“Your services are not required anymore” – as elegant and english as it may sound, this statement is so unnerving. It can drop you to a depth of misunderstanding, fear, and low self-confidence. And, losing belief in oneself is by extreme the poorest thing that can transpire to someone. But before you get to hear these wrong words from your manager, you may definitely have got subtle red alerts which you might have ignored. The organisation considers many parameters like replacement cost, time to hire, smooth transition before communicating and hence subtle signals keep coming to you.
Here, we list down 20 signs that will tell that’s it high time you look for a change before your position undergoes replacement.
1. Work Micromanagement for replacement cost
Has your boss or manager unexpectedly started to micromanage your work? Is he seeking for details which were considered pointless before or were not cited to be put in reports? This is for sure sign that your manager is trying to look for your replacement. As replacement of employees is not an easy task and your boss cannot afford to be so arbitrary, he is just trying to find mistakes in your work that he can frame as the reason for your replacement.
2. Mentoring a Junior:
Telling you to mentor your subordinates or junior and train them on the exact jobs you solely do can be an indication that you are not needed in an organization. It is just that they are trying to upgrade the skills of the junior so that he/she can act as your replacement and that too on low replacement cost as soon as possible.
3. Uninvited in Meetings:
You have no idea when your team is having a meeting with the manager. You were not even given an intimation earlier that such a meeting was going to take place.
4. Pulled Out from Projects against replacement cost
This is something very hurtful. You may have important projects streamlined in your calendar but quite abruptly you see that they shift to other employees. Your co-workers or colleagues are also clueless as to why your project is given to them. And, it hurts even more if that idea was in specific yours.
5. Your Manager Ignores You:
You see your manager intermingling with other employees about work and day-to-day stuff but he in some way is overlooking you. Your previous conversations of greetings turn to cold shoulders. You may notice your manager surprises you by talking to your subordinates and delegates them work directly.
6. Bad Performance Reviews:
You may have been working extremely tough for that appraisal but like each time you get a bad performance review. The more you consider you are near to an appraisal the remoter it seems. It also may be due to you not been giving your cent percent. If such is the case, see to the matter. Examine your own value of work and productivity levels. Do some exploration on performance levels required in your job position so that the replacement cost becomes heavier that what it usually would look to manager or organisation.
7. Easy Just Got Way Difficult:
Beforehand you may have experienced a even flow of work. There were challenges, but they were manageable, and you even got the assistance you required. But, when the same role is a total pain, it then becomes clear that your supervisor is trying to find way-outs to replace you. Getting more accountability may feel like an promotion, but getting work with impractical deadlines, and facing cut and dried criticism that thresholds on insults is not an upgrade but the way to your end.
8. Employer Multiple Warnings and its replacement cost
You would have received numerous notices from your manager and/or your boss in words, electronic mail, and during meetings. This may be due to your performance actually lacking somewhere or you are being given warnings after you have been loaded with excessive work. This is a practice for managers to demonstrate other employees that you are not functioning up to the company’s hopes.
9. The Cold Shoulder:
In meetings, during engagement undertakings, or even in the lifts, you have always received a cold response from your boss. It is as if he does not know you, and doesn’t even care to say hi. Moreover, your ideas don’t look worth in the meetings. Maybe you want to make your opinion about few things, but your manager cuts you short.
10. You Receive Fewer Projects:
You find very few projects on your plate. The projects that were expected to be given to you are being provided to your subordinates in which it is expected of you to help them out with no credits reserved for you.
11. Perks Start to Vanish:
The perks that you were enjoying till now will gradually fade away. You are told to sit in bullpen when you have your cabin, you may be told to travel in the economy class whereas you have always traveled in business class, and your company happily paid for it. While looking for your replacement organisation tends to see through these costs. Replacement cost acts as catalyst to speed up the entire process.
12. Absence of Appreciation:
The applause and the kind of appreciation that were receiving earlier from your manager and/or boss is nowhere to be found. It seems as if you would have never contributed anything to the organization and all of your efforts have vanished.
13. Strange Behavior of Coworkers:
Your colleagues are way beyond normal and silent around you, they look at you for confusions or even would be talking behind your back. You always find yourself to be the topic of talks among your colleagues or other employees, and they are not so friendly anymore.
14. Lack of Feedback and replacement cost
You will stop receiving any feedback from your boss or your managers about your work. It is only during performance appraisals that you will get information that you under performed.
15. Company Budget Issues:
Your company may be going through a bad financial phase. If you notice that there has been a cut in the organization or your department’s budget, lack of engagement activities that were so prevalent before, and other instances such as these, chances are that your company is going through a financial crisis. It is during these times that you should look for a change.
16. Hushed about a Merger removing replacement cost
Layoffs post a merger is not wholly unpredictable. Employees who needed anymore are fired after mergers, and this can even include you.
17. Not Forgiving Mistakes:
You may have accidentally doing a terrible mistake that may have led to a loss, or due to that your supervisor may have had to go through embarrassment. While some managers may caution you and let you go, others may want you to be out of the company. Generally your negligence becomes a reason to oust you from the organization and triggering the replacement cost. So one needs to be very watchful.
18. Limited Data Access:
When your boss or manager is planning to find your replacement, they may limit your access to certain digital data a bit early. You can check if suddenly your access to certain systems is restricted or your official email credentials may just not work.
19. In Denial for replacement cost
Despite various sign you may get you may still be in denial mode. You may doubt your intuition and gut feeling, and let the “not feeling right” scenario to a close which brings us to our last point.
20. Never Doubt Your Gut:
Like animals, we humans also do pick on the danger signals. So, if your gut is making you feel that you are going to be replaced, do not ignore it off as just one odd instance of insecurity. Trust and look for signs , and when you able to observe one then you should immediately look for job or desired role.
Your job role at any company is your key to survive and trust your capabilities for it totally. If any organisation where you are working is making you feel you are not worth the role or required in company then its time for your to leave immediately. It is because they are trying to find your replacement at any replacement cost, no hard feelings, no offense intended!
