Last year, we heard news of companies like Twitter, laying off their employees abruptly. Even though it's only January, multinational companies are following suit. Microsoft recently announced its plans to lay off 10,000 employees globally by the end of Q1 while Alphabet (Google’s parent company) is set to lay off 10,000 of its global staff.
Now, it is important to establish that layoffs are not the fault of employees. It's just like when a seemingly loving boyfriend abruptly breaks up with you, you don’t see it coming but it's here and you have to deal with it now. Which begs the question- how can employees stay ahead of the curve in this layoff season? So that you are not the partner collecting breakfast that they didn't see coming.
- Anticipate it: This probably sounds morbid because you have plans of growing old with this company, just like in a relationship. But unlike in a relationship, your company is not 100 percent committed to helping you achieve your personal goals. Sure, you signed fancy attractive contracts with them promising to put your career growth and needs top of mind, but I'm sure there was an additional clause in parenthesis somewhere at the bottom of that contract that you skimmed over. Understand the terms of your employment contract, even the ones you skimmed over because you believed them unlikely to happen.
- Pay attention to business news and profit numbers of your company: At the end of the day, employers do not lay-off staff because they feel like it. Rather, it is mostly a strategic action. Employers look at the profit numbers, look at performance of the business, examine business growth and employ tactics that align with their strategic business needs. Laying off staff is just one of the steps to achieving any of these goals. Therefore, as an employee, one way to anticipate whether or not it’s lay-off season is to pay attention to the business news, profit numbers and strategic goals of your company. One way to hear this type of information is to pay attention during team meetings. Typically, if your organization is not doing well, then that might be an indication of what is to come.
- Invest in your online personal brand: Investing in your personal brand is a sure-fire way to ensure continued relevance as a professional. Building a personal brand online does not necessarily mean you have to become active on all social media platforms. Leveraging professional platforms like Linkedin can be enough. Have a Linkedin account, write a professional bio, join professional groups and communities in your field on Linkedin, post career updates like promotions or features on your profile, follow companies and professional accounts that align with your career goals. By doing these, you are maintaining an online presence and building a professional brand that you can always fall back to in the eventuality of being laid off work. Also, even when you are not job-hunting, recruiters can easily find your profile online and poach you if your profile is active and up to date.
- Constantly upgrade and update your skill-set: Change is a constant, inevitable part of life and career. The knowledge you gained on how to perform a certain task 10 years ago is most likely different from how things are being done now. As a result, it is important to constantly upgrade your skill-set every couple of years. Take a short professional course in your line of work, even if you are already a subject matter expert in your career, just to see how things are being done now. Upgrade your knowledge base. Also, be vocal about this. Let your line managers know that you recently just acquired a new certification or that you have learnt a new way of improving how you perform your tasks. Do not neglect upskilling because you are gainfully employed. Rather, regularly update your cv and portfolio to be up to date with industry standards.
- Network and establish relationships both vertically and horizontally: Networking doesn't just involve you attending conferences. Being active within your professional communities both online and offline, is a good way to network. If you are an introvert, network in a way that feels authentic and natural to you, because if you force it, people can usually tell and that puts them off. Find people who align with you and connect with them, pay them genuine interest and watch your relationships flourish. Also, at work connect with your line managers and subordinates. During your 1:1, find ways to connect with them as a person. Find ways to improve your working experience. Doing this might not prevent you from being laid off, but you might have built a personal relationship with this person that can make them recommend you for work opportunities to their personal circle in the eventuality of being laid off.
Conclusion
Most organizations are in business to make money, grow and achieve their strategic organizational objectives. A lot of times, laying off staff is a side effect of not meeting one or all of these goals. As an employee, applying all of these recommended tips above will help keep you one step ahead of your employer.