Engagement of People in ISO 9001 and other ISO standards: What Does It Mean?

Practical experience in the Middle East region shows that many employees perceive the company's transition to ISO standards as a management whim. Therefore, an important task for senior leaders is to convey to the staff that implementing quality management systems as per ISO 9001, environmental management according to ISO 14001, and occupational health and safety systems in compliance with ISO 45001 will benefit all employees.

These benefits include improved working conditions, reduced risk of injuries and occupational diseases, making job roles more interesting by allowing changes to processes, and thereby increasing overall job satisfaction. However, these benefits are only possible if employees are continuously and consciously involved in quality management. In this article, we will explore how to achieve this.

Often, innovations in work operations are met with resistance because the staff sees them as an additional burden requiring extra effort. This is especially true if the goals and benefits of these changes are not explained, and the efforts are not motivated or supported. Without proper implementation, personnel will avoid the additional functions imposed on them. This is why it is crucial to involve and motivate employees in the Management Systems to achieve business goals.

Steps to Successfully Involve Staff in Quality and EHS Management

Leadership

First and foremost, it is essential to involve top management in the implementation of ISO management systems, demonstrating their interest and active participation in the process. For example, senior leaders can:

• Continuously address these issues in operational meetings.
• Allocate necessary resources.
• Encourage the formation of groups to solve problems related to health, safety, and improving working conditions.
• Establish various communication channels with employees, listen to their concerns, and promptly address emerging issues.
• Show belief in their employees.
  
  

Daily involvement of staff should be handled by middle and lower-level managers, as they regularly communicate with employees, organize their work, and understand specific issues. Their task is to identify problems and support employees' initiatives to solve them and improve quality. Senior management should assign tasks to all managers to involve and motivate employees in the QMS and regularly monitor their progress.

It is beneficial to set specific indicators KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to increase engagement. This approach helps establish a mechanism for assessing employees' contributions to the company's results, encouraging staff to evaluate their work based on personal goals and objectives. This fosters an understanding among employees at all levels of the importance of their contribution to achieving goals and meeting requirements, highlighting the benefits of implementing a quality management system.

Working Groups

When implementing a quality management system and other systems, creating working groups consisting of active employees, specialists, qualified experts, and managers at different levels is advisable. This facilitates the sharing of knowledge and experience, discussion of problems and results, and fosters an environment of openness and collaboration. Such groups engage with staff, consumers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, helping to clarify and continuously monitor their requirements.

These working groups can identify existing problems, incidents, and potential issues that may arise. This involvement extends beyond quality management to include risk management. Forming working groups helps employees suggest ways to improve and optimize their work, identify risks, and enhance production efficiency. Active employees motivate others, creating a cohesive team that shares the company's principles and goals, influencing all business processes. Employees become more interested in their work when they can make an impact, establishing a regular communication channel between management and all employees.

Improving competence and qualifications is crucial for the successful implementation of a QMS. Management should provide employees with opportunities to gain new knowledge, improving work efficiency and product quality. Training should be relevant and applicable to staff's work, contributing to continuous improvement. Often, shareholders and top managers view training as a cost, but developing ROI (Return on Investment) indicators can demonstrate its value.

Improving employees' competence allows managers to delegate authority with greater confidence, trusting their professionalism and experience in quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety matters. This increases staff loyalty and their desire to contribute more to the company.

Conclusions

We have explored several important methods to involve employees in the organization of a quality management system and the implementation of other management systems. These methods include:

• Inspiring examples set by top management.
• Support for employee initiatives from managers at all levels.
• Organizing working groups to identify existing and potential issues.
• Continuous improvement of staff competence.
• Delegating additional responsibilities.

The more interested the staff is in QMS, the more stability it provides. Everyone wants to work without problems, and if the QMS helps eliminate them, the staff's interest in such a system will increase. Employee engagement should be an ongoing effort, never ceasing for a single day.

For more information about other quality management principles, see the article "The 7 Quality Management Principles as per ISO 9001".

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