NEW YORK—What do employees really, really want more than anything else? More empowerment, according to a new survey from Fierce, a communication training and leadership development company.  Virtual offices can help.

Think about it. Most companies create best practices around various issues. But are those best practices really driving the success of the organization? Not always. Forty-four percent of employees claim their company’s best practices actually hinder productivity and morale.

If that’s not bad enough, another 47 percent report that their organization’s current practices consistently get in the way of desired results. And when asked which practices hold their organization back, nearly 50 percent of respondents identified a lack of company-wide transparency and too little involvement in company decisions as key areas of concern.

Now let’s flip the script and talk about what employees want. Nearly half of respondents said the most beneficial practices are the ones that encourage accountability, development, and individual empowerment within the organization. It's clear that in order to implement practices that are beneficial to the individual -- as well as the organization as a whole -- companies must foster an environment where individual efficacy is encouraged and where communication is both elicited and valued. Virtual offices can play a key role in this scenario.

Virtual office users can tap into accountability and development tools like WorkSimple’s Social Goals, for example. Virtual office users can also leverage distance learning options for continuing education—right from the comfort of their virtual office. Need better communication? Virtual office technologies like web conferencing fit the bill. The point is, you don’t have to work in the same building to drive employee empowerment to new heights—and you don’t have to sacrifice accountability. Virtual office technologies let you balance both.