Challenges facing businesses in the UK over the next five years have heightened the need for employee resistance, according to recruitment specialist Robert Half UK.
As businesses adapt to an ongoing period of change, more than nine in 10 (94%) of chief financial officers (CFO) think developing resilience amongst their employees will be important over the next two to five years, with 43% describing it as "very important". In London, the number of CFOs highlighting it rises to 97%.
Robert Half UK said ongoing economic and industry trends affecting the trajectory of many businesses have created a need for employees to be able to thrive successfully in times of continual change.
Nearly half (47%) of CFOs said Brexit-related transitional work is currently affecting their department. A similar proportion (51%) said digital transformation is impacting their department, as a result of automation and an increasing dependence on technology. Additionally, regulatory changes passed in the past 12 months, including GDPR and MiFID II, continue to create considerable pressures within organisations (49%). Just 7% of CFOs said they are not currently experience changes within their departments.
Business leaders are investing in measures to instil a sense of resilience amongst their staff, to prepare them for the transitional times that lie ahead and ensure they can adapt to any possible disruption. A key element of this is specialist physical and mental health support, being offered by nearly half (43%) of businesses. A similar number are focusing on communication, transparency and honest; providing clarity in goals and expectations (41%), offering an honest perspective (39%) and allowing for an open dialogue within the team (39%).
With one in four (25%) CFOs who say employees with a sense of resilience will be more challenging to find over the next three years, more business leaders are recognising the importance of successfully upskilling their existing teams.
Matt Weston, managing director of Robert Half UK, said: "Ongoing economic uncertainty and significant trends such as digitisation means the business landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, bringing with it a raft of challenges for employers and employees alike.
"The ability to successfully adapt and to keep up with this constant change has never been more important, especially as it shows no sign of slowing down. Businesses can reassure employees by investing in their people - in wellbeing strategies and cultural measures to improve their employees' ability to 'bounce back from adversity and continue to prosper."
