Provisional Blog

So how can you tell if it’s time to move on from your current Seattle job? Here are some signs to look for:

1. Your job is beginning to impact your health.

You’re so stressed about work that you’re suffering from symptoms such as:

• Weight gain or loss
• Frequent illness
• Sleeplessness
• Depression
• Chronic fatigue

2. You feel bored and uninspired.

Everyone goes through natural cycles in their jobs where they may feel motivated and excited one week, and uninspired the next. However, if you feel consistently bored and unchallenged, you may have outgrown your position.

3. Your job is interfering with your family responsibilities.

Most companies, nowadays, understand that employees who lead balanced lives are ultimately happier and more productive. However, if your employer is not among this group, then it may be time to move on.

4. Your potential for advancement seems limited.

Your company’s management may have pigeon-holed you as an expert in one area, though you know your skill set exceeds that area. It’s therefore up to you to convince them that you can take on new tasks and responsibilities. If they’re not open to the idea, then you may want to start looking for a new job.

5. You keep thinking about changing jobs.

If the thought of changing jobs is always on your mind, then it’s time to start asking yourself some questions, such as:

• What don’t I like about my current job?
• Has something happened in my work environment that is causing my unhappiness, such as a change in management or industry downturn?
• Are there any steps I can take to make things better?

Rightsizing. Downsizing. Whatever you want to call it, eliminating employees can be an unpleasant proposition. While layoffs are sometimes a necessary business strategy, there are some cost-saving steps you can take to reduce your overhead – and the likelihood you’ll have to cut staff.

Step 1:
Decrease Hours Worked
Think about offering a four-day work week, or ask your staff to trade some pay for extra time off.

Step 2:
Reduce Wages
Consider asking your employees to take a temporary cut in their pay.

Step 3:
Allow Attrition
When an employee retires or leaves the company, assign their tasks to your existing employees, rather than hiring a new person.

Step 4:
Support Leaves of Absence
Let employees take leaves of absence with full benefits for a certain time period. Tell them they’ll have a job when they return, but it may not be the same job with the same pay.

Step 5:
Limit Overtime
Place limitations on the amount of overtime an employee is allowed to work. Also, consider hiring temporary employees if you have a sudden rise in demand, which can oftentimes be less expensive than overtime.

Step 6:
Offer Early Retirement
Offer an early retirement package to eligible employees.

Step 7:
Freeze Hiring
Don’t bring on additional staff until you feel like things have stabilized. If you do need some extra help, consider temporary staffing instead.

Step 8:
Create a Shared Ownership Plan
Let employees trade in some of their pay for company stock.

Step 9:
Allow Job Sharing
Let two or more full-time employees convert to part-time and share a position.

Step 10:
Temporary Staffing
Use temporary staffing to meet rises in demand without having to pay overtime or hire more full-time staff.

As a Northwest employment agency, we’ve helped many companies throughout the region avoid laying off full-time employees through the use of temporary, strategic staffing. If you’re in a position where lay offs seem imminent, please contact Provisional. We may be able to help.