ISO 10018 and Employee Engagement

ISO 10018 is a new ISO standard for organizations of all sizes, types and activities to provide a framework for getting the best out of people in the implementation of quality management systems based on ISO 9001.

It is also something that some in the traditional incentive, rewards and recognition industry feel has the potential to elevate our industry to new levels of expertise never seen before.  I certainly hope so but so many things have to happen before that can come to fruition.  

ISO 9000 fostered thousands of consultants who work within that arena.  Many feel that when ISO 10018 finalizes their standards for employee engagement that it will open a market for thousands of award companies who claim today that their products and services engage people. That’s a big jump!

There’s little dispute that more investors are demanding that public companies invest in human capital and engagement. Will the arrival of ISO 10018 provide us with a better, more scientific way of developing engagement strategies capable of achieving incontestable solutions?  And will it produce award companies who have the capability to provide the full service necessary to make it all work? 

That would seem to assume that the industry has not been able to do that up to this time.  Frankly, most suppliers in the industry can’t.  They just provide pieces of the solution or act as sub-contractors to those who say that they can.  They are not really involved in strategy, merely tactics.  And many of us love it that way.  We sell commodities, we know and understand that and will never be standing in the boardroom talking those intricate strategies?

The award industry has craved the demand and respect earned by the marketing and advertising industry for years.  Unfortunately, most award companies can’t afford to or won’t invest in the expertise and manpower to deserve that respect.  They would also have to completely change their way of thinking regarding how they earn their money, from making profit on selling commodities to consulting fees for designing and implementing strategies that are effective. 

When the ISO 10018 standards finally come about and establish an accepted strategic framework, we hope some of the award companies can make that transition.  It would be nice to see.