Three Tips for Avoiding the Next RIF

What do you do when you hear nasty rumors being spread around the office that there will be layoffs, or a RIF (reduction in force), and you fear you could be on the list? Don’t assume it’s time to bid R.I.P. to your career, but rather take a calm yet proactive approach to the situation. Look at your marketability and use it as a springboard to explore other opportunities elsewhere, or decide to make the most of it at your current position.

If you decide you’d like to stay where you are currently, here are 3 tips to make you indispensable to your organization. (In the following stories names and identifying info have been changed to protect client identities.)

1) Become an expert and make yourself available to teach what you know. One employee, Sal, worked in a small office in technical support. A major component of the business was to process credit cards. He saw that the company was paying a large portion of fees to the credit card companies and for processing. This issue had been largely overlooked by all of the staff. Seeing that a fair amount of money could be saved, he took it upon himself to learn everything he could to reduce the fees and negotiate different rates. He became the point of contact whenever there was a problem with the vendors. He taught other staff how to navigate the fairly complex and abstruse system. Furthermore, Sal familiarized himself with any changes and rate increases. With his knowledge of a core component of the business and his willingness to share what he knew, Sal avoided any mention of his name when the company was forced to downsize. And at the same time, he increased his value to the company by saving tens of thousands of dollars annually.

2) Go green and organize a contest. After being horrified by the reams of wasted paper his office produced to generate one report, Tim decided change the profligate nature of his department. He realized the paper waste for the report could be cut by at least 50%. With upper management’s approval and the small budget he was allotted, he sponsored and organized a contest where individuals were recognized for reducing the waste by half. Everyone joined in to solve the problem and most met the 50% goal. He distributed little “Save a Tree” award trees to each member who met the marker. He gave the largest tree to the employee who engineered the highest waste reduction. Given the competitive nature at the office, his contest was highly successful. The morale of the department improved as everyone recognized their commitment to save the environment. Tim was asked to oversee the “Save a Tree” contest annually and was appointed the head of a new committee dedicated to making the office environmentally friendly. With Tim’s extensive contributions, not only did he take steps to save the environment, but he saved his job as well.


3) Shape and strengthen the culture of your office. Mary had always been known as a strong contributor to her company. She was well liked and always took the initiative in any situation. Rumors had circulated that upper management wanted to improve the morale of the department. To help bond her work group, with her boss’ approval, Mary decided to organize a wine tasting at a popular restaurant nearby. The attendance was at almost 100% and a huge success. People talked about the event for days afterwards. Management asked Mary if she had any other ideas she could implement. After careful thought and help from a skilled facilitator who volunteered time to the project, she began a peer advisory group for the professional development of staff. The group took off, spawned several other groups and exceeded everyone’s expectations. With a second success under her belt, Mary was now informally put in charge for molding the organization from a cultural standpoint. The most popular events she organized became annual traditions. It was clear over the period of a few months that Mary had single handedly improved the overall morale and sense of cohesion within the organization, which increased productivity and contributed to a high functioning department. Instead of the possibility of being on future RIF lists, Mary became one of the most popular and beloved members of the team. Given her string of contributions that helped shape the organization, no one, including management could afford to let her go.

With these few tips, you’ll find that you’re an indispensable member of your organization. Although you’ll feel a sense of loss as others around you face lay-offs, if you follow these guidelines, you’ll be glad you positioned yourself to be integral to the functioning of your department and the last person upper management would ever consider letting go.

All the best,

Nicole Heckers, MA, CPC, BCPC