What’s Important to an Employer?

Experience of course. So is loyalty, dedication and a strong work ethic. However, none of these alone is enough to ensure your job security – that you continue to be employed in the future.

You must add value. That means what you do contributes specifically to your organization’s bottom line. After all, you can work long and hard at counting paperclips – but unless counting paperclips somehow adds to your organization’s bottom line, all of that effort is likely to go unnoticed.

Start Having a Profit –Loss Outlook

Particularly now, organizations need to be lean and efficient. That means they want people who are doing things that create real bottom line value. They want contributors who will provide them with a return on their investment in them.

For salespeople, it’s relatively simple to measure how their work translates to the financial gains – sell more widgets and and increase profits. But for others, it’s not so clear. So, even if your work is far removed from directly generating revenue or decreasing costs, you should have a profit-and-loss outlook. Start by analyzing your job description. What is your job’s overall purpose? State this purpose in a way that relates to an element of the bottom line.

Examples:

• An accountant is responsible for delivering accurate timely financial reports to senior managers. But how does this add value? Senior managers are better able to make informed strategic choices about the right products and markets leading to revenue increases.
• A personal assistant is responsible for providing support services to an executive. So, how does this add value? It frees the executive from small or routine tasks, meaning that she can focus on making her business more efficient thereby lowering the cost of
• A warehouse manager is responsible for ensuring that all orders are shipped on time, and that goods are properly packaged. What value does this add? Customers are satisfied and therefore place more repeat orders, meaning that revenue increases.

Now It’s Your Turn

Start by thinking about profit and loss, regardless of your position, and question the value you add on a regular basis. Don’t assume that merely showing up for work and doing what’s expected will be enough to secure your success. With cutbacks or restructuring, you need to show that your work is well worth your compensation.

Career Success Tip:

Job security does not come from a title or position Rather it comes from the positive impact you have for your department, business unit or company. Developing an awareness and desire to help your organization run effectively as possible is key to your long-term career success. Also see Company Re-organizaton: How to Stay Employed and Don’t Get Caught Up in the Peter Principle.

Do you want to develop Career Smarts?

Marcia Zidle