Resilience at work is far from a buzzword. It is about how individuals and organisations adapt to adversity, recover from setbacks, and continue performing effectively. It is a concern that increasingly brings clients to Mindset, and for good reason.

Research shows that resilience significantly predicts work engagement and well-being. For example, Cabrera‑Aguilar et al. (2023) found that resilience and stress are key predictors of work engagement, with self‑efficacy playing a valuable mediating role. Another study emphasises that resilience-based interventions enhance psychological well‑being and productivity, reinforcing that resilience is not just individual work but a shared organisational priority (Hollaar et al., 2025).

Introducing the JD‑R Model

A useful way to understand resilience at work is through the Job Demands‑Resources (JD‑R) model (Demerouti et al., 2001). It proposes that job demands are aspects of a role that require sustained effort such as heavy workload or emotional strain, and job resources are anything that helps achieve goals, reduce demands, or support growth such as autonomy, managerial support, or training. The model outlines two key processes: the health‑impaired process, where high demands and limited resources can lead to burnout, and the motivational process, where abundant resources, even amid high demands, boost engagement and resilience. This makes the JD‑R model especially practical as it is not about eliminating demands, but balancing them with resources to foster resilience.

Practical Steps Organisations Can Take

• Diagnose the balance of demands and resources. Tools like the JD‑R‑based Energy Compass assessment help pinpoint where imbalances are undermining well‑being.
• Develop manager-led resilience training. Evidence supports interventions like coaching and psychoeducation workshops tailored for resilience-building.
• Strengthen organisational context and culture. A positive psychosocial safety climate (PSC), where senior leadership visibly prioritises psychological health, can reduce burnout and absenteeism while boosting engagement and productivity.
• Embed resilience into work design and culture. Strategies such as job crafting, flexible work arrangements, learning culture, and peer support systems nurture resilience and adaptability.
• Measure progress with validated tools. Self-report scales like the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‑RISC), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), or work-specific measures like the BeTalent Resilience Questionnaire help assess developments over time.

Mindset’s Consultancy: A Resilience Partnership

At Mindset, we see resilience as a shared responsibility between individuals and their organisations. We can support you by:

• Explore and Assess: Using tools like the BeTalent Resilience Survey and the Energy Compass (based on the JD‑R model) to evaluate both individual and team-level resilience, identify where demands exceed resources, and map out the factors driving energy or causing strain.
• Design and Deliver Interventions: Manager workshops on resilience, coaching packages, and psychoeducational group sessions tailored to your context.
• Build Organisational Strength: Embedding resilience in organisational systems, from work design to psychosocial safety climates and leadership culture.
• Measure and Sustain: Tracking progress using validated tools and reviewing data to guide continuous improvement.

References

Cabrera-Aguilar, C., Galán-López, M., García-Carmona, M., & Molero Jurado, M. M. (2023). Resilience and stress predict work engagement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3543. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10464840/

Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The Job Demands–Resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499

Hollaar, M. H. L., Kemmere, B., Kocken, P. L., van der Veen, A., van der Velden, P. G., & van Oostrom, S. H. (2025). Resilience-based interventions in the public sector workplace: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 25, 350. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21177-2