How to Create an Organizational Chart in Microsoft Visio: A Step-by-Step Guide

Organizational charts are essential for visualizing the structure of a company or organization. Microsoft Visio provides a powerful way to create these charts quickly. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of building an organizational chart, managing hierarchy, customizing elements, and ensuring the final product is accessible and shareable.

Video Guide

What is Microsoft Visio?

Microsoft Visio is a diagramming and vector graphics tool that allows users to create flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, and more. With its organizational chart features, you can easily represent teams, departments, and reporting structures.

Getting Started with Organizational Charts

Step 1: Set Up Visio

Start by opening Microsoft Visio. From there, either select a blank diagram or choose a template designed for organizational charts. You’ll find shapes and tools on the left panel to begin building your chart.

• Org chart options: Choose from pre-designed shapes like manager belts and staff belts.
• Shapes panel: Access the organizational chart elements from the panel on the left-hand side.

Step 2: Add Key Positions

To begin, I’ll add the CEO to the chart. (Following the video example above.)

• Add CEO: Drag the manager shape (e.g., “Shawn Jordison, CEO”) onto the canvas to represent the head of the organization.
• Add staff positions: Add staff members and managers below the CEO by dragging and dropping staff shapes.
• Connect positions: Drop staff members onto a manager to create hierarchical connections.

Step 3: Build the Hierarchy

Next, I’ll add staff and departments to create the full hierarchy.

• Add multiple staff belts: Drag and drop multiple staff shapes under managers to build the team structure.
• Create connections: Connect several staff belts to a manager to represent departments, like adding “Remediator 1,” “Remediator 2,” and “Remediator 3” under “Steve.”

Customizing the Organizational Chart

Step 4: Customize Elements

Once the basic structure is complete, you can further refine the chart by adding images and adjusting the design.

• Insert images: Click on an image placeholder to insert pictures for each staff member.
• Adjust design: Use Visio’s design tools to change fonts, colors, and shapes, ensuring the chart matches your organization’s branding.

Exporting the Organizational Chart to PDF

Step 5: Export to PDF

Once you’ve finished designing the chart, export it as a PDF for distribution. Use the “Acrobat” button in Visio and select “Create PDF.” However, note that Visio’s PDF exports come with some limitations regarding accessibility.

• PDF export limitation: Visio’s export does not create a tagged PDF, which means it lacks important structure for accessibility.

Addressing Accessibility Challenges for Org Charts

Step 6: Fix Accessibility Issues in Adobe Acrobat

Since Visio does not export PDFs with proper accessibility tags, I’ll use Adobe Acrobat to fix these issues manually.

• Add manual tags: Open the PDF in Acrobat, access the “Tags” panel, and create a new tag (right-click and select “New Tag” > “Document”). Then move the figure elements into the document tag.

Step 7: Apply Heading Structure

To ensure proper document navigation, I’ll add headings.

• Add headings: Assign heading levels to elements such as the CEO (H1), department heads (H2), and staff members (H3). This improves the document’s readability for screen readers.

Step 8: Fix Reading Order

I’ll use Acrobat’s “Prepare for Accessibility” and “Fix Reading Order” tools to make sure the content flows logically.

• Organize tags: Move all elements under the correct headings and verify the hierarchy (H1 for CEO, H2 for department heads, H3 for staff) to match the organizational structure.

Download the Free Section 508 Checklist for PDF Accessibility:

Final Thoughts

This guide has shown how to create an organizational chart in Microsoft Visio, from setting up the basic structure to exporting and addressing accessibility issues. While Visio is powerful for building charts, it does not automatically create accessible PDFs, requiring manual fixes in Adobe Acrobat. By applying these techniques, you can build professional, accessible charts that are easy to share and use.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!