With the harsh economic crisis, the country is undergoing, many multinational companies; banks and indigenous companies are looking for ways to cut down expenditure due to the fact the economy is not conducive. This indirectly means laying off some of the staffs in the company in order to adjust the company’s budget.

Intellectually, you understand downsizing is not a personal decision but it’s the law of commerce; thanks to the troubled economy but your heart beat increases at the mention of “LAYOFF”. This makes it hard for you to be proactive. You don’t have to panic but rather face the reality and look for ways to keep your job.

Like the saying goes “hard times calls for desperate measures”. As an employer in an organization, one has to be proactive and be smart about saving your job especially this period of massive layoff in the job sector of the economy.

Here are some useful tips on how to save your job during a layoff

Source: Career.com.ng

1. Update your skills and knowledge

During staff layoff, management will be quick to let go of staffs that their skills are outdated and they have nothing new to offer, no new idea to bring to move the company forward. One will be seen as useless to the company.

Therefore, it is best to look for new ideas, new ways to go about your job description that will be productive. Acquire new productive skills and make sure the management is aware of these efforts.

2. Have a variety of skills

Management moves staffs from one department to the other during staff layout, the essence of this is to keep the best staff. Try to be useful in different department and have a variety of skills, because if you have a narrow set of skills your usefulness gets reduced and also get ready to accept roles that are outside your regular job description.

3. Match your goals with the organization’s goal

Your job security increases if your goal matches the organizations priorities. Try to spend time on things the organization care about. Try to take part in the organization’s most important projects. Concentrate on the task the management see as high priority.

4. Have a positive attitude

During layoff, people that are seen as difficult, less friendly people, rebellious people are easily gotten rid of. On the other hand, the friendly ones, cooperative, helpful ones are usually retained because they have the positive vibes to things and people.

5. Expand your Network

Like the saying goes, “It’s not your boss who protects your job, it’s your boss’s boss”. Relationship with higher managers are important during this period. During layoffs, it’s a joint effort to compile list of people to be laid-off. If other departments see you as useful, they will stand up for you. Therefore, expand your network and develop good relationship with them.

6. Learn how to manage your boss

Make an effort to understand your management style of communication and need, try to relate with this need and meet the need of the management. Make your management job easier by looking for effective ways to work with the management.

7. Brand yourself

Try to brand yourself in a productive way by sending out articles to people in the organization that you know will find it useful, volunteer to be part of a committee that a senior colleague is on, express your opinion when appropriate in the meeting.

8. Understand the company’s culture

Understand the company’s culture, what the organization holds very important, try to work in accordance to the culture.

For example: If the organization stresses the need for attending a meeting, or a business function, kindly attend the meeting or business function.

9. Always know that small things count

Small things like: Saying thank you, congratulate others when needed, be punctual, be neat, be tidy, never start a fight.

Predominantly, be prepared for the worst. It’s quite difficult to realize after doing all these, one might still lose his or her job, so this is why you have to be ready to survive if the worst happens.

Try to attend business meetings, exchange contacts, create good network. Update your LinkedIn profile and some other professional social media platforms and have a good savings for the rainy days. All these will be needed if perhaps you may need to start your own business.

Better said than done

With all these knowledge n practices applied people
Will still get fired once there is business or economic recession.

K

Excellent writeup

Nice one there OP!
Y'all can also read my blog post on: Qualities necessary for a Nigerian Graduate to land a dream job

After all these, downsizing will still affect you cos you are expendable

H

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All these na "Akoku na Egwu". Whether you do all these listed above, when the wave comes, it will sweep those it will sweep. Your line manager has the final say on you, if you like carry the organisation on your head, once you are not in good terms with your line manager, say bye bye to the organisation.

Nice write up espacially the tip 1....if we stop learning we become outdated and automatucally starts dying.

Well done!.

All these are tips to retaining your job but not in Diamond Bank.

All the messages just to retain your job. There is more to life than your job jare. You should have time to relax, socialise, exercise and go on vacations.

Nigerians put too many emphasis on jobs and yet nothing meaningful comes out... We are still 90% dependent on the white who work for less hours.


The sure way of retaining your job is by getting your own job. Gbam.

...

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kopite:
With all these knowledge n practices applied people
Will still get fired once there is business or economic recession.

People get fired when there is recession but some people still get to keep their jobs or are even promoted..

femi4:
After all these, downsizing will still affect you cos you are expendable

Every employee are expendable when their value depreciate, while some employee are asset. Companies will always keep their asset.

butanep:
All the messages just to retain your job. There is more to life than your job jare. You should have time to relax, socialise, exercise and go on vacations.

Nigerians put too many emphasis on jobs and yet nothing meaningful comes out... We are still 90% dependent on the white who work for less hours.


The sure way of retaining your job is by getting your own job. Gbam.

In as much as entrepreneurship is good but not everybody are born to be business owners...

But I don't have a job. I don't collect wages nor salary. Am my own boss. I make profits.

cnzesinachi:
All these are tips to retaining your job but not in Diamond Bank.

I believe every organisation has a system for layoff workers, what is the way to retain your job at Diamond Bank?