Some employers strongly believe that every employee is replaceable. It may be true as there is always someone who can take over the responsibilities of a job, but there are ways to ensure that it is really hard to completely fill the employee’s role. In order to protect himself/herself from the next round of layoffs, an employee has to convince the employer that he/she is valuable and his/her existence alone benefits the company. Being indispensable means the employee is adaptable, learning and growing with the organisation.
To begin with the employee should make it his goal to become so good at what he does that his employer does not want to replace him. By doing this the employee increases his job security and creates more opportunities for himself within the company. To become the most valuable and irreplaceable employee, he should do his job well, make use of the learning opportunities he gets, and stay interested in his work.
So, what is the secret to becoming a unique and coveted asset to a company and team?
1. Connect
The way an employee connects with other people, and builds and maintains positive relationships make the difference between a good employee and a great employee. Being a likeable employee means displaying his genuine character, being friendly and easily approachable at work. The time he spends in communicating, interacting and building relationships with his colleagues and clients is time well spent. To be a perfect employee, he needs excellent work ethic combined with a positive attitude, which will increase his value at work.
2. Do Work That Matters
Most employees can keep themselves busy and pass the time by doing some work. However, to become an indispensable employee, he will have to dig deeper and think about the work that matters to the company and its success.
3. Be Willing To Go The Extra Mile
Irreplaceable employees are always willing to step up when needed. To be the team player who goes above and beyond, the employee should give a little more than what is expected. If he sees a coworker struggling with a project and he has time, then he should lend a helping hand. Not only will he do a favour for his coworker, but the whole team will notice his willingness to contribute to the success of the team. Highly successful people have attained it through hard work. In order to be irreplaceable, the employee has to work hard.
4. Progressive
The employee should come up with new ideas, new ways to save time and money, or promote the company so that it is profitable and steadfast.
5. Be Adaptable
In an age where technology, workplace environment and strategy techniques are changing constantly, flexible employees can adjust and make changes as the company makes changes. They are not stale and stuck in their ways, and employers know they can count on these employees to make the adjustments necessary to keep the company running.
6. Life Long Learner
Lifelong learning is a trend that was particularly influenced by the development of online platforms, courses and relevant resources available via the web. This is a great resource for employees who want to develop their skills and are ready to work on them.
7. Troubleshoot
The employee should not be a person who points out or avoids problems. In any situation, he should not think, “That’s not my job.” Anyone, even a robot, can follow a task list or a job description, but an irreplaceable employee is the one who takes the initiative to troubleshoot and to identify solutions. He must take the lead on solving problems others are afraid to.
8. Specialise
The employee must have something he is particularly good at. It need not be a skill, it can be a trait or a personality quirk that makes him most proud of, stand out and gives him an edge over everyone else. He should identify the type of expert the company needs. He should pay close attention to areas in the company that seek improvement and begin building his skills around that area of expertise.
9. Develop Skills
Besides doing his job, the employee should seek opportunities for developing his skills and experience. This will show the employer that the employee is doing his best to maximise the results of his position. To develop his skills, the employee must take advantage of learning opportunities within the company or in other outlets. He can participate in cross-training experience within different departments of the company or ask the boss for a new type of project that will give him the chance to learn new skills. An employee who is constantly improving himself and his performance will become an invaluable asset to the company.
These 9 secrets can help an employee to make himself an invaluable and irreplaceable asset of the company. To be irreplaceable, the employee needs others to see him as irreplaceable. It can be a challenge to be an irreplaceable employee, but hard work, contribution to the overall success of the team, and excellent character will help achieve the goal.