St. Louis Business Journal
Should you leave or stay
when the outlook seems bleak?

By Anna Navarro

March 2001 - The economy is slowing down. Layoffs are going up. How do you know if it's time to start preparing to bail out of your current job?

Getting the answer right is important. Job hunting requires a lot of time, energy and thought. If you launch a job hunt and then don't need to leave, you lose resources that could have been better invested in furthering your career in your current position. But if you do nothing and then get laid off, you risk losing your paycheck.

Here are some examples of people wrestling with the issue.

Esther had recently gotten a very poor performance review. On top of that, the company she worked for was having difficulties. A new venture had bombed. Budgets were being cut, there was a freeze on hiring and rumors of layoffs. Should she be launching a search for a new job?

Harry was very well regarded, and his company's overall performance was strong. But the gossip was that his division was going to be sold. Recently a number of unexplained official visitors had paraded through, a sure sign that a buyout was at hand. Should he stay put or shift?

In helping Esther and Harry deal with the decision to stay or leave, we assessed a list of issues related to their organizations, their performance and their feelings about their work.

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES

á The financial health of the company, their division and their product or service.

á The leadership's past history of restructuring or downsizing.

á Whether new technology was being introduced that could affect their segment.

á The possibility of a merger, acquisition or buyout.

á Competitive pressures (example, a competitor slashing prices to gain market share).

á Whether any shift in business direction was afoot that could make the product or service they were involved in less important in the total mix.

á The essentialness of their job to the organization.

PERFORMANCE ISSUES

á Their recent performance reviews and raises.

á The extent to which they were "in" on important decisions, and got included in meetings, lunches and e-mails.

á Their level of rapport with their boss and co-workers.

á Any information that they had about whether they were getting paid a lot less or more than their peers (both are risk factors).

INTERNAL ISSUES

á How they felt about going to work in the morning (an overall rating).

á How they felt about what they did day-to-day (the tasks for which they were responsible).

á How work fit in with the rest of their lives (example: whether work intruded into their personal lives, creating problems at home).

á Whether they were ever bored, and how often.

á Whether they ever got physical symptoms like headaches or upset stomach or anxiety - but only at work.

á Whether they ever felt angry, or felt like they were being treated unfairly, and if they'd ever felt that in past jobs.

After considering all these issues Esther realized that she really liked her job and the culture of the company. Also, the function she performed was essential and unlikely to be cut. In addition, the company was solid. It would have a tough year financially, but it was an industry leader and there were no indications of a merger, acquisition or buyout in the future.

The only real problem was her recent performance. She acknowledged that she had allowed herself to be distracted by some personal troubles. But she was sure she could discipline herself to re-focus on her work and win back her boss' approval.

So when she considered all the issues involved, Esther decided her energy would be better spent staying put and concentrating on her current job than starting to look elsewhere.

Harry came to the reverse conclusion. He might survive and even prosper in a buyout. But he really was not all that happy with the industry, compared to the one from which he'd come.

He decided he'd be better off investing his time and energy positioning himself for a severance package and hunting for a job in his old industry, than devoting himself to coming out on top in the rough and tumble of a buyout.

What's the right decision for you? Unfortunately, this question doesn't lend itself to a "formula" response. It requires perceptiveness and judgement.

It's best to assess the risk factors in your situation continuously. That will prepare you to arrive at a sound decision and move into action quickly if storm clouds gather without warning.

Anna Navarro is the founder of Work Transitions, a nationwide career consulting firm that trains independent career strategists and consults with individual clients.

This column was originally published by the St. Louis Business Journal. The actual title of the column and date in which it appeared in the Business Journal may be slightly different from what appears on WorkTransitions.com.