Staff Empowerment Ideas For Women Entrepreneurs

“Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.”

– Hillary Clinton, Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee.

With the new decade shining down the way, entrepreneurship is on the rise more than ever. People are opting for opening their own businesses and becoming their own boss instead of working under someone. And with famous female entrepreneurs paving the way for women empowerment, it is now being recognized all over the world.

So here are some ways our new generation women entrepreneurs can empower their staff members, despite of gender; for a successful, futuristic, and more inclusive business.

12 Ways You Can Empower Employees at Your Company being a Female Entrepreneur

1.    Take inspiration from famous leading female entrepreneurs

Women like Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, and Tory Burch, CEO of the infamous global brand Tory Burch are some prime examples of successful ventures owned by women. According to statistics collected by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, there has been a 10% increase in top roles being taken by women as compared to previous years. New women entrepreneurs should take inspiration from these people and numbers to sustain themselves in their well-deserved positions. People hold such women in high regard because of their ability to hold such senior positions in possibly male-dominated industries.

2.    Deal with clients who hold women in high regard

The first rule of business as a female should be to do business with clients that hold women leaders in high regard. Many brands, even today, condemn female empowerment by not hiring women employees or sabotage their growth by not promoting them to more senior positions. Such brands are a terrible influence overall. And your employees, regardless of their gender, don't need to have any relationship with such an organization. Instead, opt for organizations that are open and friendly towards all. They accept people for the value of their skill instead of their gender.

3.    Offer flexible working conditions

It doesn't matter who you choose to hire, that's a leader's call. Whoever you seem would be a profitable employee for you should be rightfully chosen. However, your working conditions should be flexible to accommodate all groups. For example, we need to empower women in the tech world, but rigorous norms that it is a men’s field have made women conscious of entering it. Other departments shouldn’t follow this.  Your employees should be allowed to discuss stuff with their colleagues freely. Giving an open environment and a comfortable workspace to your employees is crucial. It affects their profitability if they can exercise their power as an employee.

4.    Accommodate their personal needs

A successful leader takes after their employees like a team leader working towards a mutual goal. Therefore, you must step down and look from their perspective that your employees have a life of their own outside the workspace. Your startup might be your life's dream to achieve, which your employees don't share it with you. Take it like they are helping you to achieve your goal because they are passionate about the responsibility assigned to them, in exchange for monetary value. Similarly, if an employee of yours wants to buy Jessica Jones Leather Jacket, you aren’t going to buy it for them. You will just share their enthusiasm in the product and give them salary for their work which they will use to buy it. It is why the company they have joined should look after their personal needs. So that it gives them the incentive to look after yours just as responsibly.

5.    Exercise unbiased rules and policies

It's high time we bring equality within our workplaces. If your employees are women who are married with a family and choosing to work with, you should be offered compensations and flexibility to work from home and leave early. Whereas if you have hired men working to provide for a family, even then they should be allowed to look after their family duties first and then fulfill their work duties. Company rules should be unbiased. They shouldn't be made or practiced concerning people's gender. For example you can’t say that marketing dissertation topics is only a women’s job for any reason. Provide the said job to anybody based on skill and not gender.

6.    Health and child care standards

A lot of people work to provide for their families. So as employers, we need to understand that if families are their priority, we hold their care and health most high for us too. Because it will directly affect how our employees respond to their work. A happy, healthy household will allow them to work better and without any extra stress from their family's side. It is why health care provision is essential for organizations.

7.    Connect them with mentors

Establish managers or team leads who not only train and report to a higher authority, but who mentor the new recruit. Mentorship works great for employees to motive them and help them understand the aims, goals, mission, and vision of the company. The more empathetic they become towards the company, the more they will proceed to work in the direction of the bigger image as their own.

8.    Encourage Self-Improvement

Being a boss doesn’t mean that it is your responsibility to improve the shortcomings of your employees. As a leader you need to empower self-improvement for them to understand the dos and don’ts. The best outcomes happen when an employee is able to rectify their own mistakes instead of it being pinpointed.

9.    Have an open door policy

An open door policy allows the employees to know that there is no barrier for them when it comes to communicating. They can easily intimate their bosses or seniors about any matter they would like to discuss. It encourages them to see that their opinions and input is valued so they work well towards achieving it.

10.   Delegate more than just work

As a boss it is not necessary that the only thing you delegate to your employees is work. Make sure to empower them to take on other roles like undertaking a project meeting or leady a presentation. Taking on newer tasks of high importance gives confidence to the employees as well as add to their overall skill set.

11.    Openly Recognize Employee Input

It is in human nature to feel encouraged when appreciated among other people. Same goes for employees in work space. It is encouraging to have your hard work being appreciated among your colleagues by your bosses. You as a boss can even start a practice of awards and monthly certifications to give as a token of appreciation.

Conclusion – Remind Them that They Are Valued

Last but not the least; remind your employees every now and then that they are a valuable asset to the company. Without them, you wouldn't have been able to establish the organization that stands so tall now. Such motivation will keep them going longer for you and your business goals.

Additional Resources

Interested in learning more about topics like this one? Check out upcoming events on our chapter calendar. Sign up for one of our upcoming meetings, roundtables, or workshops – a selection of which are virtual. We also have a recurring event focused on Women in Project Management Leadership. Earn your PDUs through PMI Mile Hi Chapter! 

About the Author

Claudia Jeffrey is currently working as Assistant Manager For Research & Development at Crowd Writer, an excellent thesis writing service provider. She has worked with many known companies under the human resource department as well. She believes in women's empowerment and shares her opinions online.