Signs you are about to lose your job

By Nick Hurley

It’s always better to start looking for a new job while you still have one. But if you’re happy in your role and happy with your employer and happy with life in general, then it makes little sense to bust a gut looking for alternatives – unless, of course, you’re about to be dumped and just don’t know it.

So, how can you tell? How do you know you’re about to get the chop?

Sadly, most of the time, you probably won’t realise it until it’s too late.

Redundancies come out of the blue.

Although most never see it coming, here are some tell-tale signs that may indicate that your job may be on the line.

1. Your firm’s latest financial results are weak or worse than expected.

CEO’s feeling under the pump to improve financials may act swiftly and savagely to show they mean business.

2. No praise during last performance review.

Likely you will have got a poor review and will be at the front of the line for a headcount cut. Managers will never be particularly brutal in such reviews unless they have to.

3. Revenues from your business line are declining.

Even if you’re a good performer within your team, the entire team may be let go if it’s underperforming. It’s en vogue in the corporate space these days to remove an entire team.

4. Colleagues are giving you the cold shoulder.

Have you noticed a change the behaviour of others around you? Are they holding discussions without you? Do you feel like the team has moved on and left you behind?

Your division just hired a number of new junior grads

The trend these days is to hire young, cheap, hardworking new grads who can do maybe 75% of the job a senior person is doing on 300% of the salary. So if your company is hiring more than their usual annual intake, this may be of serious concern for senior staff.

5. You’re asked to train a new starter.

If you’ve been asked to share all your knowledge, client books and experience with a new starter, you could be digging your own grave.

6. Your boss or personal champion resigns or gets fired.

The one who’s been your greatest ally and ensured you’ve risen up through the ranks leaves suddenly, you may be left exposed and potentially on the chopping block. If no one is fighting for you, then you may be at risk.

7. Your department is restructuring.

Restructuring is one of the most obvious red flags. As a response, senior management typically offers assurances that no one will be let go and the like. Some people take these assurances as gospel and are actually surprised when they find out they are being let go.

8.Your key projects or functions are reassigned

If some of the main tasks and responsibilities of your role are assigned to other team members or teams then seriously consider why that might be. If there is no really compelling reason other than to move it away from you, then be concerned.

9.Your company is in talks to merge with another company.

Obviously redundancies occur when two companies merge together and have identical functions in particular areas, but knowing of an impending merger early can help put you ahead of your peers when scouting out new roles elsewhere.

10.You’re a new hire.

If you suddenly have to trim headcount, then sometimes it makes sense as a manager to let go of the newest joiners as they have the least value and experience ready on hand.