Be on a sec ure ground

Anupam Jauhari

Job Security is an assumption or reassurance that an employee will not stand to lose the job that he/she is holding. However, this security is different for different professions and depends on a number of factors, such as the state of economy, existing business scenario, and an individual’s competence. Absence of job security can prove disastrous for a company as it affects the performance of the employees by making them less productive.

In a study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2013, 40 per cent of millennials revealed that job security was extremely important to them as compared to 31 per cent of baby boomers and 38 per cent of Generation X-ers. 

Thus, if you are an employer, it is crucial for you to instil confidence in your millennial workforce by offering them long-term job security. Likewise, if you are an employee, you, too, should take measures to become a resourceful worker in order to secure your job. Here are a few tips  for employees to improve job security:

Love your job

You can be productive and indispensable at your workplace only if you love your work. This will motivate you to put in extra effort to work and make you more valuable to the company. Consequently, you will win the confidence of your peers and your boss would never want to get rid of you.

Upgrade your skills

In today's fast-paced business environment, skill-sets that employers look for in an employee are changing constantly. Therefore, it is imperative for you to acquire new skills by signing up for training opportunities on a regular basis. This will not only enhance your job security but also help you grow professionally besides making you more valuable at your workplace. 

Increase your visibility

In order to secure your job, you need to influence the perception of the upper management by enhancing your visibility at your workplace. This can be done in several ways, such as-taking up complex projects that your colleagues do not want, adding value to the projects by thinking out-of -the-box, and getting involved in high-profile projects. You will be in the limelight each time you deliver a project successfully.

Be a solution seeker

It pays to exhibit your expertise by offering to help your colleagues and resolving your manager’s problems. Find out fruitful ways of resolving the most critical issues that your manager is facing. At the same time, you should always be willing to help your co-workers with their projects, whenever they are in a jam.

The above-mentioned factors will not only help you secure your job but also bulletproof your position by making you a valuable asset to the organisation for which you work.

— The writer is VP, HR, Infogain