dhalltoyo
Veteran Expediter
Smart Money
by Aleksandra Todorova
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Whether chatting with co-workers or watching the evening news, the looming "recession" seems an impossible topic to avoid. With such talk comes a heightened sense of anxiety: Just how safe is my job?
No matter what field you work in, it's always good to "recession-proof" your job. "Whether or not we go into a recession, the knee-jerk reaction of many corporations in times like this is to let people go," says Stephen Viscusi, CEO of Viscusi Group, a New York-based headhunting company. Here are some ways to make sure this doesn't happen to you.
Make yourself indispensable
If your manager has to cut 10% of the staff, you certainly don't want to be at the top of her list. That means, before all, maintaining a good relationship with your boss, Challenger says. "If [your relationship] is in disrepair, now is the time work on it," he says.
Don't be high-maintenance
Even if you're among your company's top-performing employees, that won't matter much if you're a pain in the neck. "Human resources people will deny this, but in nine times out of 10, they fire what I describe as HMEs: high-maintenance employees," Viscusi explains. The people who always complain about the temperature in the office, the fax machine or who can't stop bragging about their achievements and feel entitled, or who are just difficult to work with, are the first to be let go even if they're excellent performers. "Firing is 90% subjective," Viscusi says.
Stay busy
Now is not the time to take a three-week vacation or plan your wedding at work. "People keep employees who really look like they're working," Viscusi says. His advice: Take on as many assignments as possible, but make sure to be honest with your manager about your ability to complete them. If the deadline is Wednesday and you're concerned about meeting it, tell them how busy you are and that you'll make every effort to get the work done on time. Then do your best to impress them by meeting that deadline.
NOTE: We all know that dispatchers have some degree of control over who gets loaded and who sits empty. FIFO is a great concept and it would be the ultimate way to conduct dispatching in a "Perfect" world. Unfortunately, this is not a Utopia, so get over it, wake up and smell the coffee (or whatever).
Look, they have a job to do, just like us! They are working under very strict time constraints because this is expediting. Regular freight is booked way in advance so it is an entirely different scenario for those dispatchers. I have had the opportunity to view both types of dispatching. In this writer's opinion, the dispatchers who are trying to cover expedited loads are working under tremendous pressure and it takes a very special type of individual to operate in that environment.
Do I have certain dispatchers that I would prefer to call me? You bet! Conversely, they also have certain drivers that they prefer to call. Why? Simple! If you are rude, vulgar, threatening, insulting, over bearing or questioning to the extent that you insinuate that they are lying...who wants to call that driver.
It doesn't matter how well you do the job, because continual acts of aggression negate the positive. As the article in Smart Money said, Even if you're among your company's top-performing employees, that won't matter much if you're a pain in the neck. "Human resources people will deny this, but in nine times out of 10, they fire what I describe as HMEs: high-maintenance employees,"
Just some food for thought if your lease gets cancelled, or you find yourself sitting for a very, very long time.
by Aleksandra Todorova
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Whether chatting with co-workers or watching the evening news, the looming "recession" seems an impossible topic to avoid. With such talk comes a heightened sense of anxiety: Just how safe is my job?
No matter what field you work in, it's always good to "recession-proof" your job. "Whether or not we go into a recession, the knee-jerk reaction of many corporations in times like this is to let people go," says Stephen Viscusi, CEO of Viscusi Group, a New York-based headhunting company. Here are some ways to make sure this doesn't happen to you.
Make yourself indispensable
If your manager has to cut 10% of the staff, you certainly don't want to be at the top of her list. That means, before all, maintaining a good relationship with your boss, Challenger says. "If [your relationship] is in disrepair, now is the time work on it," he says.
Don't be high-maintenance
Even if you're among your company's top-performing employees, that won't matter much if you're a pain in the neck. "Human resources people will deny this, but in nine times out of 10, they fire what I describe as HMEs: high-maintenance employees," Viscusi explains. The people who always complain about the temperature in the office, the fax machine or who can't stop bragging about their achievements and feel entitled, or who are just difficult to work with, are the first to be let go even if they're excellent performers. "Firing is 90% subjective," Viscusi says.
Stay busy
Now is not the time to take a three-week vacation or plan your wedding at work. "People keep employees who really look like they're working," Viscusi says. His advice: Take on as many assignments as possible, but make sure to be honest with your manager about your ability to complete them. If the deadline is Wednesday and you're concerned about meeting it, tell them how busy you are and that you'll make every effort to get the work done on time. Then do your best to impress them by meeting that deadline.
NOTE: We all know that dispatchers have some degree of control over who gets loaded and who sits empty. FIFO is a great concept and it would be the ultimate way to conduct dispatching in a "Perfect" world. Unfortunately, this is not a Utopia, so get over it, wake up and smell the coffee (or whatever).
Look, they have a job to do, just like us! They are working under very strict time constraints because this is expediting. Regular freight is booked way in advance so it is an entirely different scenario for those dispatchers. I have had the opportunity to view both types of dispatching. In this writer's opinion, the dispatchers who are trying to cover expedited loads are working under tremendous pressure and it takes a very special type of individual to operate in that environment.
Do I have certain dispatchers that I would prefer to call me? You bet! Conversely, they also have certain drivers that they prefer to call. Why? Simple! If you are rude, vulgar, threatening, insulting, over bearing or questioning to the extent that you insinuate that they are lying...who wants to call that driver.
It doesn't matter how well you do the job, because continual acts of aggression negate the positive. As the article in Smart Money said, Even if you're among your company's top-performing employees, that won't matter much if you're a pain in the neck. "Human resources people will deny this, but in nine times out of 10, they fire what I describe as HMEs: high-maintenance employees,"
Just some food for thought if your lease gets cancelled, or you find yourself sitting for a very, very long time.
Stayed at a friend's house last night, went to church this morning and they asked me after church if I would be with them again tonight. It doesn't get any better!