Resilience is a buzzword often heard in the workplace. It refers to a person’s ability to quickly recover from difficulties—a valuable trait among employees. After all, resilient employees help companies anticipate and solve problems. Additionally, a well-being survey found that more than 90% of employees who consider themselves resilient intend to stay in their company for longer.
Unfortunately, the same survey revealed that 70% of employees struggle with resilience. If employees aren’t resilient, it can prevent companies from overcoming obstacles efficiently and affect employees’ productivity. To avoid this, here’s how to build employee resilience in the workplace.
Resolve unnecessary obstacles
Existing obstacles at work are a hindrance to employee resilience. One example is the lack of skill. Employees who don’t have the right skills for a task will view it as a problem, preventing them from completing tasks and solving similar situations in the future. Another obstacle is the lack of motivation. Employees may not care about their work or performance, translating into lacking resilience when crises arise. After all, if they don’t have the motivation to work in the first place, they won’t have the energy to actively solve a problem.
To know your employees' obstacles, check in with them through small talks, workplace surveys, or one-on-one meetings. This way, you can give solutions to problems that hinder their resilience. For example, hold upskilling sessions for employees that lack skills. For lack of motivation, we’ll discuss in the next point.
Give importance to purpose and belonging
Employees need to feel like their work is going towards a greater purpose and that they belong to a team. This fuels their motivation since they’ll feel part of something bigger than themselves. Accordingly, this helps them become more resilient because they want to actively solve work difficulties that prevent them from finishing a task or contributing to their team’s efforts.
A way to develop a sense of purpose and belonging is by holding team-building events. It is important to recognize that the success of a team is dependent on the strength of its individual members. When individuals feel valued, motivated, and supported, they are more likely to contribute effectively to the team and become resilient in the face of challenges.
We provide customized team-building solutions and our approach is centered on creating shared experiences that allow team members to develop stronger connections and a sense of belonging. By providing opportunities for team members to interact outside of the usual work environment, our activities help to build trust, enhance communication, and foster a sense of shared purpose.
The benefits of team building extend beyond the immediate impact of individual resilience. Teams that have a strong sense of cohesion and shared purpose are better able to collaborate effectively, solve problems, and achieve common goals. By fostering a positive team culture, companies can create an environment that supports resilience, productivity, and innovation. We have an array of tried and tested in-person, hybrid, virtual, and seasonal team builder games available - find the ideal team building event for your company on our website.
Ensure employees’ well-being
Employee well-being influences how they work and handle problems. They won’t respond well to crises if their environment doesn’t promote wellness. Instead, it will only add to their stress. As such, you must provide them with a comfortable workplace conducive to problem-solving and resilience.
One way to do this is to prioritize their comfort with ergonomic equipment to prevent pain and injury. In particular, standing desk converters allow them to stand when working, activating their muscles and reducing pain from sitting for long periods. The Ergotron WorkFit T has lots of surface space, so employees can raise their entire setup to their preferred level while standing. Another way to ensure well-being is to provide fitness opportunities to keep them in good shape. Treadmill desks promote wellness by enabling employees to exercise while working. The ALTRAX Foldable Treadmill 2.0 is compact and thin, perfect for limited workspaces.
Encourage adaptive behaviours
As their employer, you are a source of inspiration at work. This means they’ll start displaying resiliency if they see it from you. So, you’ll need to promote adaptive behaviours by practicing them yourself. Start by proactively solving problems, showing positive attitudes during crises, and not avoiding obstacles at work.
This way, they’ll mirror your behaviour and replicate it when experiencing challenges at work. Practice these consistently, so it reflects in your employees, too.
To summarize, team building is an important component of building resilience in the workplace. By focusing on creating shared experiences that foster trust, communication, and a sense of shared purpose, companies can create an environment that supports individual and team resilience. This, in turn, enables employees to overcome obstacles more effectively, contribute to the team's goals, and thrive in the face of challenges.
Employee resilience helps a company stay afloat during difficult times. Hopefully, you’ll be able to build employee resilience with our tips above!
Article written by Rosie Jennings
