So, yesterday was Bloody Monday. Today we have seen an additional 10,000+ layoffs announced. Last month we saw hundreds of thousands of layoffs announced. Frankly, the risk of getting laid off has not been higher in a very long time. For many people the threat has been realized and you are now forced to frantically look for another job.
For those of us that haven’t been laid off, there are a few things we can do to minimize the target on our backs.
Manage the relationship you have with your boss
This is the number one thing you can do to avoid a layoff. As an employee, you should always be striving to maintain a solid relationship with your manager. No, don’t sleep with him or her, but do make sure you understand what your boss feels your priorities are and exceed his expectations on each and every job task. I like to check in with my boss a few times a week to make sure there isn’t something he needs help with and to make sure that I am reading his overall perception of how I’m doing. This doesn’t mean you need to kiss his backside, but it does mean giving your boss the attention that’s needed to be part of the team. Human nature says that when it’s time for layoffs, your boss will consider who he likes working with and who causes him all sorts of headaches. Believe me, headaches go first. Don’t misunderstand this advice and be high maintenance though. Your goal should be solving problems for your boss, not bringing more problems to him. Above all, never underestimate the power of a good relationship.
Become Irreplaceable
When I look around my workplace I can always spot the people that we’d all have trouble being without. These people are integral to the successful operation of your team. Maybe it’s the person who manages the budget for the team, or maybe it’s a technical person that knows all the right buttons to push, or maybe it’s someone with such a detailed understanding of your customers that you’d be lost without them. Don’t underestimate the power of relationships here as well. The better working relationship you have with your customers, the harder it will be to live without you. Customers normally don’t like to lose a strong partner in the business and your manager will need to consider that as he plays Russian roulette with the employee list.
Work Additional Time
Every company and manager wants to maximize the productivity of their workers. The more work you do for them, the more money they can potentially make. If you are a Seinfeld nut like me you might recall the episode where George left his car in the parking lot at work when he left town. When his boss arrived in the morning, there was George’s car in the parking lot and when he left in the evening, George looked like he was still at work. Needless to say his boss was impressed. I wouldn’t recommend just leaving your car there if you really want to save your job but I would recommend putting in the extra time. If you have a job that uses a computer, try to get remote access capabilities so you can extend your day a bit at home in the evenings. It takes relatively little time to respond to emails in the evening and shows that you are committed to helping the company succeed by being productive.
Get along with your co-workers
This one is very similar to the first item above. I’m bringing up relationships again, but this time it’s with your coworkers. Nobody likes to work with a problem employee that never seems to be able to get along with his coworkers. You should strive to be that person that brings teams together by helping to mitigate conflicts with others and offering ideas for a better team environment. Managers are quick to notice when they have an employee that is struggling to get along with the other team members. An employee who has conflict often, no matter who’s “fault” it is, will increase his odds of being laid off. Managers use layoffs to get rid of difficult people in many cases because that person can cause a lot of negativity and stress to the rest of the team.
Be Seen
It’s not enough anymore to just keep your head down and do your work. You need to be your own cheering squad in subtle ways. Make sure your boss knows of your significant accomplishments. If someone thanks you for a job well done, ask them to drop a quick note to your manager. If the opportunity presents itself, make sure your manager’s manager knows who you are. When you volunteer for organizational assignments ON TOP of your regular workload, you might find you have more opportunities to be seen. If you aren’t visible, your name is just another regular old name on the employee list.
Any other recommendations for avoiding layoffs?
These are great tips!
In addition to these, I’d say start re-establishing industry contacts and networking–in the event you do get laid off you will have an easier time finding a job when you’ve been maintaining contact with people who may be able to help, instead of just calling them up when you’re already looking.
Or I suppose a more optimistic view is to do it to keep up to date on the industry and establish yourself as an expert and connected person in the eyes of your current employer.
Let’s all hope the layoffs end soon. It’s bad for everyone.
Don’t wait for them to get YOU, find another job elsewhere NOW while you have a pay cheque, do not wait.
I disagree with the “work hard” stuff, maybe this is when you should work hard on getting out!
C8j