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Once considered just nice-to-have, strong employee engagement has become a metric that many companies make a concerted effort to achieve, and with good reason. A highly engaged workforce offers benefits that include:

  • Improved performance and productivity
  • Less conflict (1), absenteeism (2), and turnover (3)

In fact, companies with a highly engaged workforce are 21% more profitable and 17% more productive than those with disengaged staff. (4)

The advantages of engaged employees are evident. However, some organizations struggle to make this concept a reality largely due to a lack of employee engagement strategy. (5) Fortunately, there are ways you can nurture and improve engagement among your employees.  Two of the most effective strategies are cultivating autonomy and empowerment.

WHAT ARE AUTONOMY AND EMPOWERMENT?

While both terms are a mouthful, their meanings are relatively straightforward. Put simply, employees with autonomy have the authority to make their own decisions about their work, solve problems and navigate projects, assignments, and goals as they see fit. Managers are prepared to offer support and guidance if it is requested, but they avoid interfering or micromanaging.

Autonomy helps employees feel empowered because it places the responsibility to get things done squarely in their hands. The combination is a powerful one for keeping your staff engaged.

WHY AUTONOMY AND EMPOWERMENT PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT

When you give employees autonomy over their work, you empower them to take control of their daily life and future at the company. This makes them feel like a valued contributor to the successes and progress achieved along the way.

Autonomy and empowerment also forge trust between your employees and leadership. It sends a clear message to your staff that you have faith in their work, and it lets employees know that leadership has their back. The latter gives them a sense of security that is sorely lacking in too many organizations today.

HOW AUTONOMY AND EMPOWERMENT IMPACT ORGANIZATIONS

  • A study by Gartner found that if employees were given the autonomy to choose when to work, they were 2-3 times more likely to be top achievers. Additionally, the same Gartner study found that employees were three times more likely to remain loyal to their employer, helping companies improve retention. (6)
  • 83% of employees were found to have a positive opinion of their company culture because of autonomy practices according to an Atlassian study. (7)
  • A different Gartner study discovered that over 70% of employees were happier, healthier, and less likely to experience burnout if they were provided job autonomy. Even more important, the study found that workers were three times more engaged, and they were five times more likely to express trust in leadership. (8)
  • In a Zenger Folkman study, workers who felt empowered were three times more engaged and were willing to deliver 16 times more in extra work. (9)

HOW TO CULTIVATE AUTONOMY AND EMPOWERMENT

Build a Culture Around It

It starts with creating a company culture that has a favorable view of employee contributions.  Encourage a vibrant culture that inspires and uplifts employees. Commit fully to this aspect of the culture by putting it in writing in the employee handbook. Start an internal committee that meets on a regular basis to discuss how well the organization is doing at supporting autonomy for employees.

Balance Support with Independence

Your staff needs a healthy dose of independence from leadership to be truly autonomous. At the same time, you want them to know they can rely on leadership for guidance, feedback, and support. Striking this balance is essential to creating a work environment that empowers employees. Keep the lines of communication open, but do not hover or look over their shoulder. In addition to making yourself available to help, ensure that they have plenty of resources at their disposal.

Delegate Work Mindfully

Instead of assigning tasks or projects to employees at random, or according to their workload, delegate work according to their skills and strengths. You could even factor in their working style. For example, give group projects to team members who thrive in social settings and allow introverted or highly sensitive person employees to work solo.

Let Them Play a Part in Planning

From setting their own long-term goals to outlining the steps needed to successfully complete projects, make sure you involve staff in the planning process. And back up your words with action, by incorporating their suggestions and ideas. Doing so demonstrates to employees that you value their contributions and trust them to handle company initiatives.

Improving employee engagement is key to the future of every organization. And while it can appear tricky to pull off, the autonomy and empowerment strategies above put this goal within reach. Your employees will be happier, the company will thrive and all parties will reap the benefits. 

Are you interested in hosting a company event around employee engagement? If so, contact Gavel International to see how working with a meeting planning company can benefit your organization.

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SOURCE(S):

1 https://blog.gitnux.com/workplace-conflict-statistics/

2 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236366/right-culture-not-employee-satisfaction.aspx

3 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/231668/dismal-employee-engagement-sign-global-mismanagement.aspx

4 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/231668/dismal-employee-engagement-sign-global-mismanagement.aspx

5 https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-shocking-stats-about-employee-engagement

6 https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/think-hybrid-work-doesnt-work-the-data-disagrees

7 https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2022/11/06/new-data-proves-flexible-work-really-works-7-factors-for-success

8 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404105/importance-of-employee-wellbeing.aspx.aspx

9 https://www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2017/03/02/the-6-key-secrets-to-increasing-empowerment-in-your-team/

Eloisa Mendez
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