Every successful career is represented by an individual who is an irreplaceable employee.
There are multitudes of professionals with impressive skillsets and qualifications on their CVs, but these attributes are not guarantees against being replaced. High value employees know that turning up to work and doing the minimum is not enough. Their value arises from the added effort they bring through resolve and willingness to learn.
Being indispensable at work is one of the best ways to ensure you have job security and get tapped on the shoulder about new professional opportunities. With enough initiative, diligence, and self-awareness, anyone can be the employee that their company and team cannot do without.
If you are determined to make an outsized impact in your role and be a standout employee, read these tips.
Don’t Shy Away from Hard Work
Going the extra mile is one of the essential traits of an irreplaceable employee. Offer to take things on – especially the tasks or projects nobody else is volunteering for. Employers and clients notice those who take ownership of their work.
Of course, hard work does not equate to excessive overtime or saying yes to everything. Instead, it involves focus, perseverance and the willingness to try new approaches if something isn’t working. Be aware of how far you can push yourself, so you can avoid promising results that you can’t deliver.
If you maintain reasonable boundaries and don’t overdo it, working hard has a variety of payoffs. Increased confidence, motivation and self-improvement tend to follow discretionary effort.
Be a Continuous Learner
Employees regarded as indispensable have a love of learning and self-improvement. Curiosity and a learning mindset enable you to keep your skills current and stay up-to date with developments in your industry.
Look for ways to fill any gaps you have in technical or soft skills, either with structured training or self-paced learning. As a motivated learner, you can acquire certifications, refine communication skills or develop a skill that impacts the company’s bottom line.
Understanding your strengths can help you develop skills that nobody else has. You can become a trusted resource for a type of surveying software, safety design or a particular category of client, so others know to approach you for that knowledge.
Not everyone can become a guru, of course. But having a learner’s mindset can help you share knowledge with your team and learn from them – which is likely to have a positive effect on business performance.
Bring In New Ideas and Solutions
Coming into the workplace with new ideas demonstrates you take business objectives seriously. Much of the work involved in exploration projects and winning new business requires problem solving.
Bringing new ideas to the table shows you’re taking time to reflect on your work and that you are solution oriented.
Not every idea needs to be a blue-sky ambitious concept; smaller, actionable ideas that can improve a routine or process can deliver major dividends for teams and projects as well.
When you see a process or task that could be improved, make sure you speak up. Many business problems have been overcome by the simple act of someone paying attention and asking the right questions.
Be a Team Player
Being indispensable at work means you are respectful of colleagues and acknowledge the contributions of others. Discretion, tact and friendliness are invaluable soft skills for high value employees and are the hallmarks of good leaders. Going the extra mile for colleagues when they need help is another great way to prove your goodwill.
All too often, a ‘rockstar’ employee who gets excellent results on the job is let down by poor interpersonal skills. Employers, however, appreciate and recognise the people who uphold the company’s values.
We all enjoy working with colleagues who are approachable. Avoiding a negative attitude and personal conflicts shows your emotional intelligence and maturity.
Summary
Combining a strong work ethic, curiosity, initiative and good interpersonal skills can put you on the right track to becoming an irreplaceable employee. Even in challenging conditions, employers tend to think twice about letting go of someone when his or her contribution is valuable.
In a constantly changing business environment, a job is not a given. But you can always make the right moves towards building a solid reputation, which will serve you well throughout your career.
Are you looking for a new role that can help you shine and demonstrate your value? As Oil & Gas, Mining, Engineering and Construction recruitment specialists, we can advise you on your career options and help you find a position among the best industry employers in Australia. Contact the team of experts at Patch Personnel today.