EMPLOYEE RESILIENCE : How Companies Can Build an Ecosystem of Growth.

Resilience is almost always mentioned in the context of individual growth and wellbeing. In our own private lives, we often see it as something that is important for us to recover or stay well enough post or during a time of adversity. In the business context, resilience translates to an employee’s ‘capacity to thrive rather than just survive, in high stress environments.’ It doesn't just help an employee to cope during a difficult time, but rather, it helps an employee to adapt and respond positively and effectively in such a situation. It isn’t simply restricted to the employees in an organization, but it also includes the processes and culture in which those employees work within. Their work content, colleagues, work environment and organizational factors will ultimately affect an employee’s resilience. Much like how resilience tests an individual’s ability to ‘stay strong’ during a trying time, organizational resilience tests how well an organization can adapt to the challenges that comes its way.

?????Organizations have a responsibility towards their employees in terms of individual resilience because an employee’s individual resilience is linked to their productivity, engagement, creativity and how proactive they are at work, their performance levels and the roles they play in the organization. Employee resilience is what pulls organizations through a time of crisis. An employer who supports resilience and mitigates mental health risks will be able to provide their employees with conditions for their growth and good mental health, which will indirectly affect their performance as a part of an organization. Here are a few ways in which employers and HR professionals can support Employee Resilience.

●??????Recognition and Reassurity in a Psychologically Safe Environment.

During tough times, an individual’s confidence and sense of certainty is at an all time low. However, small steps of action on the part of their employer can actually provide them with impetus to face their challenges head on. By actively listening to your employees, in terms of their concerns, thoughts and feelings will encourage them to share their anxieties and worries and face their feelings. Appreciation and rewarding your employees for a job well done will give them a feeling of accomplishment and boost their confidence. Challenges are also a time when individuals seek a sense of emotional support. By inculcating empathy and gratitude, an employer may be able to provide the support an employee is seeking. When you acknowledge an employee’s hardships and appreciate their strength and courage during a tough time, an employee gains more motivation to carry on.

●??????Identifying the need for, Planning and Executing Interventions

Sometimes, when you try to help an employee through interventions, you may end up doing more harm than good. For instance, if you ask an employee to attend an intervention when they already have a lot on their plate, you may end up stressing them out further. For this, especially if you are an HR professional, you need to identify if an intervention is the best step for your organization and its employees. If an intervention is a viable option, you need to identify how you would like to address that particular intervention- at an individual, organizational or group level. Usually, the best step is to start with small scale interventions that you can monitor closely, before you work your way into the more complex, large-scale interventions.

●??????Lead by Example: Help your Organization Leaders Understand their Role in Employee Resilience.

People managers, including line and senior managers play a crucial role in influencing employee resilience. By developing a good relationship with their team and understanding their approach to dealing with success, goal-setting and coaching, managers can help create a supportive environment for the team. The way they deal with crisis communication can impact their team as well. Managers must be proactive and prioritize employee wellbeing. An employee’s confidence, optimism, sense of coherence and sense of support is closely linked to their manager’s approach to both good an unfortunate situation.

●??????Uncertainty Training

It is essential for any individual in both their personal and professional lives to deal with and manage uncertainty effectively. In uncertain situations, we often crave a sense of control. Train employees to focus on the here and now and things they can actually control rather than focusing on the future. By training employees to focus on the things that they can actually change, will help them cope with uncertainty. Having the ability to work in a way that allows us to manage our sense of purpose with flexibility and autonomy gives us a sense of control. Empower teams and individual employees by giving them ownership of their work. Train them and encourage them to inculcate practices that help them identify their triggers. Encourage practices that help their managers know their teams on a deeper level. Train managers identify read flags and signs when something is amiss with their team.

●??????Set Appropriate Goals and Adjust Expectations Accordingly. Check in Frequently.

Most of the time, productivity is given a lot of importance in an organization. While it is no doubt essential to the growth of the organization, productivity and mental health is a two-way street. Setting achievable goals for employees and working hard to create environments that can foster growth and productivity will help your organization grow. Listening to your employees by conducting surveys, taking feedback, and focusing on developing communication in the organization along with integrated performance management is a useful tool to gauge employee sentiment. Align goals and establish timelines, track progress and exchange valuable feedback with your employees. If possible, set up one on one feedback with employees to understand their concerns and build psychological safety.

Employee Resilience doesn’t sit in isolation. It is a cumulative result of an employee’s experience in your organization. By taking the time and using the right tools to help your employees and the organization understand resilience, you are also working towards a healthy organization. Individual Resilience is a part and parcel of Organization Resilience - healthy and thriving employees means a healthy and thriving organization.?