Questionnaire: Are You Redundancy Proofing Your Job?

Redundancy-proofing your job is not as hard as it seems. Harsh as it may sound, you don’t have to be the greatest person that was ever employed, you have to be better than other people in your company. While you may think that’s terribly negative, it’s at least being realistic.

Now we find ourselves in the middle of a very deep recession, we have to realise that it’s survival of the fittest – we have to prove to our bosses, our team leaders and our clients that we are the best person for the job. We need to look after our contracts and our jobs to make sure that we are the ones that continue to get paid rather than ending up on the ever-growing dole queue.

Now, of course, there is sometimes nothing you can do – your employer goes into administration or your department is closed down – but if you are in one of those jobs that can probably ride out the storm, with a few casualties, here are some questions to ask yourself to make it less likely that you are the one that’s given their P45.

Have You Got Your Ear to the Ground?

• 1. I’m sure there was a meeting the other day about some contract that was lost, but it was at lunch time so I didn’t go.
• 2. I make sure I go to the water cooler a couple of times a day to catch up on the office gossip.
• 3. I have a weekly catch up with my boss to see what’s going on and I have made sure I am invited to the management drinks after work every Friday – loose lips sink ships and all that.

Are You Performing Well?

• 1. My last review was way before the recession so I’m sure they’d tell me if they weren’t happy with my performance.
• 2. I’m probably going to fall just short of my target but I should still be OK.
• 3. I have arranged a new target meeting with my line manager and I have prepared some ideas to add value to my department during this difficult time.

Are You Reliable?

• 1. I’ve been trying to make sure I get in to work on time most days, but there always seems to be some delay on the roads or a dentist appointment or a lie in or…
• 2. I’m usually one of the first in and my To Do list is nearly always done.
• 3. I’ve reorganised the office to ensure that we have an immediate response team and I blasted my sales targets within three weeks of them being set.

If you answered mainly 1), you are probably one of the first in line for potential redundancies in your company. You can’t just swan about taking a salary and making very little effort and still expect to be indispensable.

If you answered mainly 2), you may get away with the first round of redundancies as you don’t really put your head above the parapet, but when things get trickier, you’ll wish you made a bit more effort.

If you answered mainly 3), you’re unlikely to be in the firing line when the P45’s come out. You may intimidate some of your colleagues, but at least you’ll probably hang onto your job.

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