7 strategies for staying employed during this downturn - Sterling Career Concepts

7 strategies for staying employed during this downturn 7 strategies for staying employed during this downturn Todays guest author:Lisa Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert Typically, companies hire Lisa to conduct seminars on recruiting, managing, and retaining their multigenerational workforce. But based on the economic downturn we’re experiencing, she decided to write about how you can increase your chances of being retained as an employee, regardless of what generation you’re from, when others around you may be facing a lay-off. Certainly, there is no magic cure for preventing this, but you may find these sevenstrategies will increase your odds of staying employed! Cut Down on Telecommuting: If possible, get into the office more often. By increasing your visibility, your supervisors will notice and it will only reflect well on you. And, you will be more apt to be on the inside track of information about what the company is planning, in terms of cutbacks, if you are there in-person versus alone in your home office. Communicate With Your Boss: This is NOT the time to avoid regular conversations with your boss. This is the time that you should be going out of your way to ask, “How can I help you during this challenging time? What can I be doing to help the company?” Take On More: Whenever you are in a meeting and volunteers are requested to take on a project, even if it’s something you despise and would not normally raise your hand for, take it on. Showing the extra effort and dedication to the team will go far when your boss is (potentially) faced with having to provide a list of whom he/she can live without. Don’t Whine: Avoid complaining about the economic circumstances, your job, how small your office/cubicle is, how low the company stock has dipped, the raise you didn’t get, how many hours you work, etc. Even if it’s just venting to your co-workers, your complaining can mysteriously reach your boss and your bad attitude could get your name on the short list of employees to let go. Beat Your Boss: This is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it would be very wise to arrive to work 5 minutes before your boss does and leave 5 minutes after he/she does. This extra effort will reflect positively on you and can make a difference when he/she is faced with determining who is dedicated to their job (or who isn’t!). Detach Yourself from Negative Co-workers: First of all, their negativity will not help you in any possible way. Negativity breeds negativity. And secondly, you will be perceived as “one of them”. Again, this is the time for you to banish your bad attitude (if you have one) and show yourself as a leader, motivator and positive team member. Showing an upbeat spirit is needed during challenging times like these and is the trait of a leader. A great attitude can go a long way and could influence your boss to keep you around! Be Proactive With Cost Savings Ideas: Rather than wait for your company or boss to tell you what you can be doing to help the company save money, brainstorm ideas on your own and present them. Your ideas could range anywhere from: How the company can save money on copier paper; how to adjust a current process to make your company (or department) more streamlined and productive; negotiating with current vendors on price and/or volume discounts; or suggesting a new benefits plan that will reduce overhead costs companywide. The bottom line to all of this is play the “hero” role at work; not the (whining) victim role. A little extra effort can go a long way and could be the thing that keeps you employed during this challenging time! For tips about attracting, recruiting, managing and retaining Millennial talent, and for improving your internal Generation Relations to increase team-building a productivity, visit this popular blog: http://blog.generationrelations.com About the Author:Lisa Orrell, The Generation Relations Expert, is the author of the top-selling book, “Millennials Incorporated” (on Amazon), and is an in-demand consultant and speaker about Millennials Generation Relations. She has been a featured expert on ABC, MSNBC, and NPR, and by many other national and international media. For more info about Lisa’s seminars and workshops, and to access her popular blog, visit: http://www.TheOrrellGroup.com.