Employees disengaged? It’s time to harness worker agency

“When we make voluntary actions, we tend not to feel as though they simply happen to us, instead we feel as though we are in charge. A sense of agency refers to this feeling of being in the driving seat when it comes to our actions.”  James W. Moore, Frontiers in Psychology

Worker agency is the extent to which employees can act independently and make their own free choices. It is the capacity to have control and influence over their work environment, including their roles, responsibilities, work hours, work location and ability to advocate for themselves, their ideas, and for others. According to Deloitte, worker agency spans multiple dimensions including:

• Self-determination – having meaningful choice and influence over the work they do (how, when and where) and how they grow in an organisation. The traditional corporate approach to dictate career paths or working locations, or deny flexible work, run counter to this need.
• Activism – being able to work in an organisation whose values, strategies, and actions reflect an individual’s own values. Toxic corporate cultures that disrespect employees based on their background or values, fail to promote diversity and inclusion or allow unethical behaviour is a leading reason for high staff attrition rates, even more so than pay.

What worker agency looks like in each organisation differs according to industry, nationality, and size, however, examples of what it looks like when they do, and don’t have agency are listed below.

Workers DO have agency when they:

• have control over HOW they do a task, even if they don’t have control of WHAT or WHY.
• feel confident suggesting new ways of doing things, try them out, and feel safe that there won’t be negative ramifications if it fails.
• have the choice to work remotely or flexibly.
• can set their own performance goals and objectives.
• can choose how they set up their own workspace.
• can choose benefits and incentives that are meaningful to them.
• can structure their own day to meet their energy ebbs and flows.
• can participate in forums and committees that hear their voices AND act on suggestions.
• feel comfortable taking ownership over a task or idea when it’s clear no one else will.
• feel ownership over their role or tasks to develop them as they see fit.
• have accountability for the outcomes of their decisions and actions.

Although employees might have the capacity to set goals or be innovative, without the power to act with authority, resources, tools, skills and self-confidence, their sense of agency will remain low. Additionally, academics have proposed that in addition to capability, people also need to have the option and power to make a different choice if necessary.

Workers DON’T have agency when they:

• have no input into the WHAT, WHERE, WHY, and HOW of their role or tasks, although in some roles this is unavoidable.
• are unable to suggest or try new ways of doing things, even if it improves profitability, safety, productivity, or quality.
• are unable to make requests for flexibility at work.
• are unable to voice their concerns about issues that impact their work e.g., well-being, furniture or equipment, safety, contracts, and working location.
• cannot work in a way that supports their physical and mental well-being.
• are not communicated with openly and regularly so don’t feel valued and may not have the knowledge to do their roles properly.
• aren’t given opportunities to progress and develop and/or can’t provide input into these matters.