INDEPENDENT WORKING?

Research was recently carried out among 20,000 people, over a period of 2 years, by the University of Birmingham. Findings from this research revealed that workers who had higher levels of autonomy (or independence in how they worked) were more satisfied overall. The research also showed that autonomy was more common in senior roles, and 50% of those with less skilled jobs had zero control of the hours in which they worked. (Recruiting Times)

So, what are some of the reasons as to why autonomy can increase employee satisfaction? If an employee is being given permission, and the responsibility, to be left to do their own work, then this will provide them with reassurance that their employer trusts them with what they are doing. They will gain a sense of pride and worthiness regarding their role within the company. Your employer isn’t going to give you responsibility if they don’t believe that you truly deserve it.

In a study carried out by the Gallup organisation, some of the main things that were highlighted as attributing to employee satisfaction were; the trust between employees and senior management (55%), the employee’s relationship with his or her immediate supervisor (53%), and the immediate supervisor’s respect for their ideas (49%). (thebalance.com) These areas are all tied in with autonomous working. There must be trust, respect and communication between the employee and employer.

Another interesting conclusion drawn from the research by The University of Birmingham, was that there was a difference between genders in the type of autonomous working that they preferred. Women seemed to prefer being in control of their working schedule and location of where they worked, whereas men preferred to be in control of the pace and order in which they worked. (Recruiting Times)

If you would like to read more on this study, please visit https://goo.gl/ldozUX

Would you like the opportunity for more independence at work? Comment below!