In today's challenging economic climate, the lucky IT
professionals who still have a job are sitting tight and hoping the
axe doesn’t fall on them.
While sometimes there is no way to avoid redundancy - if your
company has a last in, first out policy, for example - there are
often steps you can take to make yourself indispensable to the
company.
Be businesslike
Financial directors are looking for return on investment from
every aspect of the business - and IT is no exception. "It’s
becoming more and more critical to understand the business you work
for and the factors that are affecting it," says Peter Linas,
European development director at IT services company Parity.
"Without that knowledge, it’s hard to have a positive input into
the business."
Understanding the business means having a businesslike attitude
to what you do. "Whatever you're doing, make sure you deliver on
time and to budget," Linas advises.
Customer-facing staff - and, these days, that means almost
everyone - need to make sure they understand and acknowledge the
values and priorities of their customers.
Finally, try to proactively suggest solutions for the business.
"Never say ‘we've always done it that way’," Linas says. "Think in
terms of, ‘how can we make what we do better and deliver more back
to the business?’"
Hone your skills
The technology landscape is constantly changing, so make sure
that you are up to speed with the current hot skills. If you get a
chance to learn something new, grab it with both hands; remember,
it is much easier to get experience of new technologies while you
are still employed.
"Make sure you keep your skill set up to date," advises Matthew
Rodger, business development director with Alexander Mann. "You
don’t have to completely re-invent yourself, but be aware of
whatever is out there that complements what you already do. Is
there a new methodology you should be exploring or a toolset that’s
like what you currently use, only better?"
Performance appraisals are the ideal opportunity to make sure
your employer knows what you can already do, and what you would
like to be doing. But first, make sure you think hard about how you
are going to sell it.
"Smart employees will use their regular appraisals to suggest,
in as non-threatening a way as possible, that as part of their
personal development plan this is what they'd like to be doing and
this is why it’s good for the business," Rodger says.
He suggests putting yourself in your employer’s shoes and asking
yourself some questions:
- What is the business benefit of my work?
- What competitive advantage does the company gain from it?
- What's the return on investment?
- How will this prepare the company for the challenges of the
future?
- Will it solve an immediate issue?
Get networking
"We encourage people to continue to network while in employment
to keep a high profile and make sure they're in a position to hear
about new opportunities," says Diana Westlake, managing consultant
in the Reading office of outplacement specialist DBM.
The whole idea of networking may sound appalling to those who
like nothing better than to sit in their cubicle crafting code all
day. It does not have to be that way, Westlake says.
"We're not trying to turn the entire population into people who
are always e-mailing and going to cocktail parties," she says.
"What I'm talking about is more of a subtle mind-shift towards
proactively making connections with other people in other bits of
the company; things like having innocuous conversations at the
coffee machine."
"Relationships are critical," agrees Linas. "The days of the
technical guy sat in the corner, not communicating with anyone,
have very much gone. IT staff have to deliver real benefits.
Getting to know people in sales and marketing, order processing and
admin helps you do a better job."
As well as making the effort to chat while your cappuccino with
extra sugar is perking, there are other easy steps you can take,
Westlake advises. "See if there are any local networking or special
interest groups you could become involved in. Keep a record of
people’s business cards and make sure you review it on a regular
basis.
"Take the opportunity to send them an item of interest you’ve
seen in the newspaper, or a bit of gossip you feel they'd be
interested in," she says.
Polish up your attitude
An enthusiastic, can-do attitude can make you stand out as an
employee worth hanging on to. "Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm," says
Linas. "No one wants to hear ‘sorry, that can't be done’. If you
say ‘let me think about that and come back to you in a week’,
that’s far more impressive."
Iain Simmons, regional director of recruitment consultancy
Elan, agrees, "You need to be seen to add value to the team. Take
two people of equal ability and output, one who sits quietly in the
corner getting on with his work while the other is a dynamic and
valued member of the team. When it comes to redundancy, who do you
think will go first?"
Share your employer’s pain - up to a point
With many companies facing falling profits, now is not the time
to be demanding hefty pay increases. As part of a business-focused
attitude, consultants advise, you need to be realistic about the
problems facing your employer and be prepared to share some of the
pain.
"Permanent staff should be showing they understand the business
issues," says Linas. "If your employer is going through a tough
time, consider volunteering for a pay freeze maybe or offering to
do free overtime."
Kevin Barrow, joint managing partner and employment law expert
at Tarlo Lyons, has a more radical proposal. "Become less expensive
to engage: cease to be an employee and offer your services on a
self-employed contractor basis, thereby reducing your own tax and
avoiding employers' national insurance contributions," he
suggests.
"This exposes you to a little more risk but, for more take-home
pay and an overall much lower cost to the employer, then maybe the
risk is worthwhile."
Should you actually offer to take a pay cut? Consultants reckon
that is a definite no-no. "It smacks of being too desperate, too
over-willing. You're diminishing your self-worth," says Westlake.
"It may look like a good idea on paper, but in my experience
employers feel the price tag says a lot about what they're
getting."
"If you're streets ahead of your colleagues in terms of skills
and ability, then your pay should reflect that, and taking a salary
cut won't necessarily protect your position in the next round of
redundancies anyway," agrees Simmons.
In other words, we all love a bargain, but presenting yourself
as an end-of-line sale item is probably the wrong message - even in
a recession.