Organization charts
Shows who reports to whom and where each unit sits. There are seven chart types: hierarchical, functional, divisional, matrix, flat, team-based and network. The type determines both the available box kinds and how connections are drawn.
Register nowWhen to use it?
- Recording the current structure and spotting vacancies and duplication.
- Discussing a reorganization by drawing the same team in different chart types and comparing them.
- Making dual reporting explicit in a matrix chart, or outside partners visible in a network chart.
Step by step
- 1You pick the chart type the first time you open the tool. It can be changed later; boxes are converted to the closest equivalent and the layout is preserved.
- 2The chart menu at the top left lets you keep several charts in one project (for example current structure and target structure).
- 3Move the pointer over a box: a + appears at each of its four connection points. Click one and pick a position, unit, team or vacant role; the new box lands on that side. Double-click a box to change its name and the title underneath.
- 4Drag boxes to arrange them as you like.
- 5Normal connections are drawn from the top and bottom points of a box: this is the primary reporting line.
- 6Lines drawn from the side points appear dashed and mean secondary reporting (available in the matrix, hierarchical and network charts).
Keyboard shortcuts (desktop)
Tips
- The vacant-role box keeps unfilled positions visible, so the chart doubles as a hiring plan.
- Use the second line of a box for the title: the name of the person or unit on top, the role underneath.
- Do not mix the two line styles: a solid line says who you report to, a dashed line says who you work with.
Worked example
Example: a 20-person software company
The company went from 6 people to 20 in two years. Who reports to whom is common knowledge but written down nowhere, so every new joiner asks the same questions in their first week.
Managing director
- Head of product
- Head of engineering
- Head of sales
- HR and finance lead
Under engineering
- Front-end team (3)
- Back-end team (4)
- QA lead
- Systems administrator
Under product
- Designers (2)
- Product analyst
Under sales
- Field sales (2)
- Customer support (2)
Drawing it made one thing jump out: QA is one person reporting straight to the head of engineering, so nobody covers that role during holidays. This is where org charts earn their keep — they show the gaps by name.
Frequently asked questions
What is an organisational chart?
A diagram of how people and teams in an organisation connect to each other. It shows reporting lines and where each unit sits. For anyone joining, it is the fastest map of the place they will get.
Should the chart show names or job titles?
Both is best: the title explains the structure, the name tells you who to go to. Names alone make the chart meaningless the moment somebody leaves; titles alone leave you not knowing who to ask.
How many people fit on one chart?
Up to around fifty stays readable on a single chart. Above that, show the top level separately and give each unit its own chart. Squeezing a large organisation onto one page produces a chart nobody reads.
How often should it be updated?
At every hire and every departure. An out-of-date org chart is worse than none at all, because it sends people to the wrong person with confidence.
Is it free?
Yes. Klarsti is free and ad-free right now, and you do not need an account to build an organisational chart.