How to Reduce the Risk of Layoffs
There are no guarantees that what you do in your job can help you avoid being laid off. Once a company decides that terminating your position can ‘help’ the bottom line, they will lay you off. The fortunate have a job, yet 55% of workers are not happy at work. This attitude needs to change.
In 1970, compensation ratio of the top 100 CEOs compared to the average production worker was 45 to 1 – now, the ratio is 1,723 to 1! Yet the first person to be laid off from the job is the average production worker(s). During these tough economic times, RIFs (Reduction in Workforce) are inevitable. There is not much an employee can do to secure their job, but they can prepare themselves by trying to reduce the risk by leveraging their value.There are things that you can do to show value as an employee despite the ‘cost cutting’ the company may do.In order to ‘leverage yourself’, the following 3 tips will help you both stay motivated in the workplace and prove value to your company.1) Improve your current skills2) Cross train3) Maintain motivation in the workplaceThe only way to attempt layoff proofing your job is to leverage your value during tough economic times. Having a great annual review helps, but it is not the only thing that will ‘save’ your job.1) Improve your current skillsTake advantage of your current situation and use it as training ground for continued employment, or for future endeavors. By improving your skills on the job you are getting the best out of both worlds – a paycheck to ‘train’ and enhanced skills to improve yourself!Self-education is key to anyone’s success. Self-education and improving your skills to become a well-rounded employee is one way to leverage yourself in your current position. If you are the only person that can do your job, this may have an impact on decision making when the layoffs come.2) Cross trainCross training is a way to support a fellow employee when that employee is not capable of doing the job. Many employees do not take full advantage of learning new skills, processes, and job functions. They are only cross training to ‘support’ the position if they need to but in order to reduce the risk of being laid off, cross training as way to improve your skills should be a priority.Cross train with the thought of being the ‘go-to’ person when the opportunity presents itself.3) Maintain motivation in the workplaceSuccess begins and ends in leadership. Leadership is influence whether you are at a low-level position, middle management position and of course high executive level. By being a leader at any level of a corporation, you serve as an example to staff members below you and above you in the corporate hierarchy!A leader will encourage and influence motivation in the workplace. Lead by example and continue self-education and acquiring new skills while cross training. Lead your coworkers by being motivated and positive even during cost cutting measures.Self-improvement and motivation in the workplace is key, and these tips will lead to both. They prepare you for both layoffs and the opportunities that may come from a reduction in workforce: with the job you have or another opportunity outside of your current position.There are no guarantees in job security. In fact, job security is a thing of the past. But you can guarantee your value if you work on the above 3 areas to leverage yourself as a valued employee.
