Please advocate…for yourself

Recently, my husband James and I were discussing a situation involving one of our former employers.  The organization is not doing well and layoffs are imminent.  A number of management employees have already been terminated.  James asked our friend if he was going to start looking for something new.  He stated, ‘No, I’m going to wait it out.’ 

Wait…what?

Unfortunately, this is a very common tale.  And not one that I understand. 

You see the writing on the wall…all the signs are there.  Your time at said organization is coming to an inevitable conclusion.  Yet so many employees choose to bury their heads in the sand. 

Why do we struggle to advocate for ourselves? 

I have a few theories…

First, for so long now the idea of employees changing jobs has been looked down on.  There is this sense of ‘loyalty’ to companies that is revered.  People take pride in saying they have worked for one company for many years.  And that is just the way it’s been. 

Second, the process of searching for a new job sucks.  It’s long and tedious – creating/updating your resume, do I send a cover letter, submitting multiple applications only to never receive any response, etc.  Many people would prefer to tolerate their current situation than to embark on an active job search. 

Third, at the end of the day we all have to make money and pay bills.  Changing jobs is easier said than done.  If someone is in a good financial position, it may be even more difficult to make a move.  Timing is everything. 

Finally, people are naturally afraid of change. 

Despite all of this, I cannot stress the importance of advocating for one’s self in the world of work.  Despite what a company preaches as its mantra about caring and support of its employees, it is still a business that has to turn a profit.  That end game will always take precedent.  You have to take care of you and yours. 

How can you advocate for yourself today? 

Please join one of my upcoming presentations:

SHRM Annual Conference 2024 in Chicago, Illinois – Monday, June 24^th at 2pm – https://annual.shrm.org/

HR Unite! 2024 Conference in Frankenmuth, Xichigan – July 9-11 – https://hrunitemichigan.com/hrunite-july-2024-conference

KYSHRM Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky – August 27-29 – https://kyshrmconference.com/

2024 Ohio HR Conference in Sandusky, Ohio – September 25-27 – https://hrconference.ohioshrm.org/