Do you have a great job?
Are you really sure about that?
Even if you have what you consider to be a “secure” position, there are no guarantees in life – especially when it comes to the business world. Companies’ financial prospects change. Marketplaces dry up. Management takes business in a different direction.
Changes like these can lead to unexpected job loss, leaving you shell-shocked and feeling devastated. You may wonder if there were signs you missed – clues that, if you’d only noticed them, would have helped you prepare and possibly head off the job loss.
So do you have a great job – or are you really on your way out the door? Look for these telltale signs:
Your career has been at a standstill for 2 years.
As a rule of thumb, something should happen with your career about every two years – a promotion, pay raise or additional responsibilities. If nothing has happened, then there may be a problem with your job.
How to help yourself: If it has been two years and you have not progressed, you need ask yourself why. After you have completed this self-analysis, address the issue with your manager in a professional – yet frank – manner. Discuss your key performance indicators (KPIs) and ask what you can do to improve.
Your company is having financial troubles.
If your employer is struggling financially, it is almost assured that staff cutbacks are not far behind. Layoffs are especially likely when employers’ costs are heavily weighted toward human resources, because that’s where room exists to cut costs.
How to help yourself: First, weigh whether or not your job is worth keeping. Are you simply delaying the inevitable? If you decide that it is worth it, work to acquire a diverse set of skills so that you can perform a variety of different roles at your company. This can keep the spotlight off of you when cutback time occurs.
There is a noticeable change in your boss’s behavior towards you.
Paying attention to how your boss interacts with you can tell you a lot about the security of your job. For example, if she used to socialize and has stopped or if he will not make eye contact anymore, then you can be assured that something is going on.
How to help yourself: If you sense that something is “off” from your boss, the best thing you can do is to perform to your best abilities. Regardless of personal feelings, the number one metric managers use to decide who stays and who goes is job performance.
Think your job may be in jeopardy? Give yourself some peace of mind by registering with Wood Personnel. We can start a confidential search on your behalf or offer you temporary jobs in Middle TN to help you stay working if you get laid off.
