As a manager, actively empowering your employees can significantly impact your success. Empowering your employees means giving them the autonomy and resources to make decisions and take responsibility for their work. At Clicks we’ve found that empowering our people is one of the most effective ways to increase employee satisfaction, improve productivity, and drive growth.
Our latest employee engagement survey is 92% favourable, and we were selected as the 2022 Australian HR Award Employer of Choice winner. To help you learn more about empowering your people, we will highlight the benefits and provide simple steps you can take.
Benefits of Empowering Your Employees
1. Increased motivation
When employees are empowered, they feel trusted, respected, and valued. This increased sense of responsibility and trust can motivate them to take ownership of their work and feel invested in the company’s success.
2. Improved productivity
Empowered employees are free to make decisions without needing approval from their supervisor – reducing bottlenecks and delays, leading to faster decision-making, improved efficiency, and increased productivity.
3. Enhanced creativity and innovation
Research shows empowered staff are more creative and helpful. When employees feel they have the freedom to experiment and try new ideas, they become more innovative and enterprising.
4. Improved employee retention
When employees feel empowered, they appreciate their position in the company and the freedom to innovate, grow and develop their skills, and they are more likely to stay with the company long-term.
How to Empower Your Employees
1. Set clear expectations and goals
“One of the keys to empowering your employees is to set clear expectations and goals. A company mission can help employees understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to the company’s overall success. In addition, providing some parameters ensures you drive the right behaviours and that employees make decisions consistent with your company values.
At Clicks, our vision is to become Australia’s favourite IT recruiter. We recently refreshed our values to teamwork, achievement, care, and openness to better capture what is important to us.” Tamara Ryf, CEO.
2. Offer adequate training and resources
“Ensuring your team has the proper training and resources to perform their job effectively is essential. Empowerment requires a certain level of trust, and providing adequate training and resources for employees bolsters their confidence in their abilities to execute well on their work.
At Clicks, we offer weekly training sessions. It’s a great way to induct new starters into our ways of working while providing the current team members an opportunity to refresh their skills and experience. Additionally, our seasoned team members who often lead the training have the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise.” Sam Micich, COO
3. Encourage open communication
“Allowing open communication creates an environment where employees feel heard and safe to ask questions and provide input. Incorporating staff feedback into the company strategic direction, projects and processes helps them feel empowered.
At Clicks, we conduct an annual Employee Engagement survey followed by a ‘pulse check’ every few months in the form of our Wellness survey. We then hold an all-staff meeting to share the results and outline actions we will take in response to the feedback. In addition, we provide regular progress updates and continue to check in with staff to assess the impact of the changes and adjust our approach if needed.” Sophie Thomas, National Operations Manager.
4. Provide employees with ownership and authority to make decisions and manage their work
“Set your employees up for success by providing them with work they are suited for and interested in. Then step back and allow them to take charge. It’s essential to check in and provide support as needed – let them know it’s OK to make mistakes, provided they learn from them and don’t make the same ones repeatedly. Ensure you mentor your team and coach them on how to tackle problems that come up. That way, you are building a trusting relationship in which they will feel empowered to work through the issues and challenges they experience in their role.
At Clicks, our ‘Adulting’ philosophy gives our team ownership and control over their work and life commitments. They also set their own work goals each month.” Craig Favilla, Business Manager.
As a leader, ensure you are taking steps to provide employees with the resources and autonomy they need to excel in their roles. Doing so will not only benefit your employees but will also contribute to the success of your business.
Clicks is an award-winning IT recruitment specialist. With offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane, we connect companies with great IT professionals across Australia each day.
