How to Build an Org Chart That Actually Helps Your Team Work Better

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Most org charts are useless. Here’s how to fix that.

If you’re an HR leader, Office Manager, or Team Lead, you probably have an org chart somewhere. Maybe it’s buried in a forgotten PowerPoint slide, maybe it’s a tangled mess in Visio, or maybe it’s just a spreadsheet that barely makes sense.

And yet—every few months—someone needs to update it. Because a new hire joined. Because a manager changed. Because leadership suddenly needs a clear picture of “who’s who.”

But let’s be honest: most org charts don’t actually help anyone.

They’re static, outdated the moment they’re made, and they tell you only one thing: who reports to whom. That’s it. They don’t help teams collaborate, they don’t surface skills, and they don’t show the true structure of your organization.

So, what makes a great org chart?

A great org chart should do more than just display hierarchy. It should:
✅ Be easy to update (without hours of manual work)
✅ Show useful information beyond job titles (like skills, projects, or interests)
✅ Be accessible to employees so they can actually use it
✅ Reflect reality, not just a rigid structure that exists on paper

If your org chart isn’t doing these things, it’s not helping your team—it’s just another admin task you dread.

Let’s change that.

Step 1: Define What Your Org Chart Needs to Show

Before you even open a tool, ask yourself: Who is this org chart for?

Different stakeholders need different things:
👩‍💼 HR & Leadership → Need to see reporting lines, department structures, and team sizes.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Employees → Want to find colleagues, understand roles, and know who to reach out to.
🎯 New Hires → Need a map of the company to navigate their first weeks smoothly.

If you’re only designing for leadership, you’re missing an opportunity to make org charts useful for the entire team.

Step 2: Choose the Right Structure for Your Company

Most org charts default to a strict hierarchy, but that’s not always the best way to visualize your team. Here are some options:

1️⃣ Traditional Hierarchical Org Chart (Best for: clear reporting lines)

  • Looks like a pyramid.
  • Great for corporate structures where chain of command is key.
  • Downside: Doesn’t show cross-team collaboration well.

2️⃣ Department-Based Org Chart (Best for: growing companies)

  • Employees are grouped by departments first, then managers.
  • Works well if teams function independently.
  • Downside: Can be too rigid for fast-changing companies.

3️⃣ Matrix Org Chart (Best for: teams working cross-functionally)

  • Shows employees reporting to multiple managers (e.g., project teams).
  • Great for companies that have project-based work or remote teams.
  • Downside: Can get complex if overused.

💡 Pro Tip: If your company spans multiple locations, consider a nested org chart where Level 1 groups employees by region and Level 2 by department.

Step 3: Make Updating Your Org Chart Effortless

This is where most org charts fail. If your chart is a static document, you’ll always be playing catch-up. Instead, use these best practices:

✅ Pull data directly from your HR system (so you don’t have to enter info manually).
✅ Make it editable by key people (so HR isn’t the only team responsible for updates).
✅ Automate structure changes (so reorganizations don’t mean a week of work).

Tools like Humanmap can do this automatically—so your org chart updates itself when people join, leave, or change roles.

Step 4: Add Information That Actually Helps Employees

Most org charts just list names and titles. But modern org charts should be more than that.

Here’s what you should consider including:
✅ Skills & Expertise – So employees can find internal experts.
✅ Current Projects – So teams can connect across departments.
✅ Interests & Hobbies – So people can build real relationships, not just work contacts.

💡 Example: Instead of just seeing "Sophie – Marketing Manager," an org chart could show:
✔️ Manages: Content & Paid Ads Teams
✔️ Skills: SEO, Copywriting, Brand Strategy
✔️ Currently Working On: Website relaunch
✔️ Interests: Cycling, Photography

This makes your org chart a real team directory, not just a corporate map.

Step 5: Make It Accessible & Interactive

An org chart that lives in a folder nobody opens is useless.

✅ Make it easy to access → Share it via Slack, Notion, or your HR portal.
✅ Allow employees to search it → So they can find people by name, team, or skill.
✅ Use a tool that updates automatically → So HR isn’t stuck making edits.

With Humanmap, employees can find anyone instantly, see what they’re working on, and even discover shared interests—all without HR needing to do manual updates.

The Takeaway: Your Org Chart Should Work for You, Not the Other Way Around

Most companies treat org charts as a one-time admin task—when they should be a living, useful resource for your entire team.

If you’re still manually updating an outdated chart, struggling to keep track of teams, or missing opportunities for connection, it’s time to switch to a better way.

💡 Want to see what a modern, dynamic org chart looks like?
Try Humanmap for free and see how effortless org charts can be.

👉 Start Your Free Trial (No credit card required)

Or, if you're curious, send me a simple CSV/Excel file, and I'll create your org chart for free—no strings attached.

Let’s make org charts actually useful again. 🚀