Employee engagement is a key part of ISO 9001 standards, but when adopting a new program, building engagement can be a challenging process. Employees may be resistant at first to adopting new practices, but you can ease the transition and help to maintain employee engagement with a few simple strategies. Increase employee engagement with your ISO 9001 processes and procedures with these tips.
Choose the Right Employee Leaders
Among your employees, there are likely team members who are better suited to rally employees behind your ISO 9001 transition than others. Having the right employees performing the right tasks is an important part of ISO 9001, and that includes choosing the right employees to get the right messaging about your processes to the rest of the team. If you’re unsure which employees to turn into evangelists for your plan, ask your HR department to help you identify candidates.
Provide Clear Information About ISO 9001
One common barrier to employee engagement is unclear communication. When employees are unsure of what they are supposed to be doing, they are likely to become frustrated and resistant to the changes you’re trying to instill in your business. Involve employees at all stages of your ISO 9001 implementation and be sure to provide extensive training. Welcome questions from employees and encourage open communication. In addition to making sure that your employees feel empowered and capable of doing their jobs and meeting your expectations, share the overall picture of how ISO 9001 will help your organization. Employees will be more likely to engage when they understand the benefits and their roles in achieving those outcomes.
Act on Employee Feedback
Employees are able to see your company from a different angle than you are. When they provide feedback about your ISO implementation, listen to it and act on it where appropriate. Your processes may have unforeseen impacts on parts of your organization. When employees know that their feedback is valued, they’re more likely to remain engaged.
Good employee engagement in your quality management system starts with a strong implementation plan. Trident Quality Management Solutions is here to help. Contact us today to learn about ISO 9001 implementation anywhere in the country by calling (520) 314-4343.