Strategies to Avoid being Laid off
In these tough economic times, companies are looking for ways to cut costs. Unfortunately, the easiest way to cut costs is to cut staff, eliminating payroll, and other benefits that cost the company money. Not only does it cut costs, but when the economy is slow, their is less work that needs to be done in some cases, so there is a higher likelihood of layoffs.
There are some ways that you can lower your risks of being laid off. These simple, common sense approaches can help you avoid the chopping block, and be among the lucky ones that keep their jobs. While some of these strategies may seem to be painful right now, the alternatives could be much worse.
Familiarize yourself with as much of the company as you possibly can. If you can get yourself cross-trained into different areas of the company, you increase you value to the company and minimize the likelihood of getting laid off. This is because you can step into so many different areas, that a company could release other people in a certain department, but still keep you because you can fill in and take over.
If you get cross-trained, learn how to multi-task, and increase your productivity. If a company cuts staff, it may become necessary to increase your workload, as there will be fewer workers to spread the amount of work around too. Most times, I would say you should quit a job that would overload you with work in order to cut staff costs, but in these times, you have to just tighten your belt and suck it up.
However, if you do get laid off, make sure that you have a resume up to date, and have a good network in place as soon as you think a lay off is in the horizon.
Networking is the key to business, and the more connections you have in place at other firms, the better chance you will have to find a new job. My father got laid off, but he figured it out in advance, and within a couple days of his firing, he already had his resume out. Within about a week he had a new job, and was done so quickly that I was unaware he had been laid off.
If you get laid off, and you are in an industry especially hard hit, going to school can be a good option too. Either after the layoff, or if you know its coming, getting an education while employed is a good way to get a leg up. If you can go to school while employed, your employer may pay for some, or all of your education. This will help you if you get laid off, or it will give you the edge you need to stay employed, and maybe even get promoted when things calm down again.
A successful career is all about planning, and knowing where you stand. Nobody is ever going to give you a road map to avoiding layoffs, but you can plan ahead. If you do your homework, you can avoid being handed a pink slip some Friday afternoon during lunch.
