An employee headshot policy answers five questions: what the photos look like, who they belong to and where they may be used, when they get updated, how new hires get one, and who owns exceptions. Most companies need one page, not a handbook chapter.
New TeamShotsPro accounts currently receive 3 branded test photos for quality evaluation. Paid seats include 8 photos and use the current published pricing. After a new hire uploads one selfie,; directory timing depends on review and publication. Generation takes about a minute per photo.
This page is for people who run photos for a company. If you only need your own portrait, start with Portreya.
For the rollout behind the policy, see the company headshots guide. For budgeting, see the cost breakdown.
What to standardize, and what to leave alone
Standardize the frame, not the person: background, crop, lighting style, and formality register. That is what makes a directory look coherent. Leave individual expression, grooming, and appearance alone beyond ordinary workplace norms; policies that reach past the frame into how people look generate friction and, in some jurisdictions, legal exposure. The practical test: two photos taken a year apart under your policy should look like they belong to the same company, not like the same person.
Consent and usage rights
An identifiable employee photo is personal data in many jurisdictions. The policy should explain where photos may appear (directory, website, proposals, social), the purpose and legal basis for each use, and what happens at offboarding. Do not treat clicking upload as automatic proof of valid consent. Unless a role-specific requirement has been confirmed with qualified advice, make participation voluntary, offer an initials or neutral-avatar alternative, and ensure that declining does not create a workplace disadvantage. Handle public-facing use separately from internal use.
For TeamShotsPro account-based headshots, selecting or capturing a new selfie prepares it for review. Selecting “Use this photo” authorizes its upload and analysis to create and quality-check headshots. Approval to process the selfie is separate from approval to use a finished headshot in a directory, on a website, or elsewhere. Explain those uses separately in your employee policy, and check the upload and processing steps of any other provider you use. See the privacy policy for provider access and retention details.
Update triggers and cadence
Calendar-based refresh cycles fail quietly: the photo day gets postponed and the directory ages. Trigger-based policies work better: update when appearance changes materially (recognition is the standard), on role changes that alter where the photo appears, and at a maximum age (two to three years) as the backstop. The policy should make updates cheap to request, because the expensive part of stale directories is usually process friction, not employee reluctance.
New hires and the consistency problem
The policy should explain how someone who joins after photo day can obtain a matching photo without turning onboarding into forced participation. Offer the AI generation option after explaining what will be uploaded, who may process it, where the output may appear, and which alternative is available. A new hire who voluntarily chooses the workflow can upload one clear selfie. Directory publication follows the employee's review and approval under the policy. Generation takes about a minute per photo. Your policy should say how to add new hires in the same style as the rest of the team.
For the first-week process, see the guide to headshots for employees and new hires.
A one-page template
Use the corporate headshot guidelines template for photo requirements.
Purpose: consistent, current professional photos across [directory, website, proposals]. Style standard: [background, crop, register], maintained centrally. Participation: voluntary unless a role-specific requirement has been confirmed; declining carries no workplace disadvantage and [initials/neutral avatar] is available. Notice and choice: each use is explained separately and is not bundled into onboarding. Updates: offered after a material appearance or role change and every [2-3] years as a reminder. New hires: may choose the headshot process after receiving the notice and alternatives. Offboarding: public-removal owner and target window [owner/window]. Exceptions: [owner/role] decides. Adapt the brackets, keep it to a page, and link it from onboarding. For rollout mechanics, see the company headshots guide; for budgeting, see the cost breakdown.
To plan your budget, see team pricing.
