This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ashley Herd, the 43-year-old founder and CEO of Manager Method in Atlanta. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Before starting my own company, I worked in HR for 20 years and spent time in employment law. Now, I help organizations train managers in skills like delegation, performance management, and communication.
After years in HR, I noticed several traits that make for the best employees — the ones the company will do anything to keep, even in a downturn.
When decisions are made about who gets laid off, sometimes managers have no choice and find out after the fact, but occasionally, they get to “save” someone.
Being the person they can count on can make a difference. Four traits are common among those employees.
1. You’re dependable
The best employees are dependable. This usually means meeting deadlines, keeping their word, and being someone the organization knows will get their work done.
If a dependable employee is asked to have something done by the end of the week, they do it. Their manager never has to ask, “What happened to this assignment?”
When you’re dependable, your company or team is more likely to try to keep you.
2. You’re a strong communicator
Companies will also fight for strong communicators. Ideally, your manager will tell you the information you need to know, but if you miss something, you will communicate it.
This involves asking about deadlines and formats and repeating the information to your manager to ensure you’re on the same page. Then, as you work along, you might bring up any issues as quickly as possible instead of avoiding confrontation.
Neither you nor your manager are robots, but having a proactive level of communication is key. When sharing challenges with your manager, be clear about what you want. For example, “I don’t need help, just a listening ear for a minute and some reassurance that it gets easier.”
If you’re looking for help, self-preservation can mean being realistic about what they can (and can’t) do. For example, “I’m trying to figure out what to do and would love your help figuring out the best option.”
This helps you advocate for yourself with an eye toward what’s possible, not another issue your manager doesn’t have control over.
3. You’re a problem solver
Employers will want to keep problem solvers, not just problem spotters. For example, if something comes up, you’re not just telling your manager, “This person isn’t giving me what I need,” or “This is too hard.” Instead, you have solutions, too.
You might talk about what you’ve done to address the issue, such as, “I reached out to them and explained that we need this to meet the deadline, but I’m stuck. Could you send an email?”
To be a great employee, you don’t have to have every solution, but showing ownership and having ideas can help solve the problem much more quickly.
4. You’re a great team player
Being a team player is important for more than just your development. You might say to your teammates, “Feel free to ask me any questions anytime,” and you might also take a genuine interest in who your coworkers are as people, not just their work.
Being a good team player might involve venting to each other, having real conversations, and solving problems together.
When team members are like this, it can be like working in comfortable joggers instead of tight jeans, as you have breathing room and don’t have to feel so tense.
When you’re a good team player, your manager is more likely to fight for you to stay on their team. In any role, there’s a human element — being the person people look forward to working with can impact decisions.
Even with these traits…
While you might have these traits, your position can still be cut, leaving you to wonder what you did wrong. But often, the people who work with you directly aren’t the ones deciding to lay you off. Instead, those decisions are usually made by investors, boards of directors, and people looking at numbers on spreadsheets.
Even if your manager fights to keep you, they might be unable to. I often hear a manager say, “If I had the opportunity, I would do anything to keep this person,” and they can’t. It’s hard, and it’s detrimental to people professionally and personally.
It’s important to remember that sometimes, these decisions are out of your control, but displaying good traits can strengthen your case.
Want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.
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