As AI continues to reshape roles and org charts flatten, the most valuable employees won't be the smartest in the room; they will be the ones who can pivot quickly, stay calm under pressure and collaborate through change. Now, HR leaders and advisors must face a pressing issue: How do you build adaptability?
To do so means evaluating their workforce's Adaptability Quotient (AQ), a measure of an individual or organization's ability to navigate and respond to change. The good news: AQ can be developed over time, but it is more than just a standalone skill; it's a culture.
Understanding the adaptability gap
Before building an adaptability development plan, organizations must confront the adaptability gap that currently exists in the workforce.
Today, employees and leaders alike are operating through a period of unprecedented cultural, economic, and geopolitical change, while at the same time, technology, like AI, is transforming the future of work. Amid this change, employees are finding it harder to keep pace.
According to data from the Achievers Workforce Institute (AWI), only 23% of employees report that they can deal with unexpected challenges. Similarly, 23% of employees feel that their company is prepared and capable of meeting unexpected challenges.
While this external instability is partly to blame for creating this gap in adaptability, internal company culture is also a contributing factor. Smart employee engagement and upskilling strategies are critical to helping workforces build the skills and confidence needed to tackle unexpected challenges.
Unfortunately, organizations are falling down in both these areas, and the impact on employees shows up time and time again in our workforce research. Just 25% of employees feel appreciated and engaged at work. That's a business problem. With 75% of employees overlooked at work, it should come as no surprise that only 25% of employees envision a long career with their current company, and 34% say they plan to get a new job in 2026.
When employees feel disconnected and unengaged, loyalty and adaptability are unrealistic expectations. To build on AQ, leaders and advisors now need to foster a culture of recognition across their organization that reinvigorates employees to feel meaning in and connection to their work.
Building adaptability through recognition
Adaptability isn't an innate skill that simply appears in times of disruption. It must be built and reinforced over time through consistent feedback that clearly defines what success looks like for employees. Otherwise, employees will constantly wonder: am I focusing on the right priorities? Does my work matter? Is it my place to step up and take initiative?
Luckily, recognition answers these questions in real time. According to Achievers' 2025 State of Recognition Report, employees who are regularly recognized by their managers are two times more likely to collaborate, adapt to change, and feel productive. They are also more likely to feel ready for unexpected change and understand what's expected of them, which are two of the most essential components of strong AQ.
Building a successful recognition strategy
Given its importance in driving adaptability, recognition strategies must be uniquely crafted to meet the needs and goals of a company's workforce, and not all strategies are created equally.
The three key ingredients to successful recognition include:
- Frequent recognition: Recognition must be consistent. Every employee should receive recognition from their managers at least monthly. Organizations should also encourage individual contributors to frequently recognize each other, as peer recognition can accelerate manager recognition's impact.
- Personalization and the "why": To be effective, recognition can't be generic. A quick and simple "great job" isn't enough to shape behavior. Recognition that clearly explains why an employee was successful, such as how they supported a teammate or advanced a specific project, reinforces learning and builds an employee's connection to that work. The importance of the "why" is science-backed: 92% of employees say that when they're recognized for a specific action, they're more likely to take it again in the future.
- Alignment to values: When tied to company values, recognition builds cultural consistency, which contributes to building resilience and adaptability. Further, employees who feel appreciated are 12 times more likely to find work meaningful and 56 times more likely to feel connected to company values.
When these ingredients come together, recognition is not just a moment in time, but rather a larger cultural initiative that fosters adaptable, high-performing teams across an entire organization.
Treating adaptability like a culture, not a standalone skill
Building AQ through recognition is not just a business initiative; every employee must work to build a culture of appreciation and adaptability from the top down.
Organizations that take action to ensure every worker gives and receives meaningful recognition will build a lasting foundation for adaptability, where workers are aligned with top priorities – even when unexpected hurdles are thrown in their way.
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