers, managers who have left, and the same designation spelt three ways. Fix these in the data before drawing anything, or the chart will simply make the mess look official.
Choose the layout and level of detail
A top-down hierarchy suits most companies. Past a hundred or so people, one chart with every name becomes unreadable, so split it. In a worked example, a 260-person logistics company in Chennai uses one company chart showing the CEO and seven department heads, then separate charts for operations by hub and for sales by region. Each department chart shows managers and team leads by name, with frontline teams shown as a box with a headcount. Examples of structures for different industries are in the org structure library.
Show vacancies, dotted lines and acting roles
A chart that only shows filled positions hides the real shape of the organization. Decide how to show the special cases once and use the same marks on every chart, with a small legend in a corner. Consistency matters more than the exact symbols you pick.
- Vacant positions: a dashed box labelled Vacant, with the target joining month
- Dotted lines: functional guidance, such as a plant HR officer to the corporate HR head
- Acting or interim managers: labelled as acting, with the start date
- Assistants and executive secretaries: shown to the side of the person they support
- Headcount per box for large frontline teams
Keep it accurate
Org charts drawn by hand in slides are out of date within weeks. Build the chart from HR data, so a joiner, exit or change of manager updates it without anyone redrawing boxes. Check once a month for broken reporting lines, such as employees reporting to someone who has left. Print the date on any exported copy, so readers know how current it is.
Step by step
- Export the employee list with managers. Pull every active employee with code, designation, department, location and reporting manager's code, and match the count with payroll.
- Clean designations and departments. Merge spelling variants and duplicates so each person has one standard designation and one department.
- Fix missing and conflicting reporting lines. Give every employee exactly one reporting manager. Resolve people claimed by two managers and those reporting to someone who has left.
- Decide the layout and levels. Choose one company-level chart plus department charts, and decide which levels show names and which show headcount boxes.
- Build it from HR data. In ZeniaHR, the org chart is built from reporting lines, with search, expand and collapse, and each manager's direct and total team size.
- Mark vacancies and dotted lines on presentation copies. For charts shared in presentations or handbooks, add vacant positions, dotted lines and acting roles with a small legend.
- Review with department heads. Ask each head to confirm their part of the chart. They will spot errors that data checks miss.
- Check monthly for broken lines. Review the chart every month. ZeniaHR's org chart flags broken reporting lines, so they can be fixed before approvals get stuck.
See it on your own data
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What is an org chart?
An org chart, or organization chart, is a diagram of a company's structure showing roles, departments and reporting lines, usually from the top leader down. It helps employees see who does what and who reports to whom, and helps HR and leaders spot spans that are too wide or unclear reporting.
What should an org chart include?
Include each person's name, designation and department, their reporting line, and for managers the size of their team. Add vacant positions, acting roles and dotted-line relationships where they matter. For large frontline teams, a box with the headcount is clearer than every name.
How often should an org chart be updated?
Ideally it updates itself from HR data whenever someone joins, leaves or changes manager. If it is maintained by hand, update it at least monthly and after every restructure, and print the date on each copy so readers know how current it is.
Should an org chart show vacant positions?
Yes, for internal and planning charts. Showing vacancies makes the intended structure clear, explains temporary gaps in reporting and helps managers and recruiters see where hiring is pending. For charts shared outside the company, such as with clients, leaving vacancies out is fine.