September 26, 2007--There are two kinds of layoffs, both of which are tied to a company's strategy to reduce costs
and improve efficiencies, says Frank Traditi, co-founder of Get Hired Now L.L.C., a career coaching firm in Carson City, Nevada, and co-author of Get Hired Now!: A 28-Day Program for Landing the Job You Want (Bay Tree Publishing; $17.95). "Organizational restructuring layoffs occur when departments merge and a company eliminates unneeded functions," he says. "Performance-related layoffs focus on departmental performance around a bottom-line metric. Those who fall below it are let go," often with severance pay, which varies according to the position and tenure.
If you know what to look for, you can see a layoff coming. Traditi offers this advice to help you get out of the way of the falling ax:
Company Warning Signs: Hiring freezes, significant expense and budget cuts, reduced travel expenses, senior management level repositioning or resignations, and a noticeable increase in bureaucracy and decrease in decision-making authority can all signal impending layoffs. Listen to the company grapevine with an objective ear. You may get wind of rumors surrounding a layoff. Pay attention to other factors that support some of the talk going around; there may be some truth to the rumors.
Personal Warning Signs: Poor performance reviews and a higher level of scrutiny on your day-to-day job duties should raise a red flag. If managers are asked to prepare a performance ranking of their team, they may begin to associate more with the surviving employees and distance themselves from the layoff group. If you suspect you are being left out of meetings, social gatherings, and discussions that were part of your everyday work life, you might consider this a sign that things are about to change.
How to Avoid Getting Axed: To avoid a performance-related layoff, make yourself indispensable. Seize opportunities to take on new challenges and look to assist others facing them. Help solve complex problems facing the department or company. Accept new projects with enthusiasm and a commitment to success. Be seen as a leader, even if you aren’t responsible for supervising or managing people. SOURCE OF THIS STORY
