Why Resilience Matters
Building Stronger Organisations in a Dynamic World
In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern business, organisational and individual resilience is a critical factor for success. At the same time resilience levels are dropping - according to a 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association, workplace resilience scores among employees decreased by approximately 15% between 2018 and 2023 with only 42% of employees reporting feeling resilient and capable of handling work-related stress.
For L&D Leaders and HR professionals, understanding and fostering resilience within their workforce is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The capacity to adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of adversity directly influences productivity, engagement, and overall organisational performance.
Why is resilience being depleted?
Employees are facing unprecedented levels of stress, uncertainty, and change due to:
Economic and geopolitical instability, amplified by a constant stressful negative news cycle
Rapid change in technology, working practices and organisational structures, required to keep businesses competitive
Overly stimulating lifestyle - smart phone usage, instant messaging (WhatsApp, Teams chats etc.) and social media engagement have created an ‘always-on’ lifestyle. This creates a heightened level of anxiety whilst also massively diminishing productivity at work due to constant interruptions
Pandemic hangover - the pandemic created huge amounts of stress and many individuals are still experiencing post-trauma fatigue and a heightened stress response from this experience
Are there generational differences?
Entry level employees are showing the lowest levels of resilience within organisations due to a range of factors:
A shift in parenting style, favouring emotional support over ‘tough love’. Whilst this has significant advantages, it is also less likely to build mental toughness in children and can protect them from early adversity that can build innate resilience
Pandemic educational experience. Students during the pandemic experienced social isolation at a key time for building their social skills. Combined with an ‘app-based’ social life, they often find interacting with others, particularly in person or by phone, highly stressful
‘Supportive’ leadership. Leaders are now much more aware of the impact their behaviour can have on junior members of staff. Whilst on the whole this is positive, there has been an over-correction with managers often avoiding giving feedback to juniors for fear of upsetting them, reducing their opportunities to develop.
Mid and senior-level managers are the ‘squeezed middle’ having to both deliver their own workload, whilst also managing teams and working with senior leaders to deliver against strategic goals. This period in their career often coincides with family responsibilities, with many individuals caring for both children and elderly parents at this time, creating significant demands on them outside of work. The challenges of menopause are also often a factor for female staff at this point, which can cause fatigue, brain-fog and other stressful symptoms.
Older employees may find the accelerating rate of change, particularly the adoption of new technology, challenging and start feeling left behind. They may also feel undervalued for their experience and concerned about navigating new cultural norms.
The Business Impact of a Lack of Resilience
Failure to develop resilience within your people has a real negative impact on your business performance:
Increased Absenteeism: Stress-related issues account for over half of work-related ill-health (World Health Organisation) leading to significant levels of absenteeism and reducing productivity.
Higher Turnover Rates: Employees who lack resilience are more likely to leave an organisation, leading to costly recruitment and training processes. Companies with highly resilient workforces experience 30-50% less turnover (Harvard Business Review).
Lower Productivity & Innovation: Resilient teams demonstrate higher levels of engagement and creativity, essential for maintaining a competitive advantage.
How do we build resilience in our people?
HR and L&D leaders have a significant role to play in building a resilient workforce through a range of interventions:
1. Incorporate Resilience and Growth Mindset Training into your curriculum
Bring in resilience specialists to provide targeted training and support. Mental and physical resilience workshops can equip your employees with the awareness and skills they need to manage their stress levels, increase their resilience and cope better with change. In our experience the following workshop topics provide the essential foundation:
2. Create a supportive culture
Cultivating a workplace environment where open communication, recognition, and psychological safety are prioritized, supports employee resilience. This doesn’t mean coddling employees, but rather empowering them to take control when issues arise and offering support when they need it.
Make sure employees know what support is available and how to access it. Creating peer support networks and offering confidential 1:1 coaching can substantially enhance resilience.
Give employees tools to support their productivity, both through technology and training. Help them to manage their workload and find efficiency gains, remembering not to swamp productive people with more work, rather encourage them to share their approach and knowledge to help others.
Encourage regular uninterrupted time. Having agreed ‘offline time’ can significantly lower stress levels and increase productivity. This protected time allows employees to focus on key tasks or strategic work, without constant interruptions from chats or an expectation to instantly reply to emails.
3. Provide Flexibility and Autonomy
Empowering employees through flexible working arrangements and increased autonomy can reduce burnout and foster resilience. 47% of employees surveyed, reported improved well-being from being allowed to work from home either full or part-time (Office for National Statistics).
Wherever possible, empower employees to define their own goals or, when delivering for others, have some autonomy over how to execute the tasks. In the face of a large workload, not feeling in control over how tasks are completed can significantly increase stress levels.
4. Enhance Wellbeing Initiatives
Implement an employee wellbeing program that promotes physical and mental health, alongside other life-skills such as managing personal finances and dealing with parenting challenges. Regular check-ins, access to mental health resources, and creating online and in-person peer support groups can make a significant difference.
Many companies have under-utilised private health offerings, including 1:1 counselling. An internal marketing campaign can significantly increase uptake of these services, leading to better individual health and team members feeling more supported by their employer.
5. Monitor employee resilience and Feedback
Use pulse surveys, 1:1 meetings, and resilience assessments to gauge employee wellbeing and identify areas of stress where support may be needed. Alchemy Coaching recently developed and ran a series of workshops for a client on building energy and resilience, after their employee survey revealed widespread change fatigue across the organisation.
Ask employees for feedback on the support they feel they need and what could be done to build their resilience and reduce stress levels, rather than deciding for them. Employee-led initiatives often have more internal traction and consequently more impact.
The Role of Leadership in Fostering Resilience
Leaders are important role models for resilience and can significantly reduce stress by offering stable leadership and clear guidance. Work with your leaders to help them to:
Create a resilient business and give employees a sense of security and certainty over future plans wherever possible
Model resilient behaviours and demonstrate positive coping strategies
Recognise and celebrate resilience and growth mindset behaviours in teams
Training for managers on resilient leadership can multiply these efforts and embed a resilient culture across the organisation.
Bringing in Specialists: Why External Expertise Matters
While internal initiatives are vital, partnering with external specialists, who bring in proven methodologies and tailored programs, can significantly accelerate resilience development. Experts can deliver mindset-changing workshops and offer ongoing supportive conversations that may not happen internally.
Resilience is a critical element that underpins individual and organisational success in today’s challenging environment. Building resilience is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment that requires strategic planning, investment, and a culture and OD that supports resilience. HR and L&D leaders have a vital role in championing these efforts—leveraging training, organisational culture, and external expertise to prepare their workforce to withstand adversity and thrive amidst change.
Investing in resilience pays dividends: healthier, engaged, productive employees, and a stronger, more adaptable organisation.
What our clients say:
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