How To Avoid Redundancy
Redundancy is a threat that befalls all industries however the ways to avoid it are universal. “Employers who are looking to make cuts will firstly assess what return they are making on their investment, followed by what kind of rapport they have with an individual.
Being an active, upbeat employee who is aware of their skills and how they can transfer them to adapt to a variety of roles will stand you in good stead.” Explains Hutchison. “ My top 10 tips for avoiding redundancy are based on years of experience as a professional recruiter and interview performance mentor. Redundancy is an unfortunate side effect of the current recession, but it does mean businesses can look to streamline. To ensure your safety employees must look to themselves to be the most dynamic and invested employee they can be.”
When the risk of redundancy is looming, it is down to employees to look to themselves and ask what value do I add?
1. Where do you really add value? – Start identifying where you can add value. Why should an employer pay you a salary with added benefits if you can’t even identify what your transferable skills include? Start thinking about how your employer receives a return on their investment (ROI) by employing you. If you find it difficult to recognise where you add value then ask the people who know you well, you might be surprise by their response!
2. Recognise your transferable skills – your transferable skills are what make you indispensable. They are essential to your career success and it’s important for you to reflect on these and to be able to develop them, add to them and speak about them confidently. More often than not we can take our skills for granted without recognising that they are in fact what make us unique. Being aware of our Transferable Skills can help us to identify where we add value to the work place. The greater your skills, knowledge and experience the greater the prospect of being indispensable.
3. Be aware of your Personal Brand – What does your name say about you? If you were to put your name into a Google search engine what information could your employer find out about you? Ensure that you’re creating a professional impression online. If you are a user of Facebook ensure that you switch on your settings so that only those you are connected to can see your posts. DO NOT allow anyone to ‘tag’pictures of you on their page if they could be seen to be inappropriate!
4. Create a LinkedIn Profile – A 100% complete LinkedIn profile demonstrates that you take yourself seriously as a professional within your industry. Become an expert within your field by joining relevant groups, start actively taking part in discussions by sharing your industry knowledge.
5. Dress for success – Far too many people underestimate the importance of the way they look and how they are perceived by others. It takes only 5 seconds to form an opinion about an individual. It is an unconscious process and as much as it may feel unfair, image does matter within the work place.
6. Are you prepared for redeployment? With many organisations making redundancies, it’s common for employers to request for their employees to apply for their existing role. In the event that this was to happen to you, do you have an up to date CV? Many Internal applicants pay less attention to the content and presentation of their CV and fail to even update it on a regular basis. They believe that it won’t make a difference when applying for internal roles, however, what they fail to realise is that this is their first opportunity to make a great first impression
7. Build Rapport – It’s important that you build a good rapport with your manager, work colleagues and those you have yet to meet. Ask yourself “What do people really think about me when they meet me for the first time?”. Why not ask your partner, friends or colleagues that you work with?
8. Remain positive and enthusiastic – When times are hard and companies are making redundancies it’s easy to get caught up in the gossip and the negativity that everyone else is feeling. Yes, it’s depressing to hear of redundancies but remember to remain professional and encouraging to other colleagues within the organisation.
9. Who knows you exist? Building your network takes time and effort and means speaking with strangers, people who don’t even know that you exist within the organisation. Utilise your existing contacts to help you to build new relationships and always show enthusiasm and willingness to help as you never know who might notice!
10. Become a sponge for information – Speak with your peers within the other departments to help you to develop a wider knowledge of the organisation. Having a familiarity with the various products and services provided by the company can only benefit you to become even more indispensable.
