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Pitsel Power Minute Newsletter (11|25|08)

How to Keep Your Job in a Recession

10 Tips in Shaky Economic Times

While Canada has not yet descended, officially, into a recession, unlike many of the industrialized nations, the prognosis, especially with the expectation of a federal deficit next year, and the U.S. economy tanking, does not appear to be optimistic.

Those of you with a gene for optimism are probably not even thinking about the possibility of job loss, or other economic adversity. You may believe that your job is secure – critical even, or that your longevity and previous loyalty to your organization will protect you.

If there is anything that the last major recession in Canada has taught us, it is this: There is no such thing as corporate loyalty, and no job is safe.

While there is no foolproof way of ensuring that you will still have a job by this time next year, there are some things that you can do to increase the chance that you are not the one who will be the first out the door.

In tough economic times, the fastest cuts are those that involve labour costs. Even in the oil patch where labour is a minor cost compared to other budget areas, cutting staff sends the fastest and clearest signal to everyone that the company is being fiscally responsible.

Corporate layoffs can involve either the elimination of some jobs, or a reduction in head count of the number of people who are actually doing the work. In the first situation, a company may simply decide that some jobs are no longer required, and abolish the positions. This can range from putting a particular project on hold, perhaps indefinitely, to outsourcing a function that was done previously in-house. Employees in this case have few options.

In the second approach, organizations look at a reduction in the number of bodies on the payroll, and leave the determination of who should be let go to Managers or senior leaders. When this occurs, smart staff will have already embarked on a plan to ensure that they are not the ones who are identified as being “reduce-able”.

In either event, here are some tips and strategies you can employ to help ensure that you remain employed until the economy recovers.

1. Get your resume up to date.

Pay particular attention to the skills that you have demonstrated, and achievements that you have been responsible for in the last two years. While this won’t help you necessarily to keep your existing job, it may reveal areas where you need more education, or experience, or skill, and you can work to address deficiencies.

2. Understand that if you got run over by a beer truck today, the company would find a replacement for you tomorrow, so don’t think that you are indispensable.

With that in mind, behave in such a manner that your boss wants to keep you. Be polite, friendly, and agreeable when asked to help out. Now is not the time to be a diva, complain about how much work you have to do, or argue with every decision that is made.

3. Managers absolutely hate to have to do the following:

Act as a referee between staff who can’t get along; deal with complaints about your behaviour from people in other departments, or from customers; check and re-check your work for errors; listen to personal problems you are experiencing outside of work. If managers have discretion as to whom they will let go, the ones who are the most “management attention intensive” are the more likely candidates. Don’t create unpleasant tasks for your Manager.

4. Negativists and complainers are frequently high on the list of those who are released early.

If you complain about your boss, the company, your work, the customers, the pay, the lack of appreciation, the working conditions, then you shouldn’t be surprised if your manager feels that you would be much happier if you left the company, and they might work to make that happen. Act in a positive manner. You don’t have to be a cheerleader, or a Pollyanna, but cut the BMWC (Bitch, moan whine and complain) to an absolute minimum.

“Recession is when a neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours.”

— Ronald Regan

5. Pay attention to the “small rules”.

Come in on time (not 5 minutes late); go home on time (rather than packing up your desk, and sitting there with your coat and boots on 10 minutes before quitting time; be conscious of how much time you take for coffee and lunch breaks; stay off internet sites that are not directly connected to your work – even at lunch. Playing computer games at work, even on “your own time” does not send a positive message to others.

6. Volunteer for tasks that have to be done but which are not specifically assigned to anyone else.

Every area has jobs that have to be done that really are not specifically assigned to anyone in particular. Rather than keeping your head down and doing only what you are told to do, volunteer to take on something additional as long as you think you have the ability to do the task.

7. Ask your boss to identify ONE thing that you could do better in your work.

And when s/he he tells you what it is, don’t argue, give excuses, blame others or circumstances – just ensure that you understand the improvement suggested, and then go and improve on that area.

8. Check on the types of credentials that others have in your job area, and that are commonly held by others in your industry who are doing your type of work.

If you are working in purchasing, do most people in your company have a professional designation? If you are working in HR, do most people in your organization have a certificate or a degree? Calgary especially is a very “credentialed” city, and even though you may be able to demonstrate competence in your job, if someone has to be downsized, many companies will keep those who have the most recent and relevant education.

9. Although age discrimination is technically illegal, the deadly combination of advanced years AND technology phobia is a deadly combination.

If you are over 45 you cannot afford to not be up to speed with ALL the new technology your company is using. That includes everything from computer software, to the new copier, scanner, or accounting system. Do you have to go to a younger staffer to get help running a program? Do you have to ask other people to perform some tasks for you because you are uncomfortable with the technology involved? This can be a major danger signal in your job security. If you don’t know how to use something – either a program or a machine, then get help in learning how to use it.

10.Managers are often at the highest risk of being downsized since most companies understand that they actually need people to do the work that creates revenue.

As someone once said “You can always get a new Pope. It’s a little hard to find a parish priest, but there is no shortage of candidates for Pope”. So, if you’re a manager, make sure you network, across your company, keep your ear to the ground to see what the company plans are with respect to layoffs. Ask yourself how you could provide more value to the company (if they were to combine two areas, why would they want to keep you as the new manager rather than the other person)?

There are no guarantees in life -especially about job security. Those of us who were employed in the early 80's during the last big recession understand that. We are now some 25 years older - are we 25 years smarter?

© 2008, Pitsel and Associates Ltd.
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