Empathy and employee resilience

In any organisation, the leadership is responsible for the business strategy and goals and for shaping the organisational culture. How leaders interact with each other and their team members, make and communicate their decisions, the behaviours and actions they recognise, and the reward go into the making of the organisational culture.

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, organisations need their workforce to be adaptable and resilient. However, this also requires companies and organisational leadership to be vested in the employees’ well-being, be empathetic and view them as individuals and not just human resources. The mental well-being of the workforce necessitates psychological safety. A psychologically safe workplace attracts the right talents and has higher retention rates.

As challenges continue to arise, leaders are discovering that fostering employee resilience through empathetic leadership supports individuals and enhances overall team performance and productivity. We need to look in detail at how employers and employees view psychological safety across Industry sectors and cities. 

Psychological safety is not just a buzzword. Instead, Psychological Safety (or the lack of it) is critical to any organisation’s culture and resilience. It goes a long way in ensuring better employee retention and well-being. It is often stated that employees don’t leave organisations; they leave bosses. If organisations/leaders neglect this critical aspect, it results in poor employee engagement, erosion of employee value proposition for the organisation and increased attrition.

On the other hand, when employees feel psychologically safe within their workspace and work relationships, they perform enthusiastically. They are more productive, but the organisation also sees lower attrition and better engagement levels. When employees have psychological safety, they can also innovate, be more creative and take risks which always benefits the organisation.     

Based on the responses from a survey conducted amongst 500+ employers and 1000+ employees, we understand better how leaders can enable psychological safety and resilience for their teams.

Open communication and a bias-free environment are critical in promoting psychological safety, according to responses. Leadership qualities significantly contribute to psychological safety, as acknowledged by 71% of employers and Senior leaders, including C-level executives, bear a critical responsibility for psychological safety, according to 43% of employees. 

Leadership styles play a significant role in fostering psychological safety, with supportive and inclusive leadership being the most effective styles according to employee responses. The report also identifies the key qualities of ideal leaders, including emotional intelligence, contributing to a psychologically safe environment.

By fostering a positive work culture, recognising and addressing stressors, and providing resources for well-being, leaders can help employees develop resilience and cope effectively with challenges. Additionally, offering professional development opportunities and promoting a growth mindset further enhances employees’ confidence and ability to bounce back from setbacks. By practising empathetic leadership, leaders can thus create a resilient workforce better equipped to handle adversity and maintain high levels of productivity and engagement.

(The author is the country manager of an HR firm)