Menu
Introduction | Stay Informed | Increase Internal Visibility | Avoid Silly Mistakes | Keep a Brag List | Show Off Your Progress | Be A Team Player | Demonstrate Your Commitment | Be Flexible | Don’t Be A Complainer | Get Prepared Now | Further Reading
At a time of great economic stress for companies and the wider economy, employees should be doing all they can to help ensure the security of their jobs. Ultimately, the decision to retain staff or even to continue operations is in the hands of an employer, but there are a number of actions you can take now to help protect your position.
Key to this is to understand that every employer has a list of good employees, and employees that are vital to the functioning of a team or department. It may not be a physical list - it may only be subconscious - but managers are always evaluating an employee's performance. It pays to know what you can do now to make sure you are on this list of good or vital employees.
AKEPB has prepared this comprehensive checklist for keeping your job and is offering 1-to-1 assistance with your CV, cover letter or interview preparation. Please contact us on [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.
Stay Informed
Stay informed about what’s happening with your employer, changes in strategy or direction, recruitment or potential downsizing. Understand your rights during a redundancy process.
Increase Internal Visibility
Increase your visibility and profile. This is especially important when staff are being asked to work from home and you can easily drop off the radar. Propose new initiatives, share information, ask good questions. Show that you care about the company and that you add value. Regularly update your manager when you have completed work and demonstrate the value of that work. Be sure to also praise your team’s contributions. Ensure you also make your manager look good. Make it clear that you are a problem solver.
Avoid Silly Mistakes
Avoid obvious errors, such as being caught browsing social media, or taking too many breaks or texting too much. Don’t lie or be economical with the truth, but be tactful and diplomatic when you need to explain something difficult. Be known for your integrity and accountability. Stick to deadlines and if you will be late, be sure to let your manager know beforehand. Avoid nasty surprises.
Keep a Brag List
Keep an ‘achievements list’, also known as a ‘brag list’, a running list of what you have achieved and when as well as the impact of the work. This will be very useful when needing to demonstrate your value to the company, either in a casual conversation with your manager or during a period of downsizing. It is also useful when needing to look for a new job, should the situation arise.
Show Off Your Progress
Show your development as an employee. Learn new skills relevant to your company and demonstrate what you have learned. There are many free online courses, so pick a few, relevant short courses and complete them to show your professional development and raise your perceived value to the firm.
Be A Team Player
Be a team player, don’t engage in gossip or idle politics. Show that if you are part of an eventually smaller team, you will get on with everyone and the team will not be dysfunctional.
Demonstrate Your Commitment
Show your commitment to the company. Make it obvious. Repeat it to your managers if you need to. Work a little later and come in a little earlier than others to demonstrate this commitment. Work harder and be seen to be working harder.
Be Flexible
Be flexible by being prepared to switch roles or even departments. Be the first to volunteer for additional work, but be aware of your existing commitments so the quality of your work doesn’t suffer. Be prepared that you may be asked to take a pay cut or work fewer hours. Offer to take on another role if one exists within the firm.
Don’t Be A Complainer
Don’t complain or criticise the company, your manager or team. Instead praise the company and show you have faith in the future of the firm. Display a positive persona to all. A recession is not the time to demand a promotion or raise.
Get Prepared Now
Prepare yourself now for possible redundancy. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Being mentally prepared now can reduce the very real shock if redundancy happens. Prepare your CV, practice for interviews and mine your network now, as doing a thorough job with these can take weeks. This positive mental attitude can translate to your day job and make you appear calmer and less panicked, which in turn shows you in a positive light with your managers.
Further Reading
Harvard Business Review
How to Protect Your Job in a Recession
https://hbr.org/2008/09/how-to-protect-your-job-in-a-recession
TotalJobs
How to keep a job
https://www.totaljobs.com/advice/how-to-keep-a-job
TheBalanceCareers
Tips for Keeping the Job You Have
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-tips-for-keeping-your-job-2059785
TheBalanceCareers
Are You on the List of Good Employees Who Are Appreciated?
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/are-you-on-the-list-of-good-employees-...
LiveCareer
How to Keep a Job: Dos and Don'ts for Staying Put
https://www.livecareer.com/resources/careers/planning/keeping-job-dos-donts
