What is an organizational chart?

An organizational chart is a diagram of who works where and who reports to whom. Boxes are roles, lines are reporting relationships, and the shape tells you how the organisation is run.

Ruth ParkCEOLeadershipDev ShahHead of OperationsOperationsKim LeeProduction LeadOperationsLogistics CoordinatorOpen role · OperationsMia RossHead of SalesSalesLeo GrantSales RepSales
  1. Boxes (nodes) hold one role each: usually a name and job title, sometimes a department or photo.
  2. Solid lines connect each person to their direct manager. Follow them up to read the chain of command.
  3. Levels show seniority. Everyone on the same row sits at the same distance from the top.
  4. Dashed boxes are open roles, and dotted lines show secondary reporting, as in a matrix.

What an org chart is used for

  • Onboarding: new hires see who does what and who to ask.
  • Planning and reorgs: leaders test structures before announcing them. Drawing it exposes a manager with too many reports or a team with no owner.
  • Hiring plans: open-role boxes show investors and recruiters where headcount goes next.
  • Compliance and funding: grant applications, tenders, audits and due diligence often ask for a current chart.

Types of organizational chart

The chart format is the same; what changes is the structure it shows. The five main types are:

TypeWhat it looks likeCommon in
HierarchicalA pyramid with several management layersLarge companies, government, military
FlatVery wide, one or two layersStartups and small teams
FunctionalBranches for each departmentMost small and mid-sized businesses
DivisionalBranches for each product, region or marketMulti-product and multinational companies
MatrixSolid lines plus dotted cross-linksConsultancies, agencies, engineering

See all five drawn from the same company, with an interactive switcher, on organizational structure types.

Organizational chart examples

Maya ChenCEO & Co-founderLeadershipPriya NairHead of GrowthGrowthTom ReyesGrowth MarketerGrowthAccount ExecutiveOpen role · SalesLena NovakOperations LeadOperationsSam OkaforCustomer SupportOperationsJordan BlakeCTO & Co-founderEngineeringAisha KhanSenior EngineerEngineeringDiego MoralesFull-stack EngineerEngineeringChloe MartinProduct DesignerProductBen AdlerMobile EngineerEngineeringData EngineerOpen role · Engineering
Startup · 12 people
Alexandra ReidChief Executive OfficerExecutiveMichael TanChief Financial OfficerFinanceSofia RussoVP FinanceFinanceDavid ParkHead of LegalLegalRachel AdamsChief Operating OfficerOperationsVictor HughesVP OperationsOperationsMei LinVP Supply ChainOperationsArjun MehtaChief Technology OfficerTechnologyLucas WeberVP EngineeringTechnologyFatima AliHead of IT & SecurityTechnologyClaire DuboisChief Marketing OfficerMarketingEthan RossVP BrandMarketingNadia IvanovaVP Demand GenerationMarketingSamuel BrooksChief People OfficerPeopleOlivia GrantHR Business PartnerPeopleMarcus LeeHead of Talent AcquisitionPeopleChief Revenue OfficerOpen role · Sales
Corporate · 17 people
Dr. Karen MillsPrincipalAdministrationJames CarterAssistant Principal,AcademicsLaura BennettHead of MathematicsAcademicsTeachers (6)Mathematics FacultyAcademicsAhmed SalehHead of ScienceAcademicsTeachers (5)Science FacultyAcademicsMegan PriceHead of EnglishAcademicsTeachers (6)English FacultyAcademicsDaniel RuizHead of HumanitiesAcademicsPatricia YoungAssistant Principal,Student LifeSophie TurnerSchool CounselorStudent ServicesBrian WalshSpecial EducationCoordinatorHelen ScottSchool NurseStudent ServicesTony RussoAthletics DirectorStudent LifeGary FoxBusiness ManagerOperationsLinda HarrisOffice ManagerOperationsFrank MooreFacilities SupervisorOperationsIT TechnicianOpen role · Operations
School · 17 people
Marco BianchiOwner & General ManagerManagementClaire FontaineFront of House ManagerFront of HouseJake MorganHead ServerFront of HouseServers (6)ServersFront of HouseLily ChenHost LeadFront of HouseAndre SilvaBar ManagerBarBartenders (3)BartendersBarElena RossiExecutive ChefKitchenSam PorterSous ChefKitchenAiden WalshGrill ChefKitchenPriya DasSauté ChefKitchenNoah KimPastry ChefKitchenLine Cooks (4)Line CooksKitchenRita GomezKitchen Porter LeadKitchenEvents & Catering…Open role · Management
Restaurant · 15 people

Browse all 12 organizational chart templates →

How to make an organizational chart

  1. List everyone with their title and manager. A spreadsheet export from your HR system is perfect.
  2. Decide the scope: whole company for a small business; one chart per department for anything over roughly 50 people.
  3. Build it: paste the list into the org chart generator, or start from a template in the org chart maker.
  4. Check it with the people on it. Managers spot missing reports and wrong titles immediately.
  5. Export and date it: PNG for slides, PDF for print, CSV to keep a source of truth.

Prefer Office tools? Follow our guides for PowerPoint, Excel, Word and Google Docs.

Frequently asked questions

What is an organizational chart?

An organizational chart (org chart) is a diagram of an organisation’s structure. It shows roles as boxes and reporting relationships as lines, so you can see who reports to whom and how teams are grouped.

What are the main types of organizational chart?

Hierarchical (top-down pyramid), flat (few layers), functional (grouped by department), divisional (grouped by product, region or market) and matrix (with dotted lines for a second reporting relationship).

What should an org chart include?

At minimum each person’s name and job title and a line to their manager. Many charts also show department, open roles, location and a date so readers know how current it is.

Who creates the organizational chart?

Usually HR or operations maintains it, with input from managers. In small companies the founder or office manager often owns it.

How often should an org chart be updated?

Whenever someone joins, leaves or changes manager, or at least quarterly. An out-of-date chart misleads new hires, so date every version.