Ways of Proving Your Worth to a Company

Key Takeaways: 

• In a potentially recessionary environment, it’s important to show your worth as an employee to avoid layoffs.
• Doing your work efficiently and being a team player are some ways to do this
• Focusing on soft skills like adaptability and positivity can also make you more attractive to employers

It’s always a good time to really prove your worth at your job. One way to gain job security is to prove your value to your employer or organization so it becomes clear they won’t think of replacing you. Here are some ways to prove your worth to your employer.

Take Initiative

One of the best ways to add value to your company is to take initiative within the job you have been hired to do. Here are some examples you can use to show initiative within your company:

• Propose new ideas or projects
• Volunteer for challenging assignments
• Take on roles outside your usual responsibilities
• Improve systems, procedures, and policies
• At meetings anticipate questions and prepare answers
• Ask for feedback and implement changes based on that feedback

It’s one thing to be a good worker and complete the tasks assigned to you, but it’s a much more valuable thing to show that you have creativity and drive to perform at a higher level.

Work Efficiently

When you are an efficient and productive worker, you’ll stand out from the average person and cement your position with management. You can increase your efficiency at work by doing more of the following:

• Using time management tools 
• Making an effort not to waste time during working hours
• Using software to track your work and give suggestions on how to get more done
• Making a list of tasks to accomplish and prioritizing them based on importance 
• Ask your manager or supervisor for additional tasks if you’re sure you can get them done.

Employers consider efficiency a crucial aspect of what makes an employee valuable. Efficient employees will have greater job security when layoffs come along, and will also have more opportunities to advance.

Do Extra

Unless you’re already overloaded, doing extra is another good way to show your value at work. Some ways to do extra include the following: 

• Helping others with their tasks (but not at the expense of your own)
• Contributing more to your team
• Coming in early or staying late to help with projects 
• Volunteering for projects rather than waiting to be assigned

Supervisors appreciate those who go the extra mile because it makes their jobs easier and helps things run smoothly. It’s less likely you’ll get laid off if you’re doing extra things around the office to be helpful.

Improve Soft Skills

Soft skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork can always be improved, even when you feel they are already pretty good now. Here are some ways to improve your soft skills in the workplace:

• Ask your team members and supervisors to give you feedback on specific soft skills
• Set goals for improvement on a weekly or monthly basis.
• When conflicts arise, as they will, be proactive in seeking resolution. 
• Make yourself known as a collaborator and one who goes the extra mile to work well with others. 

Soft skills can set you apart from your colleagues even when your technical or other job-related skills are at a similar level. 

Be a Team Player

A willingness to take a leadership role with your team, even if it doesn’t come with an official promotion or pay raise, will also prove your worth to your employer and make your job more secure. 

If you want to be valued as a team player, here are some skills to focus on.

• Be proactive in reaching out to others rather than passively waiting for them to come to you
• Make decisions together based around consensus and agreement rather than trying to force others to do it your way
• Resolve conflicts when they arise
• Give credit to other team members when they make important contributions 

Working within a team can give you a way to accomplish more than you could ever do alone. Employers value team players and want to hold onto workers who have these valuable skills.

Emphasize Politeness

Rising tensions in your organization can sometimes lead to outbursts or unkindness. It’s important to resist these impulses and remain polite in your interactions with management, teammates, and subordinates. Here are some ways to emphasize politeness in the workplace.

• Use meditation or deep breathing in a quiet place if your co-workers do anything that annoys you – rather than becoming confrontational
• Think about how you would feel in the same situation and how you would want to see situations or conflicts handled
• Treat co-workers the way you would want to be treated in the situation
• Imagine that your offensive co-worker is a beloved family member or friend and handle the situation accordingly
• Give co-workers the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming they are being dishonest or have bad intentions.

Politeness is a crucial part of remaining professional, even when emotions about what you see happening begin entering the picture. Almost no one enjoys conflict or unpleasantness in the workplace, so your politeness will be looked on favorably when organizational changes occur.

Be Positive

It can be difficult to stay positive during times of tension or uncertainty, but to the extent possible, it’s a good strategy for keeping your job. Your work will get better, be looked at more favorably, and will even feel better to you when you’re making a conscious effort to focus on the positive over the negative. 

