Recession… it’s like a pall of gloom that is cast over everyone now a days. People are constantly lamenting the lack of business and living in fear of losing their jobs. But hey the sky is not falling yet and there are still tons and tons of jobs that need to be done. Ok, we don’t have too many new ones opening up, but many of the old ones are still there and millions of companies are still in business. So there is really no need to panic and worry yourself insane about losing your job!

Recession is just like a season. It comes every few decades and then it’s gone…. Sales go up, jobs open up and everyone has lots of money.  It’s really only temporary.  So don’t worry! And I’m here… (J) to offer some HR Gyan that I keep giving to the people who want a little reassurance and advice in these tough times.

So here are some tips on how not to let the recession bug bite you and how you can reduce the odds of you being the next one out!

·        Give more than you take - You probably try to do the best you can in your work anyways, but it would be a good idea to ask yourself at the start of each day what you can do better today. In these tough times you have to come off as being more than useful and take on more without being asked! You cannot just do your job and feel that you’ve done your bit. Companies are now looking to maximize returns from every penny they spend. So your output and value to the company should be many times more than the money you take home.

You need to ensure you are performing at levels that are not just expected, but beyond. More is the mantra and you will need to identify which of your unique skills you can leverage to ensure that you bring more to the table. In general, one needs to be a doer, show initiative, innovate, show responsibility, influence others, exhibit the ability to grow and adapt and demonstrate that one understands and impacts the big picture.

·        Get some positive face time with your Manager’s Boss (or even higher up!) – If you’re one or two spots removed from the top decision makers, then you don’t need to read this. I probably don’t have any gyan to impart to you since you are already so high up in your organization. But if you’re way down the ladder and wondering if anyone up there knows about you, then read on.

Today it’s not enough to only be a performer… it’s extremely important to also be seen as one. Ok, so you’ve got your appraisal rating to prove it, but when the axe needs to fall, only performance on paper is not looked at. It’s very important to be perceived as a good performer and that too not only by your boss.

If you have a great equation with your boss that’s great! But if he moves or gets axed, will higher ups know about your good work? It’s always a good thing to also get some positive face time with your boss’s boss or even higher up if that’s possible. Show initiative, try and pick up some assignments that get you some cross functional exposure, give presentations, take knowledge sharing sessions, start a new learning trend in your team, research and share industry/ other relevant info on mails to all… in short, do something useful to be noticed by others in the system.

·        Improve skills and add some weight to your resume – Like I said earlier, it’s not good enough to be just good enough. So you need to constantly up your game and show that you have the inherent ability to continuously learn and develop. Undergo some training, take on some e-learning courses, get certifications, get a degree or anything else that works for your resume. Getting the added skills and knowledge will hopefully not only help you do your job better, it will definitely help you be seen a someone who can learn, adapt and be ready for the challenges of tomorrow and therefore less likely to get the axe today.

·        Have a backup plan – You can do all of the above and more and yet it’s quite possible that your job might be axed. So if it’s going happen after all, it’s going to happen.  Don’t take it personally. And don’t worry about impending doom.

You should know in most cases, people are retrenched because there is a lack of business, not because they have not performed. So don’t take it personally. You have skills and experience and jobs are definitely going to come back. See if you can come up with a plan to take care of yourself in the in between times. 

If not your job, what else can you look at doing? Look inside yourself and identify unfulfilled passions. There would definitely be areas/ skills you have not explored. See if you can leverage any of them for alternate off the track careers. It’s better to have a plan (however vague) than no plan at all.