Employee Empowerment | Meaning and Definition

What is employee empowerment? 

Employee empowerment is giving employees the authority and freedom to make decisions within their scope of work. This often includes delegating tasks, responsibility, and accountability to employees. Employee empowerment aims to help employees feel more invested in their work and empowered to contribute to the organization in a meaningful way. When done correctly, empowerment can increase motivation, satisfaction, and productivity among employees. 

Benefits of employee empowerment

There are countless benefits to employee empowerment. When employees feel empowered, they’re more engaged, motivated, and productive. They’re also more likely to stick around, saving your company money in turnover costs. 

Here are five of the most important benefits of employee empowerment:

•   Engaged employees are more productive.
•   Empowered employees are more likely to stay with your company.
•   Empowered employees have a greater sense of ownership and responsibility for their work.
•   Empowered employees are more customer-focused and customer-oriented.
•   Empowered employees are better able to deal with change and adapt to new situations. 

Steps for empowering employees in the workplace: 

•   Seek out and listen to employee feedback: Show employees that their opinions matter and solicit feedback regularly. This will help you identify areas where employees feel empowered and areas where they may feel disenfranchised. 
•   Promote opportunities for professional growth: Expand your employees’ skillsets by offering training and development opportunities. This will invest them in their work and give them a sense of ownership over their career paths. Additionally, consider offering mentorship programs or micro-learning opportunities to engage your team further. 
•   Encourage open communication: Enable two-way communication between employees and management. This way, everyone can voice concerns or ideas openly without feeling like they’re being shut down.