While employee empowerment at work is a key predictor of engagement (and other outcomes) and is distinct from engagement, we’ve talked a lot about the importance of employee well-being and engagement. More businesses are now aware that giving employees more authority and responsibility can actually benefit both the employees and the company.
Empowering employees
What are the benefits of employee empowerment?
Employee empowerment has numerous advantages for workers, managers, and the company as a whole. Implementing employee empowerment strategies can improve your companys:
Communications
Empowered workers are aware that their managers value and trust their personal opinions. If these employees have inquiries about their duties, company policies, or related matters, they might be more likely to speak with their supervisors directly. Employees who feel valued by their managers may also be more likely to provide good criticism.
Customer satisfaction
Customers might prefer to deal with one representative at a company consistently over dealing with a number of them. They can use tools and strategies to resolve customer issues on their own through employee empowerment strategies rather than passing them along to another employee or asking a supervisor for assistance.
Productivity
When workers feel appreciated, they may be more motivated to put in long hours. This might enhance the caliber of their offerings or the volume of goods they produce. For instance, a writer may produce additional articles ahead of schedule if they believe their manager and clients value their work.
Innovation
Employees with little autonomy frequently carry out their duties automatically or out of habit. In contrast, empowered staff members might be more inclined to use their imaginations when carrying out their duties. Providing your staff with the necessary tools for innovation could result in the development of new goods, services, or productive processes.
Loyalty
Employee loyalty to their employer may be influenced by how they feel about their supervisors. Empowering employees can help increase their feelings of loyalty to the company and reduce employee turnover.
Problem resolution
Customer, stakeholder, and vendor empowerment can help them find quicker solutions to their problems. Wait times for customers and visitors can be decreased when more staff members are competent in providing authorizations, resolving customer issues, and other related tasks. Other potential advantages, such as lower operating costs, could result from increased workplace effectiveness.
What is employee empowerment?
Managers or supervisors who practice employee empowerment give their staff more discretion and freedom. Managers who practice employee empowerment strive to give staff members more control over their daily tasks, the capacity to provide feedback on policies, and efficient means of reaching important decisions. Some believe that employee empowerment is the antithesis of micromanagement.
How to empower employees
The following seven steps will assist managers and supervisors in successfully empowering their staff:
1. Provide the necessary information
Provide your staff with the tools they need to be successful in their new or more challenging roles. Before they begin working, confirm that they have the data sets, tools, strategies, and anything else necessary to complete their tasks. Depending on the type and difficulty of the skill, offer training options if they need to learn something new, or advise them on how to self-learn.
2. Outline guidelines
Help staff members comprehend the policies, procedures, and recommended practices for their additional responsibilities. Before beginning new projects, consider any new or updated compliance requirements or regulations. Employees may be more likely to adhere to procedures on their own if they are aware of the current protocols for carrying out their expanded duties.
3. Discuss goals
Share with your staff the company’s long-term objectives, strategies, and vision. Employees who comprehend how their specific position fits into the larger operations of the company may be more productive and purposeful in carrying out their duties. You may involve some or all of your staff in discussions about business goals or plans, depending on an employee’s position or years of experience. Employees are more likely to perform their job duties with confidence and to provide managers with useful feedback if they believe that their opinions matter.
4. Provide and ask for feedback
Give your staff both positive and constructive feedback regularly. If workers are aware that their supervisors are considering and appreciating their contributions, they are more likely to feel empowered. Offer your staff ways to provide you with regular feedback as well, like through automated surveys or an open suggestion box. Encourage your staff to view feedback as a process that both of you can participate in and benefit from.
5. Create or foster developmental opportunities
Giving employees the chance to keep developing and learning may make them feel more empowered. Create or support internal opportunities for staff members to grow professionally or in their skill sets, such as:
6. Offer to help
Tell staff members they can contact you whenever they have questions or if they require clarification regarding a particular aspect of their work. Despite having the self-assurance to complete tasks on their own, empowered employees are also aware that they can rely on the company’s support network. For a regular opportunity for staff members to discuss their progress or any new issues that have emerged, think about offering to coach staff members individually or in teams.
7. Recognize employee achievements
Employee empowerment entails rewarding employees for their efforts, advancements, and successes in addition to giving them more responsibility. If workers feel valued for their contributions, they are more likely to want to take on more responsibility. Employee appreciation can be given during routine office interactions, during a meeting debrief, or using more formal techniques like an award.
Tips for empowering employees
Here are some tips for managers using employee empowerment techniques:
Delegate a variety of tasks
The precise duties you assign to staff members vary based on elements like their current position and years of experience Try to assign a variety of tasks, regardless of the specific ones. For instance, if you intend to assign a specific employee with routine tasks, see if you can also assign that employee with larger or more difficult tasks, like leading a meeting, soon. If managers give their staff members both small and interesting tasks, they might feel more in control of their work lives.
Look for ways to improve the system
Think about enhancing your business systems to better serve your employees. Ask the employee about the responsibilities to see if they had access to all the necessary resources, information, and assistance to carry them out successfully if they experience difficulties accepting new tasks. Employee empowerment can be a learning experience for both employees and managers to determine how managers might improve operational procedures in the future.
Trust your staff
Managers can put a lot of trust in their employees to implement employee empowerment in the workplace. In order to make decisions that are in the best interests of their teams and the company as a whole, employees must be able to evaluate their options wisely, follow procedures, and implement them. Establishing trust enables both staff members and managers to act with confidence and ask for assistance or clarification when necessary.
FAQ
What is meant by empowerment of employees?
The advantages of employee empowerment Employee empowerment can increase employee motivation, foster leadership trust, foster employee creativity, and improve employee retention, all of which contribute to a higher bottom line.
What is an example of employee empowerment?
Employee productivity, responsiveness, and commitment are just a few of the many benefits that come with employee empowerment. Disadvantages include possible reductions in efficiency and problems with coordination.
Why is employee empowerment so important?
Employee empowerment is a management philosophy that places a strong emphasis on providing staff with the freedom, tools, and assistance they require to act independently and be held accountable for their decisions.