Being positive is more than gritting your teeth and smiling when you don’t feel there’s anything to smile about. Here are some ways to be positive in the workplace, even in the midst of tough situations.

• Find and highlight the positive aspects of the job or the situation, even if it’s a silver lining to a dark cloud
• Be genuine in your efforts to find positivity or it will get on everyone’s nerves
• Cultivate gratitude by finding three things to be grateful for in the workplace each day and writing them down on a list or in a journal
• As much as possible, focus on positive contributions in the workplace or about the workplace, even when you aren’t there

Once you form a habit of being positive, it will come easier and become a habit that benefits your mental and physical health. In addition, your co-workers and even your superiors will be pulled toward you because of your positivity, which they will find attractive.

Be Adaptable and Flexible

Change can be unwelcome and uncomfortable, but your best course of action is to embrace it because it is inevitable. Showing a willingness to adapt to changes in processes, strategies or team structures can enhance your reputation as a team player who approaches your job with a positive attitude. Here are some strategies to foster adaptability in the workplace.

• Commit to being an early adopter when changes happen
• Look for ways to keep improving your work
• Incorporate constructive feedback from team members or your supervisor, even if it feels uncomfortable at first
• Experiment with different ways of doing things

Many work environments are constantly changing, and the employees that have the most worth to a company can adapt to those changes and make the most of change.

Ask for Help if You Need It

While some might look at asking for help as a weakness, it can be a strength when it helps you develop relationships with supervisors and coworkers. Asking for help as seen below also improves your skills and allows you to perform better in your position. 

• Be proactive about asking for help rather than waiting for someone to see if you need it
• Be specific in your request for help so that people have a better idea about what you need
• Be appreciative when you receive help
• Be quietly persistent if help isn’t forthcoming right away

Some think that asking for help at work is a sign that you can’t do the job, but everyone needs help from time to time. When you ask for the help you need, it shows you are engaged at work and will do what it takes to succeed.

Build Relationships

Every relationship has the potential to open new doors within the company and grow your knowledge about how your company works. Here are some ways to build relationships at work.

• Network internally to understand different aspects of the business
• Build rapport with colleagues in different departments, not just your own
• Attend optional company functions to get to know co-workers outside the workplace
• Strategically invite co-workers to socialize or invite others to functions at your home, if appropriate

While it’s important to separate workplace relationships from intimate friendships in most cases, it is also true that the more relationships you can cultivate at work, the more successful you are likely to be at your job.

Mentor Others

When you’re proficient at a task or skill, you can use your expertise to help others and take on a mentoring role where appropriate. Here are some tips for taking on a mentoring role.

• If you aren’t formally assigned a mentor role, you can still take on that role informally by helping others and answering questions
• Think about questions you had when you started work and go out of your way to answer them
• Regularly ask newer employees if they have questions or need help in any areas

Continue to Learn

Building your skills, especially skills that help you adapt to new tasks and market conditions, will prove your value and set you apart from other employees. 

You can 

• Take advantage of company-provided training or 
• reimbursement for coursework
• Invest in training outside the company to keep your skills sharp, such as attending conferences and webinars in your field, or obtaining relevant certifications.

Even learning and developing soft skills like better communication, time management, or leadership training can make you a more valuable individual.

Get Acknowledgement of Your Achievements

It can be awkward and embarrassing to toot your own horn at work, but it’s important to find a way to get your accomplishments acknowledged by decision-makers who may be looking for people to lay off. 

• Life coach Jessica George suggests sending your boss a weekly email summarizing your activities 
• You can also briefly bring it up during department meetings when a particular project or task is discussed 
• Keep your self-praise brief to avoid overdoing your efforts
• Even if you think no one’s listening, never repeat yourself 

It may be difficult to get a job if you’re laid off, but if you take these steps to prove your worth, you’ll likely get a glowing recommendation even if a layoff becomes unavoidable. Even under the worst circumstances, your next job offer may not be far away.

GDH helps job seekers get matched with companies looking for their skills and talents. Join our talent network to see how we can help you.Your ideal job is waiting for you. Let’s find it.