Employee resilience: an evidence review
Our research explores the meaning of employee resilience and the key factors that protect or reinforce resilience

Resilience helps employees adapt, cope, gain resources, and respond positively to stressors in the workplace.
This evidence review, based on a rapid evidence assessment (REA), finds several key factors that protect or reinforce resilience. Strong predictors include:
- Individuals’ psychological states and traits, including self-efficacy or confidence, positive affect or emotions, and our sense of coherence.
- Our relationships, including supportive co-workers and managers and a high-quality leader-member exchange.
- In addition, learning and development interventions can also enhance employee resilience, if they are designed and delivered in the right way.
It is important to understand resilience as partly a semi-permanent psychological trait and partly a variable psychological state. Some people will naturally be more resilient than others but the onus must not simply be put on employees to ‘buck up’ and ‘be’ resilient. People managers and colleagues play critical roles in influencing how resilient employees are.
Download the discussion report and related scientific summary:
Explore our related content
Employee engagement: an evidence review
Our research explores the meaning of employee engagement, how we should measure it, what drives it, and the link between engagement and performance
Wellbeing at work
Understand the links between work, health and wellbeing, and the role of stakeholders in adopting an organisational approach to employee wellbeing
Developing resilience: a guide for practitioners
How to develop resilience at individual and organisational levels