Companies tend to downsize from a decrease in revenue or profit, and is common during a recession. So how can you reduce your odds of being one of the people who are downsized?
I was once hired to develop a plan and budget for laying off 80 people at a company. It was an unpleasant but necessary task for a struggling business. Below are some of the decision-making criteria that came up in discussions.
- When you’re the most expensive person in the department. If you are a top performer, then you are likely to be safe from being cut. But if you’ve ratcheted your way into becoming overcompensated for your position or tasks, then you are the top target for any layoff plans.
- Keep advancing your job skills. Technology changes can disrupt old ways of performing work tasks. If you avoid these changes, certifications, and trainings, then you move to the top of the list when layoffs occur.
- Dedication and caring about improving your job performance. There are employees who seek new assignments, initiatives, responsibilities, and tasks; and there are employees who avoid any new assignment. You can guess which group gets axed first.
- Attending to the social politics of getting along and making things easy for your supervisor. If you have a prickly personality where you are generally negative, needlessly challenge others, and don’t support co-workers, then you move higher on the layoff list.
- Length of employment with the company. When there is no obvious metric for choosing whom to let go, a company can simply use seniority, and let the newest hires go first. If you change jobs frequently, then this is keeping you unnecessarily at the front of the line for the chopping block.
Top performers normally have a spot created for them even when there are layoffs. This is the biggest shield against any unfortunate job disruption. The traits of workers who are most desired include:
- Work well with others
- Self motivated
- Eager to learn
- Willing to head up new company initiatives
- Positive work attitude
- Most certifications and training
- Willing to help others; fill in gaps; go beyond your job description when needed
Sooner or later, there will be a next economic recession or depression. When this occurs, you will want to be known as a top performer to both keep your job and be a desirable hire to other companies.