Gerald Walsh - An Atlantic Canada Leader in Executive Search, Career Transition, Executive Coaching and Human Resources

How To Evaluate Your Job in Any Economy

My sense is that there continues to be a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the workplace right now. Although the economy remains relatively stable, factors such as global competition, the strengthening dollar, new technologies and a continued emphasis on cost control, leaves many employees worried about their jobs.

As an employee, how should you manage through this process? Here are a few key questions central to this issue that I think you should consider:

Can you clearly define how your position helps the company achieve its overall mission and goals? If you can't define how you add value to the company, your job may be at risk.

Do you have a thorough understanding of how your job affects other parts of the business? In today's flat companies, jobs and departments are inter-dependent. That means going across functional lines to find out what they need from you.

What are the credentials, skills and traits needed to do your job successfully? Some jobs require advanced degrees or professional designations (credentials.) Some require skills like the ability to program in certain languages. Others require traits such as flexibility, interpersonal qualities, or self-awareness. Frankly, it is usually "traits" that determine success or failure on the job.

What are your own work values and how do they compare with your employer's values? Are they consistent or do they clash? Hopefully tough times will not result in either of you compromising your values.

It may be an appropriate time to update your job description reflecting the answers to these questions. Traditional job descriptions, which often do nothing more than gather dust at the back of your drawer, will not achieve this. A clearly written job description will describe what the company wants from its employees, the qualities it is looking for to achieve these goals, and the expectation on both parties. As such, it can shape the working relationship between you and your employer during any economic conditions.

Gerald Walsh, CMA, is the President and Founder of Gerald Walsh Associates Inc., an executive search, career transition and executive coaching firm.

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