SHELL CASE STUDY: AN EMPLOYEE RESILIENCE PROGRAMME ACROSS 11 YEARS AND 700+ PEOPLE
How Shell teams lifted resilience by up to 32% through change and transformation
Measured resilience training for leaders, office teams and shift operations
Since 2015, Shell has used our employee resilience programme to help its people perform through change. Each team started with the 50-factor Resilience Assessment, took part in training built around its own data, then measured again. The result: stronger resilience, practical daily habits and teams that came back for more, from Singapore and Malaysia to the Netherlands and China.
Shell Case Study: An Employee Resilience Programme Across 11 Years and 700+ People
How Shell teams lifted resilience by up to 32% through change and transformation
Measured resilience training for leaders, office teams and shift operations
Since 2015, Shell has used our employee resilience programme to help its people perform through change and growth. Each team started with the 50-factor Resilience Assessment, took part in sessions built around its own data, then measured again. Team Resilience Ratios rose by up to 32%, and the partnership grew from one leaders’ course in Singapore to more than 15 teams across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Request a Free Team Assessment- Client
- Shell
- Industry
- Energy: refining, trading, commercial fuels, supply, marine, lubricants, IT, mobility
- Where
- Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, China, India, Netherlands, with participants from the UK, US, UAE, France, Germany, Brazil and more
- Who
- Senior leadership teams, managers, office staff and 24/7 shift operations staff
- Period
- 2015 to 2026, ongoing
You really cannot afford not to do this course. Everyone needs to undertake its content at certain times in their lives and career.General Manager, Shell
A decade of change and growth in energy
Over the past decade, the energy sector has moved through the energy transition, new markets and new ways of working. In 2020, Shell began repositioning its Pulau Bukom site in Singapore towards chemicals and lower-carbon products. Teams across the business were building new structures, roles and markets at the same time.
High-performing teams
Capable people delivering at pace, who wanted to sustain it.
Continuous change
New structures, roles, teams and markets.
Dispersed teams
Colleagues building trust and collaboration across time zones.
Leaders setting the tone
Managers keeping their teams focused and energised through change.
Measure, train, re-measure
Every engagement followed the same sequence. The partnership grew one team at a time.
Measure
Each team completed our 50-factor Resilience Assessment before the programme.
Train
We designed sessions around what that team’s data showed.
Re-measure
A second assessment showed each leader what had changed.
| When | Where | Team | What we delivered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Singapore | Shell International Eastern Trading, HR leaders, an Asia Pacific team | Resilience keynote, individual coaching, Resilient Leaders course with “Sustain the Change” follow-up |
| Early programme | Multi-country | Leadership team and 300 staff in a 24/7 operation | Resilience Assessment, launch keynote, leader workshop, staff rollout, group coaching, post-programme evaluation |
| 2020 to 2021 | Pulau Bukom, Singapore | Site staff, office and shift teams | Resilience Assessment for all staff, office sessions, on-site sessions for shift teams, confidential 1-to-1 drop-ins |
| 2021 | Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific (virtual) | New Business Development | Building Team Resilience with pre and post assessment |
| 2022 to 2023 | Kota Kinabalu, Phuket, Singapore | Commercial Fuels East, Supply, IT | Leadership and team workshops, 68-person regional retreat, Personal Presence and Influence |
| 2024 | Bangkok, Singapore | Supply East leadership team, Shell Marine and commercial teams | Fostering Psychological Safety, Thrive with Resilience, Learning Friday sessions |
| 2025 | The Hague, Bangalore, virtual | Energy Markets Pricing, Global Lubricants, IT Mobility, New Sector Business Development, Supply | Thrive with Resilience, team health assessment (RScore), Thriving Together offsites |
| 2026 | Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, India | Shell Mobility leadership and teams | Thriving Together team coaching, Asia leadership team engagement, Transform and Thrive |
One transformation, two designs
The transformation involved office staff and shift teams across seven production units. A classroom programme alone would not have reached people on rotating shifts.
- Office staff: virtual and face-to-face Practical Resilience sessions on change, stress and recovery.
