Filed under: Careers, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox
1. You're kept out of the loop:
When senior management starts to put the kibosh on communications with you, take it as a serious threat to your job stability. It usually starts innocently enough, with you not being cc'ed on certain emails or you not being invited to take part in meetings you'd previously attended. When your position is really in jeopardy, you'll have things slowly (or sometimes quickly) taken away from you, like the company car you'd been driving, access to certain files, or the keys to the executive bathroom.
2. Your performance review is bad/OK:
Getting a good job review, or even a stellar one, is no guarantee you'll keep pulling in a paycheck. But anytime you get a so-so review, or an awful one, that's definite cause for alarm. Bosses typically give mediocre performance appraisals to people they don't plan to keep around.
3. You can't get a raise:
It's easy for employers to justify keeping wages down in the current economic environment. Many bosses, in fact, seem to send employees the message that "You should be grateful to just have a job." Still, savvy workers know that raises and financial perks of all kinds are doled out in good and bad economic climates.
Maybe you've gone one year or so without a raise. No problem. But consecutive years without a pay hike? Hello! That spells trouble. Even if your job isn't on the cutting block, your stagnating wages are a strong indication that your employer doesn't think much about your overall merit. Start dusting off your resume.
4. Your underlings and co-workers are getting promoted:
Is everyone around you advancing in their careers, but your work seems to go unnoticed? Uh-oh. That's a huge warning sign that your days may be numbered. No one likes to feel expendable, and unfortunately when you fail to climb the corporate ladder, that's exactly how many bosses view you: as expendable.
5. A new boss is brought in:
It can often be tricky to read between the lines when a new head honcho takes the helm of your department or when you suddenly have to report to an entirely different supervisor. If the switch was made because your former boss was deemed incompetent, unprofessional or simply unable to get results, the new boss may have little use for you. This is particularly true if you were close with your ex-supervisor and your work or projects are closely linked, or you are perceived as being loyal to the old regime.
In such circumstances, even if you're perfectly competent and a team player who's willing to play ball with the new guy, office politics may ultimately do you in.
6. The axe is falling all around you:
It seems obvious, but if your company is handing out pink slips left and right, that should be a major alert that you could be the next downsizing victim. Incredibly, though, many people can see massive job cuts taking place all around them, and still act as if they're immune to what's going on. In such cases, don't think you can trust your boss's word that he or she will "look out for you." That cozy relationship with your supervisor won't insulate you from a layoff because when wholesale firings take place, no one's job is secure.
7. A consultant is hired:
Bringing in a consultant is often management's way to analyze and try to fix problems. A consultant may be retained by your company, or your specific department or division, to do anything from spark creativity to evaluate productivity. How you're perceived and rated by that consultant could make the difference in you getting a pink slip or not .
8. Your boss asks you to train the new guy:
Whenever your superiors ask you to "train" someone to perform your exact job, watch out. At first, you may be flattered to take on the task. After all, the individual could be a promising, bright new hire or an underling who seems like a rising star in the company. But don't be fooled: that person just may be being groomed to take your job.
9. A merger takes place:
Corporate mergers and acquisitions are notorious for resulting in cost-cutting, especially staff reductions. Take a look around you and notice if there's significant overlap in your job and what other employees do. Companies don't need two people to do the job that one person can do. Nor do they want employees to duplicate their efforts. So if your organization has recently gone through a combination with another entity, be on the lookout. Your job could be at risk.
10. Plum assignments stop coming your way - or never did:
One positive signal of your worth to a company is when your boss (or your boss's boss) is your champion at work and actively promotes you within the organization. Bosses who are especially supportive won't wait for you to seek out a promotion. They'll seek you out to take part in high-profile corporate initiatives or long-range projects. So if you're not being brought in to work on important assignments, it could be because your boss doesn't see a real future for you within the company.
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None of these warning signs are dead giveaways that you will definitely get fired. But they all have serious implications and if several of these situations ring a bell, you should certainly consider your career options.
By the way, I know many of you are hanging on to your jobs for dear life. You're hoping that if you don't make any waves, and just show up everyday and do a good job, you won't be targeted for a job cut. Unfortunately, it simply doesn't work that way. Gone are the days when only "bench warmers," "clock watchers," and the "dead wood" in an organization get fired. In today's workforce, even top-tier employees are let go each and every day.
If you do get a pink slip - and yes, I've been there, done that - just realize that it's not the end of the world. I know that unemployment is high and that with 15 million Americans out of work, it's hard to find a job. But that doesn't mean you should practically beg and grovel to keep a job where you're no longer wanted or needed.
Instead, focus your time and efforts elsewhere - either working on launching your own business, or connecting with a new employer who values your work and contributions.
Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, an award-winning financial news journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter for CNBC, has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, and the New York Times, as well as magazines ranging from Essence and Redbook to Black Enterprise and Smart Money. Check out her New York Times best seller 'Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom.'