What is employee empowerment?

Employee empowerment is a modern-day management philosophy that enables employees to make independent decisions and take ownership of their work—the complete opposite of micromanagement. Empowering employees is an intentional strategy for creating stronger performance, increased job satisfaction, and a deeper commitment to the organization.

How to encourage employee empowerment in your company culture

To establish a supportive and empowered environment, employees and company leadership have mutual trust, clear guidelines and expectations, and feel comfortable taking risks.

As an organization, you can adopt this management approach in your company culture in several ways:

• Publicly recognize your employees more frequently to increase their confidence and engagement in their performance.
• Listen to your employees and show them you hear what they’re saying by acting on their feedback.
• Foster a company environment of psychological safety and trust.
• Provide ample opportunities for your employees to grow and develop through additional responsibilities, more autonomy, or entirely new roles.
• Supply your employees with the training, coaching, tools, and authorization they require to excel.

Benefits of employee empowerment

Empowered employees create a ripple effect of benefits for themselves and the organization, including:

Increased productivity and creativity

Empowering your employees allows them to develop new ideas and be more creative. This type of independence improves self-confidence and builds a sense of accountability where employees take ownership of their work, encouraging them to put more effort into their jobs.

Better business outcomes

Here is an excellent example of how employee empowerment can cause a ripple effect:

• Empowered employees are more engaged.
• Engaged employees are more productive.
• Employees produce higher-quality work and have a higher retention rate.

The ripple leads to higher profitability in production and less money wasted on recruiting. The opposite is true for unengaged employees—production and quality are low, and employee turnover is high.

Motivated employees

Employees who control when, where, and how they do their jobs have higher motivation and engagement levels and always look for a better, more streamlined way to work. Your ongoing support as their leader will provide them with the necessary tools and resources they need to continue thriving.

Healthy work-life balance

Flexible work schedules give employees the autonomy to manage their time better. Encouraging regular breaks and vacations contributes to mental rejuvenation and prevents burnout. Implementing policies to mitigate burnout risks involves realistic workloads and periodic check-ins. Supporting well-being initiatives, such as mental health resources and fitness programs, can emphasize your commitment to employee health and happiness. These combined efforts improve job satisfaction and build a positive workplace culture.

Enhanced customer service

Customers want to deal with confident employees who know what they’re doing and can handle situations without contacting a manager for approval whenever there’s an issue. Provide your front-line staff with the resources to help them troubleshoot and learn how to act independently when handling customer complaints, helping your customer satisfaction scores soar.

More trust in leadership

Organizations that don’t use the employee empowerment approach usually have trust issues between staff and leadership, especially when workers feel their supervisors take advantage of them. Trust is also thin when employees disagree with changes to workflows and the company vision. Empowering your employees builds trust by ensuring all team members are actively contributing and shaping the primary goals they’re working toward. It allows them to add input and handle the delegated tasks with your support. Celebrating and expressing appreciation for your employees’ accomplishments builds mutual trust throughout the organization.

Better reputation

Your employees are your most valuable brand ambassadors. Empowered and engaged workers are generally happier in their roles, and happy employees will typically recommend your company. But once they understand and agree with your company’s vision, they’ll do more than recommend your company, like sharing the value they see in their jobs with friends and on social media. The boost in your reputation can do wonders for attracting and retaining customers, reducing advertising costs and increasing ROI. It can also help attract top talent in your industry, decreasing your recruiting costs.

Enriched work culture

Empowering employees has a similar effect to a job enrichment strategy. You motivate and give your employees more responsibilities and control over their work. Employers who use this tactic notice collaborative spirits and a rise in morale. This company culture favours workers who take the initiative and don’t wait for supervisors or leaders to make decisions. An organization with an enriched work culture is a more supportive and resilient workplace.

Less time wasted

When organizations prioritize empowerment, employees are generally better focused and efficient in their tasks, resulting in less time and resources wasted. When employees control their activities and clearly understand their responsibilities, they dedicate their time and resources more strategically. They tend to show stronger accountability, make more informed decisions, and reduce procrastination or unnecessary delays. Your organization benefits from optimized workflows, improved time management, and a more resource-conscious workforce.

Improved employee retention

When you empower employees, they feel a heightened sense of job satisfaction and engagement, creating a strong connection to their work and your organization. Having fulfillment and purpose can significantly reduce the likelihood of looking elsewhere for employment. Empowered employees are typically more invested in their professional growth, contributing to a stable workforce, diminishing turnover rates, and reducing costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and training.

Common traits of an empowered employee

An empowered employee is a valuable asset to any company because of their willingness to go above and beyond their duties to achieve the organization’s goals. They’re proactive, self-motivated, and engaged, leading to increased job satisfaction and a better overall performance. Some characteristics of an empowered employee can include:

• accepting that failing is part of learning and not being afraid to take risks
• getting things done rather than waiting for direction from leadership
• taking responsibility for their actions and ownership of their work
• admitting when they make mistakes and learning from them
• embracing change, such as new organizational roles and digital transformation
• understanding and committing to the company’s culture and work methods
• engaging in their role and believing in the company’s mission and values
• thinking creatively and not being afraid to challenge and speak up
• wanting more responsibilities and always looking to improve their knowledge and skills
• welcoming feedback and looking for employee development opportunities, such as conferences, mentoring programs, and workshops
• communicating effectively with colleagues and managers and being confident in their abilities

How to support employee empowerment

Implementing the empowered employee management style in your organization can take considerable focus, but it’s well worth the effort. Follow these steps to apply the concept in your company:

Show them their feedback matters

Annual engagement surveys are popular throughout most companies, but not many employers actually read employee comments or act on them. Employees feel empowered when they have a say in how the organization functions, when you take the time to listen to their feedback, and when you change things to fit their needs. If you’re committed to employee empowerment, investing in an always-on feedback tool can enhance your engagement listening program by allowing your employees to give real-time feedback anytime. Recent studies show that most workers will likely remain at an organization that asks for feedback and acts on it.

You can use employee feedback to customize and personalize empowerment strategies for individual employees. Take the time to establish which method works best for team members. Encouraging honest, open conversations between leaders and workers can facilitate empowerment and increase trust.

Recognize employees

Further studies show that organizations with high recognition have double the engagement. Offering support, encouragement, and praise can create motivation and trust. Recognition from peers to executives can empower an entire workplace. Acknowledging behaviours aligned with company values encourages repetition. A recognition platform can also improve performance and lead to engaged, motivated, and empowered employees.

Provide support and professional development opportunities

87% of millennials, a third of the workforce, value employee development, while 75% of employees in general are looking to advance their careers. You can invest in learning by encouraging knowledge sharing, offering new responsibilities, attending events, and providing a clear career advancement path for motivation. Coaching, mentoring, and training programs increase morale and offer direction.

Please note that, at the time of this article’s writing, the companies, institutions, or organizations mentioned in this article may or may not be affiliated with Indeed, and their mention in this article does not imply a business relationship with Indeed.