It may have happened to you or a friend recently but it is not an uncommon tale of new job / old job, whether it be a short 30 day stint or a month's long role, that ends in disaster.
These 4 big warning signs can indicate your new job maybe in danger.
1. Hiring manager fired, quits or otherwise moves on.
If this happens within the first 30 to 90 days the decision to hire you on may be consider suspect at that time or once a review of the prior manager's activities is completed.
How to prevent this?
– Document your work; should any doubt be cast on your diligence you will be able to connect the dots from assigned tasks to initiative you took to meet goals.
– Network within the company early on to deliver a positive base to support your productivity.
– Refer back to the initial "hurt" the company felt and how you are there to alleviate it. The job description and your skills. See it almost like interviewing a second time.
2. Executive reshuffling.
The affect of this can vary depending if the e-level is connected to your position within a few steps or if you are in a managerial position. It can be as subtle as reduction in responsibility or removal of projects, oversight or even a job title change.
Counter-measures
– Stay savvy and come up for air instead of heads down nose to the grind stone, awareness of your internal benefactors and network strength in relation to e-level changes makes you able to be proactive.
– Seek an audience with the new leader or someone in contact with them; depending on the organizational shift, it may be prudent to initiate first contact and avoid blind support. Loyalty and respect for the sake of it make you a indistinguishable asset from the rest. Show your chops, let them know you can think for yourself and aren't afraid to validate them. If this turns negatively then exercise change management on your paradigm rather than the organization; know when its time to fold those cards.
3. Stock price drops dramatically.
Valuation and market shifts are rarely unforeseen and unmitigated. If you are not party to the earnings statement in a public company or if you are not high up enough the leadership core this is something to watch for.
Sleuthing it out:
– Did a competitor release something or make a bid to purchase?
– Is your company for sale?
– Are the earnings overstated and under-delivered.
– Is there talk of layoffs or is this bigger?
– Has the 401k plan changed, matching halted?
External economic factors got you down? Get ready to validate yourself and your role. Working on your resume and Linkedin profile can help you realize the work you do that may have gone unnoticed. Think strategically and react accordingly, stock price alone is not a sole indicator of financial distress but sustained decreases should peak your notice.
4. You hate it.
Any way you want to slice it:
– Culture Fit
– Direct Manager personality conflict
– Commute / Long Hours
– Compensation doesn't match responsibilities (+/-)
– Employee Engagement is a new / unused term.
These factors are perceptually the most in your control but it is up to you how much personality modulation, financial attraction or work from home you can manage. To this particular warning sign I apply this logic: Your emotions are your minds first alert system. They are not sole indicators of facts but they are the tingling of your spider sense. It would be unwise to ignore it or to assess if there is something to it.
Credit : Neil Sato