What is autonomy in the workplace?

Flexibility is at the core of employees’ demands. However, a frequently underestimated facet of flexibility is the growing need for greater autonomy in the workplace. Working autonomously means having the ability to make your own choices when it comes to ways of working. Simply put, employees are free to organise themselves as they wish. By empowering employees to manage their schedule, organisations encourage job satisfaction and productivity through employees’ engagement. 

Related: Flexible working schedules: benefits and tips

What autonomy in the workplace entails

Autonomy at work allows employees to have freedom and to be responsible for their roles. They can manage how they work and when they work as they see fit. Employees who are given autonomy can perform without the lead of their managers. They are responsible for completing projects but can design their own process and set their own deadlines. Autonomy also means that employees can decide the pace of their work and where that work takes place.

Having an autonomous work culture is giving employees ownership of their position and the tasks it entails. It is an approach based on the understanding that everyone is different and as such works differently. Employers who adopt this culture are focussed on the results. If the work is delivered to the expected standards, they are satisfied with their staff.

Related: Employee satisfaction surveys: What they are and why they’re important for your business

Examples of job autonomy

Autonomy comes in many forms for employees. They may be inherent to the job and the decisions on the role decisions, or they might be assimilated to perks. Here are some examples of working autonomously.

• Working remotely,
• Managing project end-to-end, including deadlines,
• Setting development goals,
• Defining working hours,
• Using preferred tools to achieve tasks.

Benefits of autonomy in the workplace

The benefits of freedom in the workplace are plentiful. Employee autonomy means less micro-management, often synonymous with increased creativity and employees’ engagement. But there is much more that can be gained from an autonomous environment. Here is a snapshot of these benefits for employers:

A highly engaged workforce

Autonomy influences employees’ motivation. When employers give their staff the freedom to work the way they want, engagement levels increase. This boosted motivation has a domino impact on employees’ satisfaction, productivity and much more. Employees who feel they are trusted are highly engaged and make for a thriving workforce.

Related: How to develop employee engagement and motivation in the workplace

Enhanced creativity

Creativity leads to innovation and thrives in environments where employees have the freedom to experience. Giving staff the opportunity to be creative means allowing them to work their own way and to think independently. Continuously boosting innovation is essential for organisations to grow.

Related: Ways to promote creativity and innovation in the workplace

Improved sense of feeling valued

Employees need to feel valued by their employers to get a sense of meaning. Acknowledging employees’ individuality and achievements at work makes them more than just a workforce. Recognition can be boosted by autonomy at work as it demonstrates trust in employees’ capabilities.

Increased employee retention

Turnover is a thorn in the side for businesses. By providing employees with autonomy and all its benefits, organisations increase employee retention. As a result, they save time and money on recruitment and bring internal consistency.

Related: 9 Effective employee retention strategies

Boosted productivity

Motivation of the workforce and productivity go hand in hand. Autonomy in the workplace has an impact on employees but also on their managers. By eliminating micromanagement, leaders have more time to dedicate to other tasks and to positively impact productivity.

Related: How to master timeboxing for super-charged productivity

Stronger leadership qualities

Another benefit to moving away from micromanagement is achieved by creating space for employees’ development. With workforce autonomy, managers have the opportunity to develop their team’s technical and soft skills. Leaders can also work on their own development with increased creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Related: A guide to successful leadership development programmes

Fostered work-life balance

Work-life balance is essential for a healthy workforce. With an autonomous environment, companies consider employees’ personal needs. Employees who feel they have a healthy work-life balance are more engaged and loyal to the organisation they work for.

Related: Promoting work-life balance in your business

Improved trust and accountability

Autonomy in the workplace needs to be combined with accountability. When giving employees autonomy, organisations indirectly tell their employees that they trust them. This trust creates a positive and productive work environment where managers understand that their team members work differently. On the other hand, employees who feel trusted will dedicate themselves more to the tasks they are assigned.

Creating a culture of autonomy, risks and strategies

Autonomy in the workplace does not happen overnight. It is the result of long-term strategies, often implemented by HR. These initiatives should be supported by leadership teams and may require investments in IT. Additionally, there are some challenges to autonomy in the workplace that companies should be aware of and should address to avoid long term damages.

Strategies to encourage autonomy in the workplace

To migrate to autonomous ways of working, it is essential to create a positive and productive workplace. The following best practices may be beneficial to promote autonomy:

Creating an environment of trust

Horizontal management establishes trust and ensures that leaders feel confident allowing their teams to work autonomously. Leaders should set clear expectations, monitor performance, and provide support on demand. This combination will lead to a collaborative environment.

Ensuring effective communication

Effective communication is critical to the success of an autonomous workplace. Autonomy should not be synonym to working in silos. Making sure that leaders practice the open-door communication and encourage informal conversations is essential for employees to feel comfortable reaching out.

Related: The ultimate guide to employee communication

Supporting remote and hybrid working

Remote or hybrid work is an essential component to autonomy in the workplace. It provides employees with the ability to self-manage and decide where they want to work. Businesses should implement clear policies and guidelines when it comes to remote work to manage employees’ expectations and ensure accountability.

Related: What is a work remote policy and how to build one

Prioritise soft skills when hiring

Creating a successful autonomous workforce starts from recruitment. HR teams should look at identifying candidates with the right soft skills for self-management. The job listing should clearly set the expectations on the level of autonomy that is expected for the role.

Related: How to Find Good Employees

Implement reward programmes

Reward programmes encourage employees to perform. It motivates them to develop and deliver excellent work. Performance management is also essential in an autonomous environment. Leaders should track their teams’ performance and reward over achievers.

Leverage HR tools

Performance management, remote working and reward programmes can be challenging to manage in big and small organisations. HR tools offer solutions to assist HR and management teams. Some software provide functionalities to help support autonomy in the workplace. Self-service portals should also be in place to encourage employees’ autonomy.

The risks of increased autonomy in the workplace and how to address them

Prior to launching initiatives to increase autonomy in the workplace, organisations should consider the following risks and should implement strategies to avoid them.

Addressing the fear of loss of control

Business might find to challenging to grant autonomy as they associate it with a loss of control. To overcome this and enjoy the benefits of autonomy in the workplace, they should ensure they communicate expectations clearly.

Ensuring accountability

Autonomy is based on mutual trust between employer and employees. Clear objectives associated with planned performance review ensure employees are held accountable for their roles.

Managing resistance to change

Moving towards an autonomous workplace means changing ways of working. Resistance to change is common in organisation and as such a change management plan should be in place to ensure leaders and employees are all comfortable with the new approach.

Related: Restructuring a company: how to communicate this to your employees

Balancing autonomy and teamwork

Autonomy does not mean forgetting about teamwork. On the contrary, autonomy in the workplace should encourage collaboration. This can be achieved by ensuring there are no overlaps in responsibilities and by encouraging team work during projects.

Autonomy at work is giving employees the freedom to work how, where and when they feel it is right for them. It requires trust, accountability but also tools and solutions such as HR software, change management and open communication. Ultimately, autonomy will increase creativity, make for a more engaged workforce, and boost productivity.