Resilience and adaptability are workplace superpowers

Growing and improving an organisation is always challenging but in 2023 there have also been extra factors acting as obstacles along the way. These include supply chain shortages, energy prices, inflation, digital transformation, remote working, sustainability, and cyber security. If a business is to successfully navigate these external influences, whilst continuing to grow both organically and via acquisitions, it needs to ensure that its people are equipped to cope and thrive in a changing environment. 

Organisations should seek to develop supportive, resilient, and innovative cultures. Employees should be able to adapt to change, demonstrate a positive attitude and overcome challenges to achieve common goals. 

“Resilience and adaptability are the workplace superpowers”, says Taryn Wilkinson, director of Walmsley Wilkinson Executive and Management Recruitment. “The clients that we support can range from growth focused, small to medium sized enterprises, through to global corporations, but there is always a common theme when it comes to identifying the right attitudes in their people. Organisations are operating in competitive, demanding and developing marketplaces and they therefore want to hire future employees that can perform their roles, whilst remaining well and excelling in changing environments. Most person specifications that we encounter in the recruitment process include resilience and adaptability amongst the essential criteria. Candidates that can demonstrate strengths in these areas are therefore more in demand.” 

Aon’s report, The Rising Resilient showed that employees are nearly twice as likely to be motivated and therefore productive, if they are resilient. It is therefore understandable why employers rate resilience so highly. However, the same research also identified that only 30% of employees are currently resilient. This highlights the risks and challenges that organisations face to achieve change and growth when the majority of its employees may not be able to cope well with those demands. 

In the 2021 Employee resilience, an evidence review summary report, commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Gifford, J. and Young, J.), they state that resilience helps employees protect and recoup their personal resources at work, which in turn protects them from problems like psychological distress, emotional exhaustion and burnout

Taryn Wilkinson continues “Whilst people managers and defined learning and development strategies play a crucial role in helping employees to be resilient in the workplace, it is totally understandable why organisations want to identify future employees who can demonstrate that they already possess ‘resilience superpowers.’ These individuals will be able to cope, adapt and thrive in changing work circumstances.”

There continues to be upheavals in the world of work and to achieve success in challenging times, the UK needs resilient and adaptable employees.

Walmsley Wilkinson, owned by two partners, Linda Walmsley and Taryn Wilkinson, offers professional solutions for executive and management recruitment needs. They support a variety of organisations, including large corporations, family-owned entities, private equity and the third sector to identify and secure the best leadership talent, across the UK and internationally