Avoiding a Layoff
Posted on December 4, 2008
Filed Under Attitude | Leave a Comment
I’m a state employee in a state that is facing a severe financial crisis. This fiscal year, we had to cut our budget 14%, and rumor has it we will have to cut up to 30% more for the next fiscal year. Naturally, administration is promising there won’t be any forced layoffs, but a “Staffing Consultant” has been hired. It got me thinking about ways I can help insure that I won’t be one of the people cut if (when) the cuts come. If you are in a similar situation, here are some helpful suggestions:
- Be Visible. No matter how well you do your job, if you are not visible you are pa=lacing yourself at risk. If people don’t know you’re there, you won’t be missed when you’re gone. Get out of your office and be seen.
- Don’t be a Maverick. Managers value teamwork. Make an effort to cooperate with other people and departments even (maybe especially) if they don’t reciprocate. Be easy to work with, not a source of irritation.
- Manage Yourself. If you finish a job early, turn it in early. If a job is going to be late, keep your boss informed, make sure it is late for a good reason, and don’t make excuses. If you are going through a slow period, proactively look for extra work.
- Update Your Skills. Becoming better at your job not only makes you more valuable to your company, but also makes you more marketable in the event you are laid off.
- Network. Check in often with customers and seek their feedback. Again, this makes you more valuable to your current company and increases your chances of getting leads on a new job if you’re laid off. If people think you’re a good worker, they’ll want to help you.
- Don’t Blow Off Social Events. Go to the company Christmas Party and any other events. Be nice to people. Don’t complain, openly worry, or engage in office gossip (especially negative gossip).
- Be On Time. Being late makes you look like a slacker.
All of this might seem obvious, but if you’re worried about keeping your job it’s easy to lose perspective and forget about the basics. I hope this list of suggestions is useful.
Cheers,
Ken
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