What is resilience at work? Definition, importance and how to build it

Resilience at work has long stopped being only about bouncing back after a difficult spell. For organisations it has become a topic that ties directly to engagement, performance and absenteeism. But what exactly do we mean by it, and how do you help it grow within an organisation?

What exactly is resilience?

Resilience is the ability to keep functioning well as pressure mounts, to adapt to change and to come out of setbacks stronger. It is not a trait you happen to have or lack. It grows out of a mix of skills, habits and the environment someone works in.

A common misconception is that resilient people can handle anything and simply keep going. That is not the case. People who are genuinely resilient know when to recover, set boundaries and ask for help in time. That is exactly the difference between people who perform well for years and people who eventually grind to a halt.

Being resilient is not about always pushing on, but about knowing when to recover.

Why the topic keeps gaining weight

Work has become more demanding in recent years. The workload is higher, something is always changing, and the number of stress complaints and burnouts is climbing. At the same time, study after study shows that organisations that do pay attention to the person behind the professional get something back for it: higher effectiveness, more engagement and less absenteeism. We have gathered the key figures on our research page.

It really comes down to a single idea. Sustainable performance arises when an organisation keeps sight of the person behind the role. Resilience is the foundation for that.

The six domains of resilience (PR6)

Resilience sounds rather abstract, but you can break it down into concrete, developable parts. The PR6 model identifies six: vision, composure, problem solving, health, perseverance and collaboration. Together they shape how well someone copes with pressure, uncertainty and change.

Want to know what each domain involves? Read the PR6 model explained, or see how we put it into practice in our approach.

Can you develop resilience?

Many people assume you either have resilience or you do not, and that settles it. The science points in a different direction. The skills underneath it can be trained well. People can learn to stay calmer under pressure, to think more clearly in difficult situations and to seek support from colleagues more deliberately. That is precisely why resilience is such a suitable topic to work on within an organisation.

How do you strengthen resilience in your organisation?

A one-off workshop usually changes little. Resilience only really grows when you keep the topic alive and the behaviour genuinely sticks. Three things make the difference here.

Start with measurement. It is hard to develop what you cannot see, so a baseline assessment per domain helps to pin down the areas for growth. Work on several levels at once as well, because resilience emerges in the interplay between individual, team and organisation. And finally, make sure it takes root in the culture, so that awareness turns into lasting behaviour. That last point is exactly what the AWARE approach and the ADAPT programme are built around.

That way resilience does not become a stand-alone project, but a fixed part of how the organisation works and performs.

Want to know where your employees stand right now? That is almost always the logical first step, and from there you build out with purpose.

Frequently asked questions

Is resilience innate or can you learn it?

You can learn most of it. Research shows that the underlying skills, such as managing emotions, solving problems and seeking support, can all be trained. Disposition plays a part, but your behaviour and your environment carry more weight.

How do you measure resilience in an organisation?

With a validated questionnaire such as the Resilience Scan, which is based on the PR6 model. It shows where your employees and teams stand on each domain, so you can develop with purpose rather than guess.