Employee Empowerment in the Workplace

How can you support your employees' personal and professional development? How does employee empowerment impact the business's bottom line?

Empowerment is based on the idea that providing employees with the resources, authority, opportunity, and motivation to do their work, as well as holding them accountable for their actions, will make employees happier and more successful in their roles. In other words, allowing employees to take leadership in their roles results in high impact and positive long-term effects for the company and its individuals.

When companies provide employees with sufficient support both individually and professionally, they integrate employees more closely into the company. Employee empowerment can happen at different organizational levels. However, achieving individual empowerment requires much more work and effort and involves several functions within the organization.

Why is Employee Empowerment in the Workplace so Important?

Empowerment in the workplace has many benefits. According to the Harvard Business Review, “when employees feel empowered at work, it’s associated with stronger job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization.”

Many employers are trying to empower their employees, but many are still unsure of where to start.

Why Should You Make Employee Empowerment Your Priority?

It’s no secret that employee empowerment has many benefits. Moreover, organizations whose employees feel empowered see much better business performance, outcomes, and stronger core company values.

Here are the top 4 reasons why organizations should drive empowerment in the workplace:

1. It Impacts the Business's Bottom Line
   Companies that empower employees experience better financial rewards and outperform competitors. Indeed, when it’s easy for employees to learn and improve, productivity soars, and organizations outperform the competition.
2. It Keeps Employees Inspired and Engaged
   Engaged employees will impact the bottom line and give their best at work. Providing enough support and guidance while listening to individual needs and believing in everyone’s capabilities helps employees feel treated as individuals. That’s why employee empowerment is key! Remember, employees spend on average 2.5 hours per day searching for the information they need to do their jobs. Improved business communication can go a long way in facilitating employee empowerment. Empowering employees is about providing them with the information they need when they need it, so they can succeed in their roles.
3. It Helps Retain Top Talent
   Helping employees brand themselves and grow both professionally and personally is one of the best ways to retain top talent. Investing in employee empowerment is a win-win situation. Supporting employees’ personal branding efforts by encouraging them to network professionally, share professional content, and build their thought leadership is good for both the company and its individuals.
4. It’s Good for Your Brand
   Employees who feel empowered and in charge of their work will gladly advocate for the brand to their social networks. The benefits of employee advocacy are significant! Employees who share company-related content on social media and spread the word can do wonders for your employer brand. Positive word-of-mouth marketing pays itself back in good online reviews, job referrals, and a stellar sentiment around your brand online.

Company Culture in Employee Empowerment

Your company culture plays an essential role in employee empowerment and building a better employee experience in the workplace.

If you want to support your employees' performance, help them find meaning at work, and understand how their jobs impact the business.

And by the "right" company culture, I mean a company culture that supports innovation in the workplace, employees' well-being, and helps them take initiatives at work.

But keep in mind that building a company culture that supports employee empowerment doesn't come overnight. First, you’ll need to include employee empowerment in your business goals.

Think about it: if you want to empower your employees, you'll need first to make it one of your top priorities!

‍The way you speak to your employees and the initiatives you take to motivate and inspire them has a direct impact on how employees feel about their jobs, their managers and the company overall.

When it comes to empowerment in the workplace, managers and team leaders play an essential role. That's not surprising that communication skills are some of the most in-demand soft skills.

Looking for more information on how to start empowering your team? Check out our Empowerment Equals Performance ebook.