Professional Autonomy

Shelby Daly
May 30
1 min read

If you are hiring professionals.... Let them make decisions and be professionals.

Netflix's Second Cultural Principle:

People Over Process: Empowerment Through Freedom

Netflix believes that providing employees with the freedom to make decisions leads to better outcomes.

“We hire unusually responsible people who thrive on this openness and freedom.”

In practice, this means empowering employees to understand what it takes to get the job done and deliver on that promise. This is an important factor for job satisfaction, particularly in today’s hybrid work environment. Output over hours.

This principle of empowerment is supported by the company’s practice of “context not control.” By offering transparency and context so that employees understand what’s expected of them and how their performance will be assessed, Netflix allows its employees to take ownership of their work, fostering innovation and accountability. This approach has been instrumental in maintaining agility and creativity within the company.

By fostering autonomy, it creates:

1. Increases job satisfaction

2. Creates employee engagement and motivation

3. Improves employee retention

4. Encourages creativity and innovation

5. Builds a culture of trust

6. Boosts productivity

7. Employees feel valued

8. Develops leadership qualities in employees

References

Wooll, M. Autonomy at work is important: Here are 9 ways to encourage it. Betterup. 2021. https://www.betterup.com/blog/autonomy-in-the-workplace#:~:text=Why%20is%20autonomy%20in%20the%20workplace%20important%3F%201,Develops%20leadership%20qualities%20in%20employees%20...%20More%20items

Schmitz, L. Netflix has released a revamped version of its famous 2009 memo on culture. Fast Company. 2024. https://www.fastcompany.com/91146182/netflix-revamped-2009-memo-on-culture