What are the Rewards for Giving Employees Autonomy?

Employees in the UK value autonomy. And with a new generation of workers that are increasingly value-driven, this is something employers cannot afford to ignore.

It is not enough to pay lip service to this idea of empowerment, or to see it as a kind of by-product.

"Employees rate autonomy highly when it comes to job satisfaction, so it follows that if businesses want to retain talent, and recruit more of it, they must embed this quality in how people work"

Not only this, but autonomy rewards employers too, in increased motivation and productivity.

Why is autonomy important, and how can businesses take practical steps to demonstrate their commitment to it?

Why is Autonomy Important?

Businesses require flexibility, adaptability and agility to survive and thrive. A rigid, hierarchical work structure based on command and control is unlikely to provide these qualities.

If employers recognise their staff as their chief asset, then it makes sense to empower them to manage their own workflow and to have greater autonomy in the decisions they make about this

However, without trust, you cannot have autonomy.

Building trust means demonstrating to staff what value they hold and rewarding them in such a way that this resonates with them.

Greater engagement with employees creates a positive culture, and improving autonomy is a clear route towards better employee engagement.

While more employees want autonomy, employers can also benefit from it. It helps motivate staff and increases their productivity

Therefore, if employers reward their staff by enabling greater autonomy, they will also reap the rewards themselves.

Benefit and Reward

One aspect of autonomy is giving the individual more opportunity to focus on the crucial tasks which will enable them to work towards a business’ shared goals.

Just as I wanted as few distractions as possible during my rowing career, to focus on my training, so for employees, greater control over the things that get in the way can lead to improved performance

This is how a business concierge service works, removing the burden of addressing certain tasks to enable the individual to focus on other things.

Don’t think of business concierge services as a luxury, or something elitist, but rather a form of reward that enables employees to enhance their performance by taking greater control of the things that matter.                                                                                

It is a benefit and reward rolled into one, with a lasting impact that can bolster a positive culture, motivate individuals and improve productivity.