Read on and learn how to protect yourself from a layoff.
Identify your strengths
While you play a specific role in your team and company, it is important that you are well familiar with your strengths and other valuable things you can contribute to the company. Besides being an engineer, a supervisor or an analyst, what else are your strengths? Or special skills? What else can you do or offer to better the organization? Something that no one else can do?
Develop unique skills
Another important trick to reduce the risk of getting laid off is to develop a unique skill. It will definitely pay off if you take time and effort to hone a skill that you’re confident your company needs. But it doesn’t mean it has to be something far from what you’re currently doing.
For example, you’re an IT specialist. Perhaps, you can work on improving your knowledge in a certain software that will give your organization the competitive edge. By building a unique skill and focusing on becoming an expert at it, you’re setting yourself apart as an indispensable employee.
Plan ahead
While you try to do everything to prove your worth to your organization, it is still always best to have a contingency plan. You always have to be ready for the worst case scenarios. Think about what you will be doing in case you get laid off. Would you like to be doing the same thing and land the same role? Do you want to want to venture into a new career path? Learn new skills?
Have a plan on what you will do when the worst things happen. Start looking into new opportunities as well as job openings especially when you can’t afford to lose a single month worth of salary.
Be ready
It’s always important to be ready and prepared. Be ready to jump in case the worst thing happens. Stay optimistic, though it isn’t easy. Start working on your resume. And while you’re working on creating a plan, don’t forget to boost your emergency savings. Having more money may not do anything to help you keep your current job but it will give you peace of mind once you’re asked to leave.
But of course, there’s still a good chance that you’ll be able to keep your current role so continue doing good at it or even better.
Getting retrenched from a company you’re working for is one of the worst things that can happen in your career journey but you definitely can protect yourself from an impending layoff with the help of these tips.