Employee empowerment is a management philosophy used by some companies to grant workers trust, autonomy, and independence in return for greater productivity.

It can play a crucial part in developing and establishing a strong company culture.

For example, remote work teams may struggle with open enrollment planning and implementation, while employees may struggle with actual benefits elections. However, HRIS tools like BerniePortal can refocus employee empowerment so that workers can select benefits without the need for HR teams to be present. This can build trust among team members and management.

Put simply, more is expected of empowered employees in exchange for greater autonomy. Managers can meet with their direct reports in one-on-one settings to talk through daily or weekly tasks that need to be accomplished. 

In contrast, a supervisor who is constantly micromanaging their team—and not focusing on employee empowerment—doesn’t permit them to make their own decisions or take projects in their own preferred directions. The result is a greater time commitment for the manager and more stress for employees.

Related Terms: Employee, Performance Management