Employee Empowerment Definition
Employee empowerment is when companies give their people the freedom and control over their daily tasks. It can also mean letting them put forward their opinions and come up with different strategies.
It is the responsibility of every company, be it small or large, to help its employees achieve both personal as well as professional goals. It typically helps the employees feel considered, valued, and most importantly “empowered”.
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What is Employee Empowerment in HRM?
Employee empowerment, in simpler words, is a scenario wherein employers give their employees the utmost autonomy. In addition to this, they even encourage employees to get involved in decision-making and almost every vital routine operation.
Here is when a big question arises– why is employee empowerment important? Let’s find the answer in the next section!
Benefits of Employee Empowerment
Have a look at the top benefits of empowering employees in the workplace:
Increased Transparency
Empowered employees will never be hesitant to discuss things with their managers/employers. They somewhere know that their seniors will never judge them. As a result, there will be greater transparency across the workplace. Employees will always be vocal about the issues they are facing and get them resolved promptly.
More Productivity
Employees who are valued and considered at the workplace will always be their best productive selves and achieve goals effortlessly. This, in turn, can help the company to ensure the best services to their customers in the long run.
New Suggestions & Ideas
A workplace where employees do not have any freedom tend to just come to the office and get their job done. They will never go above and beyond for the company’s success. This is where employee empowerment comes into the picture again. If you focus on empowering your people, they will not just do their assigned duties efficiently but also bring some additional ideas/suggestions/opinions to the table. This can actually be extremely beneficial to the company’s growth.
Enhanced Employee Morale
Employees typically do not like their managers or employers. This is certainly because of the lack of freedom, opportunities and encouragement. If you need a happier workforce, give them the autonomy they wish to have.
Faster Problem-Solving
When employees are empowered and happy with their jobs, they will always be willing to address and solve any problems that come in the way of the company’s success. Be it issues in daily operations or customer queries, empowered employees will always tackle problems with ease.
How to Empower Employees?
To help supervisors and managers give their workers the power they need, here are seven steps:
1. Provide Requested Information
Give your employees the tools they need to succeed with new or harder jobs. Check that they have all the data sets, tools, tactics, and other necessary items before they start work. Give them training or self-teaching alternatives based on the skill and its difficulty.
2. List Rules
Help your employees comprehend their new duties’ rules, steps, and best practices. Check for new compliance issues and rules before starting a new employment. If they know the guidelines for their new duties, employees may do them on their own.
3. Discuss Goals
Share your company’s long-term goals and vision with employees. When employees know how their job fits within the firm, they may be more motivated and productive. Depending on their profession or experience, you may involve some or all employees in business strategy or goal discussions. Workers may be more likely to believe in their work and offer useful feedback if they know their managers care about them.
4. Say Something and Ask for it
As much as possible, tell your team both good and bad things. People are more likely to feel powerful if they know their bosses are paying attention and value what they have to say. You should also give your employees regular ways to tell you what they think, like a tip box or surveys that are done automatically. Share your thoughts with your employees so that you can both learn and improve.
5. Offer Growth Opportunities
Employees may feel more powerful when provided opportunities to learn and improve. Promote internal opportunities for employees to upgrade their skills or advance their careers, such as
- Seeing someone work
- Continuing education classes
- Mentors and guides
- Activities for team-building during job changes
- Company-only conferences
- Moving Things
6. Offer aid
Let your employees know they may ask you anything about their job. Encouraged workers feel they can execute their duties and can rely on the support system. You could teach staff members one-on-one or in groups so they can discuss their progress or new issues.
7. Encourage Them
If you trust your employees to do a good job and give them more authority, you should also notice their hard work, progress, and successes. People who are praised for their work are more likely to want to take on more tasks. There are several ways to recognize employees: informally, during a meeting debrief, in a more formal setting, such as with an award; or in a casual chat at work.
Tips for Empowering Employees
Here are some tips for you to empower your employees:
Distribute Several Tasks
The responsibilities you assign your staff depend on their position and tenure. Give folks a variety of tasks, no matter what. If you’re giving an employee daily chores, try giving them more difficult ones like running a meeting. Employees feel more in control when given more work.
Improve Things
You may wish to adjust your business operations to better serve your employees. Talk to an employee who struggles with new work about their responsibilities and whether they have the tools, information, and support they need. Giving employees more power helps teach supervisors and workers how they might modify processes in the future.
Believe in your Team.
For managers to empower their staff, they must trust them. Their managers can trust them to weigh their options, follow the regulations, and make the best judgments for their team and the company. Trusting superiors and coworkers enables everyone to feel good about their work and seek support when needed.
There you go! It’s time for you to go the extra mile for your employees and empower them in every way possible.