Companies that provide their employees with a certain degree of independence and control in their day-to-day activities empower them for their growth and that of the company’s. An empowered employee has the ability to achieve a certain degree of independence and control in their workplace undertakings. Empowering employees means giving your team members permission to take action and make decisions within your organisation. It also means there is trust and understanding to ensure these actions are in line with company goals. Eddy Muhumuza a business development advisor at Business Development Fund (BDF) says that human resource management is responsible to create an environment where an individual in a company would feel valued. “HR management role is to provide guidance and support by facilitating a healthy environment where employees can perform their best. Unempowered employees lead to micromanagement, a management style whereby a manager closely observes and controls or reminds the work of their subordinates or employees which is generally considered to have a negative connotation,” he says. Research has regularly demonstrated that when employees feel empowered at work, it is associated with stronger job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organisation, an article in the Harvard Business Review states. Liliane Umuhoza who works in a shipping company says that employee empowerment is also an important key in an organisation because not only does it give employees the stage to prove themselves, it also helps them believe in themselves and bring out the best they can to meet the organisation’s goals and values. She adds that empowering employees is a culture that should be adopted in every single organisation because it boosts not only the company’s development but also communication and trust. How can managers empower employees? According to Muhumuza, HR managers should consider some of these few points: Trust your employees and show them Trust them to deliver; you probably trusted their capabilities enough to hire them in the first place. Guide and allow them to deliver, do not wait at the end of the line with a hammer to criticise their mistakes. Remember some mistakes are hidden opportunities in disguise. Offer them training Train them with the skills necessary to carry out additional responsibilities. Also, you can give them access to information on which decisions can be made. Encourage initiative Initiative and confidence on the part of the employees, pushes them to take on greater responsibility. Reward and recognition programmes These should definitely aid to bring about a healthy balance in the workplace to achieve growth for both the employer and the employee. In addition, Forbes presents three tips on how organisations can work to empower their employees: Evaluate your organisation’s current belief systems and processes. When business leaders understand the motives for a productive workforce, they can begin to implement the changes necessary to empower their employees. The first step in the process is to evaluate your organisation’s current belief systems and processes. Build processes After the attributes and character traits that fit your business strategy are identified and zeroed in on, processes must be built. Embracing technology to help adoption and execution is essential to ensure your efforts aren’t fleeting and can be scaled across the organisation. Create the right atmosphere When the right people are in the door, the final step is to ensure the atmosphere is right for employees to be fully empowered and motivated so they can flourish. It is critical that operations, finance, and HR come together and operate in sync. A common mistake is hiring talented people and then handcuffing them with restrictions while building a compensation strategy that backfires by rewarding the wrong behaviour.