- Operations staff: on-site small-group sessions around shift patterns, with optional 20-minute confidential 1-to-1 coaching drop-ins.
How Shell used Measure, Build, Sustain
Shell used all three steps, and 7 of our core offerings, across 11 years. Pick the one that matches your own challenge.
Measure
A 50-factor baseline before every programme and a re-measure after it. Team health checks for leaders.
Build
Keeping people focused and productive through transformation and new ways of working.
Helping leaders perform under pressure and hold their teams steady.
Trust, psychological safety and collaboration in dispersed or new teams.
Energy, sleep, recovery and stress habits across whole functions.
Opening a programme and getting large groups on board fast.
Sustain
Making the change stick after the workshop.
Resilience that rose, and teams that came back
explained
The Resilience Ratio is total strengths divided by total risks across 50 factors. Our corporate benchmark sits at 1.71. The target for high-performing teams is 2.5.
| Team | Year | People | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supply leadership team | 2023 | 13 | 1.66 | 2.19 | +32% |
| New Business Development (global) | 2021 | 20 | 1.74 | 2.23 | +28% |
| Commercial Fuels East (5 countries) | 2023 | 68 | 1.80 | 2.04 | +13% |
New Business Development, 2021
12 of 14 people who completed both assessments improved, with engagement and positivity scores rising.
Commercial Fuels East, 2023
People in the thriving band (above 3.0) rose from 1 to 7, and the 68-person group moved above 2.0.
300-person programme, 24/7 operation
Team resilience rose 15%, with the biggest gains in Physical Vitality and Stress Management.
Business outcomes
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Length of partnership | 11 years and counting |
| Growth | From a first leaders’ course and keynote in Singapore to 15+ Shell teams across Asia, Europe and the Americas |
| Participant rating | 4.5 to 4.9 out of 5 for overall experience across four cohorts (2021, 2022, 2026) |
| Facilitator rating | 4.75 out of 5 (Energy Markets Pricing, The Hague, 2025) |
| Repeat business | Supply (2023, 2024, 2025), IT (2022, 2023, 2025), Mobility (2025, 2026) |
What Shell participants said
This course opened my eyes to some small things which can be applied to my lifestyle that can make such a huge impact in the short term performance [and] in the long term quality of life.Manager, Shell International, London
Learning that a colleague and I face the same work pressures made communication much smoother. […] This shift has noticeably improved our collaboration.Team member, Shell Mobility, China, 2026
Pragmatic. I can implement the tips and tricks immediately. Digestible.Team member, Shell New Business Development, 2021
After a day of communication, I am full of positive energy and full of hope for the team.Team member, Shell Mobility, China, 2026
Three design choices
We measured before we taught
A trading desk, a refinery shift team and a new global BD team have different needs. The assessment showed us which ones.
We designed around the work
On-site sessions around shift rosters, virtual sessions across time zones, and leadership offsites with 1-to-1 interviews beforehand.
We re-measured
Pre and post data gave each leader a clear answer on whether the investment paid off. That brought teams back, and new teams in.
Leading through change, growth or transformation?
Your people need the capacity to keep performing at their best. Shell’s results show three things you can expect.
A clear baseline
Know where each team is strong and where to focus first.
Measurable change in weeks
Team Resilience Ratios rose 13% to 32% within one programme cycle.
A model that scales
The same approach worked for refinery shift teams, commercial leaders and global virtual teams.
Measure your team before you plan the programme
For 11 years, every Shell programme began with data, not a generic workshop. Run a free Resilience Assessment for up to 5 people in your leadership team. You get a team profile across 50 evidence-based factors and a debrief on strengths and where to focus first.
Request your free team assessmentLeading change across several teams or countries? Contact [email protected]
Frequently asked questions
What is the Resilience Ratio?
How long does a programme take to show results?
Does resilience training work for shift and operations staff?
Can you run programmes across multiple countries?
Results are drawn from The Resilience Institute’s Resilience Assessment (pre and post programme group reports) and participant feedback surveys, 2015 to 2026. Individual results are confidential and not disclosed. Company context is drawn from public reporting (November 2020).