Techniques For Avoiding Redundancy

There is no sure fire way to avoid redundancy, however there is real evidence of positive discrimination around the criteria used for selection that can improve your chances.

How To Avoid Redundancy (1)

1. Do the job you are paid to do brilliantly.
2. Create as much additional value around your contribution as possible.
3. Be a high quality, low maintenance person.
4. Be reliable.
5. Be easy to get on with.
6. Constantly demonstrate flexibility and a “can do approach”.
7. Learn at a faster rate than the pace of change in your industry.
8. Build your internal network.
9. Volunteer.
10. Be pro-active in suggesting new ideas.

Think about how people are promoted, by becoming the obvious choice candidate. Avoiding redundancy is that same process in reverse, becoming the least obvious choice candidate.

For some people the above list will be too late. For them there is another set of criteria that can be equally effective in keeping you off ‘the list’.

How To Avoid Redundancy (2)

1. Sleep with the CEO – don’t stop.
2. Be the only one who knows how the computer system works. Make it impossible for anyone else to learn.
3. Be too expensive to fire.
4. Sleep with your biggest customer – don’t stop.
5. Offer to work for nothing. You might think you are now, but you could go even lower.
6. Go off work with stress to do with ‘the way you are managed’ just before the consultation process begins.
7. Let it be known you have significant information that would benefit the competition.
8. Become a drinking companion with the Business Editor of your local, or better still, national newspaper.
9. Collect non-compliance data, especially around health and safety. A recent death (not yours) can help here.
10. Sleep with the person controlling the redundancy process – don’t stop.

Important Note: Points 1, 4 and 10 should only be considered individually, combining them can lead to serious health risks.