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ISO 27500:2016 — The Human-centred Organization — Rationale and General Principles
International Standard Overview — Business Case and Seven Principles for Putting People at the Heart of Your Organization
1. Standard Overview and Background
ISO 27500:2016 ‘The human-centred organization — Rationale and general principles’, first published in March 2016, was developed by ISO/TC 159 (Ergonomics), Subcommittee SC 1. This International Standard targets executive board members and policy makers of all types of organizations, describing the values and beliefs that make an organization human-centred and the significant business benefits that can be achieved.
Notably, human well-being is now recognized by the G7 (the world’s seven biggest economies) as an important economic measure to complement traditional measures of national output. Organizations are being judged not only on return on investment, but also on broader issues such as social responsibility and environmental impact. ISO 27500 was created in this context.
ISO 27500 is NOT a management system standard. It is not intended or appropriate for certification purposes. Its value lies in providing strategic-level principle guidance for top management, not operational-level detail.
2. The Seven Core Principles
ISO 27500 defines seven principles that characterize a human-centred organization, cascading from the top — the executive board — throughout every business area:
| Principle | Core Meaning |
|---|---|
| Capitalize on individual differences | Recognize human diversity as strength; use ergonomic data; build complementary teams rather than forcing standardization |
| Make usability and accessibility strategic objectives | Apply international standards (e.g. ISO 9241-210) to ensure products, systems, and services are effective, efficient, and satisfying |
| Adopt a total system approach | Recognize people as part of a comprehensive socio-technical system including equipment, workspace, and organizational environment |
| Ensure health, safety, and well-being are priorities | Proactively protect individuals beyond legal minimums; create healthy workplaces that improve productivity |
| Value personnel and create meaningful work | Provide meaningful tasks and skill development opportunities for all personnel |
| Be open and trustworthy | Communicate transparently both internally and externally; establish effective upward and downward feedback |
| Act in socially responsible ways | Follow ISO 26000 principles including accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour, and respect for human rights |
3. Risks of Failing to Apply Human-centred Principles
The key challenge: while traditional risk assessment techniques are essential, they alone cannot create a culture that includes management of risks from failing to apply human-centred principles.
| Principle | Typical Risks |
|---|---|
| Individual differences | Wasted effort forcing conformity; increased errors; lost potential from non-traditional talent |
| Usability & accessibility | Products/systems fail to deliver business benefit; competitors capture market share; litigation risk |
| Total system approach | Piecemeal system development; fire-fighting waste; costly retrofits |
| Health, safety, well-being | Expensive accidents; productivity loss from absenteeism; reputational damage |
| Value personnel | Poorly motivated staff; high turnover; degraded customer service quality |
| Open & trustworthy | Uncooperative staff; whistleblowers going public; reputational harm |
| Social responsibility | Customer boycotts; public protests; brand damage |
4. Engineering Design and Implementation Insights
From an engineering practice perspective, implementing ISO 27500 requires coordinated action at multiple organizational levels. The executive board should establish and adopt a policy specifying how the human-centred approach is implemented. Organizations should leverage existing ISO standards (e.g., ISO 9241-210 for usability, ISO 26000 for social responsibility) as implementation guides.
Key implementation considerations include: (1) appointing board-level champions for usability and health safety; (2) applying international usability and accessibility standards in procurement, development, and deployment; (3) ensuring usability testing is scheduled with resources for necessary changes; (4) establishing effective employee engagement and feedback mechanisms. The socio-technical perspective—designing organizational and technical systems in parallel—is particularly critical for large-scale system transformations.
A successful human-centred organization not only improves employee satisfaction and customer loyalty but also achieves superior financial performance, enhanced reputation, and better community service. ISO 27500 provides a clear strategic roadmap for this transformation.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is ISO 27500 applicable to SMEs?
Yes. The standard explicitly applies to all types of organizations regardless of size. While not all clauses are equally useful to all organization types, the seven principles are relevant to every organization.
Yes. The standard explicitly applies to all types of organizations regardless of size. While not all clauses are equally useful to all organization types, the seven principles are relevant to every organization.
Q: How does ISO 27500 relate to ISO 9241-210?
ISO 9241-210 provides operational-level guidance on human-centred design for interactive systems, while ISO 27500 offers strategic-level principles for executive boards. They are complementary—ISO 27500 references ISO 9241-210 as a method for achieving usability and accessibility objectives.
ISO 9241-210 provides operational-level guidance on human-centred design for interactive systems, while ISO 27500 offers strategic-level principles for executive boards. They are complementary—ISO 27500 references ISO 9241-210 as a method for achieving usability and accessibility objectives.
Q: How can an organization assess its human-centredness?
ISO 27500 provides evaluation methods in Table 1 (Clause 6), including checking for board-level programmes, measurable indicators (usability test results, employee satisfaction, safety incident rates), and continuous improvement practices outlined in Clause 7.
ISO 27500 provides evaluation methods in Table 1 (Clause 6), including checking for board-level programmes, measurable indicators (usability test results, employee satisfaction, safety incident rates), and continuous improvement practices outlined in Clause 7.
Q: Are there legal consequences for non-compliance?
In many countries, accessibility (e.g., website accessibility) is a legal requirement. Failure to comply can result in penalties and compensation payments. Additionally, products with poor usability causing user harm may trigger product liability litigation. Following ISO 27500 helps demonstrate good practice.
In many countries, accessibility (e.g., website accessibility) is a legal requirement. Failure to comply can result in penalties and compensation payments. Additionally, products with poor usability causing user harm may trigger product liability litigation. Following ISO 27500 helps demonstrate good practice.
