Odds are, you have probably been terminated, downsized, fired, laid-off, furloughed, or managed out of the business at some point in your career. If you haven’t experienced this, consider yourself lucky. When you are released, many times you can look back and notice that signals were being provided to you. You just have to be cognizant of the signals.
If you have received a bad performance review, or you no longer have access to important systems (such as a CRM or ERP tool or SharePoint site), those are obvious signs you are in immediate trouble, but many times when you are fired the signals are a bit more subtle. Knowing what to look for can help you to be prepared – whether that is trying to fix your current situation or preparing for a career change elsewhere.
All of the signals below become more heightened with changes in leadership or anxiety over the company’s financial performance. That’s when finger-pointing, blame, and politics really ramp up.
Was there a recent restructuring, merger, acquisition, or new leadership? You might be in jeopardy because new leaders usually want to bring in colleagues they are familiar with or people with fresh perspectives.
Were responsibilities taken away from you without explanation? Was your work handed over to someone else? Was your team downsized? If you suddenly have less work and responsibilities, they may be setting you up to later state they were removing work from you because of your performance.
Were you given unreasonable demands, such that you might be set up to fail? Or maybe you are given some lousy assignments that no one else wants, one that you know you cannot be successful at? Is your boss withholding key resources (such as not allowing you to fill open positions) in an effort to make you struggle? You are being setup to fail so they will have proof that you should be released.
Are you be withheld from important meetings or conferences, or kept out of the loop on important emails? Your boss may have lost confidence in you and is starting to move on.
Does your boss seem pre-occupied with closed-door meetings with HR leaders? This could be nothing, or it could be a sign of a restructuring or that you personally are in trouble.
Is your boss sending you emails that appears to be documenting performance or sending other signals? Your boss needs to create a paper trail documenting your performance, so if you are seeing more emails that appear to be documenting conversations and your performance, watch out.
Has your boss stopped asking for your advice? Are your peers meeting with the boss – but not you? Is your boss going around you to your direct reports? These are related signals that the boss has lost trust in you and is already moving on.
Is your boss getting distant, annoyed or upset with you, unfairly criticize your work, and/or monitor you more closely than usual? Your leader may be looking for something you’ve done wrong to find a reason to terminate you or looking for information so the incumbent can be trained and brought up to speed.
Is your boss asking for a lot of documentation, especially on mission-critical operations that only you know? This is sometimes done so he/she can bring your replacement up to speed.
Did the company hire someone with similar skills to you? Is your boss asking you to hire someone like you that can grow into your position? The company might be getting someone ready to take over for you, or he/she may actually be asking you to find someone to replace you!
Were you involved in a major mistake? Even if it wasn’t your fault, if you could be blamed, watch out! Try to head this off pre-emptively if possible.
Do your co-workers avoid you or seem more distant? They may already know something is going to happen to you.
So what should you do if you are seeing several of these signals? Don’t ignore your gut feeling, if you feel you are on the hot seat, you probably are. If you are recognizing several of these signals, you probably aren’t just paranoid. If you feel you are being managed out of the business, don’t waste time – start looking for new opportunities immediately. Network and let people know you are looking for a possible change. Update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and social media profiles. Talk to recruiters that specialize in your industry. Remember, the best time to start looking for a new opportunity is when you still have an opportunity.
The author, Chris Testa, is a top recruiter focusing on the utility industry. He has an MBA and an engineering degree and has spent 30 years in the utility sector. He currently leads Testa Search Partners, a company headquartered in Atlanta and serving all 50 states. He can be reached at [email protected]