Signs that you should quit your job

And while there are many reasons for staff to quit, it can sometimes be difficult to decide. There are vital warning signs that you should look out for. PHOTO | FILE   

In Summary

• Frequently, in the rush to realise cost reductions, early casualties are education benefits, career training or even long-term incentive plans.
• Dismantling of those types of employee-focused programmes for the sake of costs is usually a bad long-term sign. 
• The employees who still have jobs usually get the added workload of excised personnel, without a commensurate increase in salary, title or influence.

By ENTREPRENEUR

Quitting a job is a big decision for most individuals.

And while there are many reasons for staff to quit, it can sometimes be difficult to decide. Here are vital warning signs that you should look out for:  

Staff are no longer valued

One of the main “benefits” companies realise from a merger centres around the fuzzy corporate buzzword “synergy,” which is the antiseptic-sounding catchword for layoffs.

While reductions in force (RIF) are part of virtually every business, dignity and respect need to be a part of every RIF.

If they are not, consider looking elsewhere even if you are not laid off. 

Growing incompetence

All too often, organisational cuts go too deep, taking out linchpin individuals as well as unsung individual contributors, who do the job of multiple people.

When those superstars exit, the shortcomings of remaining underperformers become more pronounced.

Organisational upheaval tends to reveal organisational incompetence.

While it’s important to allow for a time of transition, if the incompetency increases after six months, a refresh of your resume might be in order. 

Your boss is clueless about the business

One of the most unfortunate aspects of a transition is when your incoming boss doesn’t understand the nature of the business, customer needs or your role.

The fortunate thing is that you can usually decipher this particular sign pretty quickly, which can help shape your ultimate decision to stay or go. 

Advancement opportunities are blocked

This is an unavoidable reality that occurs with mergers.

Typically, open opportunities at the acquired company are filled by individuals from the acquiring company, who need to be “protected” for some odd reason.

If your company gets acquired and vacancies within your organisation are artificially stuffed with folks from the acquiring firm, it’s a tell tale sign to seriously consider a proactive career change.

Your advancement options are limited if you stay. 

Development programmess are cut

Frequently, in the rush to realise cost reductions, early casualties are education benefits, career training or even long-term incentive plans.

Dismantling of those types of employee-focused programmes for the sake of costs is usually a bad long-term sign. 

More work, less reward

It’s an acquisition axiom that once the cuts have occurred at a company, the volume of work doesn’t decrease proportionately.

By definition, a synergy occurs when productivity improves at a lower cost. While that sounds great to the investment community, the actual implementation is very demanding on the remaining employees.

The employees who still have jobs usually get the added workload of excised personnel, without a commensurate increase in salary, title or influence.

Once you’re forced into that role, the outcome tends to be physical and emotional burnout.

To avoid that, it’s important to quickly recognise the unsustainability of that arrangement and quit.

These signals are not exhaustive nor unique. They can, and do, occur at organisations at anytime.

While one or two of these signals might be the post-recession “new normal” for your organisation, if you see a majority or all of them in place for several months a career assessment is probably in order.