The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for employees. Many people who were suddenly forced to work from home became concerned about job security. Unaccustomed stressors also arrived in the form of balancing the pressures of remote work with caring for children whose schools and daycares were closed, as well as for elderly relatives who were at highest risk for serious complications from a coronavirus infection.
Essential employees continue struggling to find reliable and affordable childcare and worrying about their health and safety while interacting with members of the public face to face. In light of such uncertainty, anxiety and depression have become more prevalent, producing negative impacts on workers’ health, productivity and engagement.
Americans Reporting Mental Health Symptoms Within the Past Week
What Is Resilience?
Employers can take steps to address employees’ stress and anxiety. Engaging employees and presenting change as an opportunity can help employees manage the challenges. One effective intervention for developing a workforce that can thrive during difficult times is providing resilience coaching and training. Building resilience at the management level is particularly essential because employees will look to organizational leaders and learn from them.
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors.” Cultivating a workforce that is adaptable and optimistic in times of uncertainty will result in an organization that can thrive during times of challenge and disruption.
How Can Workforce Resilience Be Developed?
A key part of building resilience is first understanding what stress looks like. It affects people in different ways, manifesting as irritability, sadness, distractibility, decreased motivation and/or burnout. Managers should be trained to identify these signs of stress and to check in with their team members often.
The symptoms of stress make it is important to focus on physical and mental health when attempting to foster resilience; however, being resilient requires more than a strong mind and body. Employers that have wellness programs in place should assess their current offerings and determine if there is a greater need for resilience and mental health support.
Resilience is a trait that can be developed across a workforce by creating and maintaining an organizational culture that supports change and views it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle to overcome. Facilitating transparency at work and establishing clear lines of communication are also ways to ensure employees feel supported.
A wellness partner can help an organization construct a well-designed work environment that supports change while providing resilience coaching to teach employees how to manage stress, adversity and challenges more effectively. When developing a program, it is important to address employees’ concerns and provide individuals with opportunities to strengthen the skills they need to face and overcome hardships.
To get started with resilience coaching, ask employees to complete an online assessment to identify what they are struggling with. Coaches can then help employees manage stress effectively by steering them to appropriate resources and tools. Providing individual resilience coaching allows sessions to be tailored to the individual and lets coaches provide customized approaches for each situation. Seeking to eliminate stress altogether will not work and may only trigger more stress.
Follow-up visits should be encouraged, and coaches can make referrals to appropriate professionals if more support is warranted.
On top of resilience coaching, employers should continue to promote healthy lifestyles for employees. Reinforcing the truth that self-care is just as important—if not more important—during times of uncertainty and stress sends a powerful message to employees.
How Resilience Coaching Can Help Employers
Implementing resilience coaching will better equip members of the workforce to handle the difficulties and stressors brought on by COVID-19. Employees will also discover tools and gain access to resources for overcoming future challenges. And once connections and a support network are established in the workplace, managers will be quicker to recognize when team members are struggling so they can step up before burnout and lack of engagement become major issues.
Individuals who are resilient thrive in the face of challenges, are able to learn and flourish in difficult situations and bounce back quickly when faced with setbacks. Such employees know how to maintain stability when faced with change, and they are able to move forward in a positive manner. The pandemic makes now the time for employers to enhance their wellness programs by adding resilience coaching and training.
01 October 2020
Category
HR News Article