Job Security: Meaning, Advantages and How To Maintain It

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What is job security?

Job security is a situation whereby an employee feels safe from being fired or laid off. On other hand, it is an assurance that an employee won't lose his or her job in the near future. Some situations that assures job security to employees include having a vital position or role in an organization, government regulations and workers unions that may prevent layoffs of certain types.

The factors that can effect job security include:

• Economic conditions
• Technology 
• Individual performance
• Education, experience, and skills
• Organizational performance
• Department closure 
• Mergers

Advantages of job security

A secure job makes employees be confident that they will be continuing to work in a current job in the near future. Below are the importance of job security.

Helps to attract and retain new talents in an organization

When employees feel insecure about their job they may decided to leave an organization to find out other job that can assure them security or find any other thing to do. In this case, job security can help to retain employees in an organization, but also when the employees tell their friends or other people out of an organization about the job security they feel, others might be attracted to join the organization. Thus organization may get new best talents. 

Improves employees engagement

Job security can help to increase employees engagement in a job. If the employees feel insecure about the stability of their job, they might lose the interest in what they do and probably may think to quit a job and find a new one. 

Increase productivity in an organization

Job security can also help to raise productivity in an organization. When employees feel secured they are more likely to focus much on their work, this can lead to increase in productivity. 

Encourages loyalty and positive relationship 

Employees who feel secure about their job might be loyal to their organization. But also they might have positive attitudes that they can build positive relationship with other employees and customers as well.

How to maintain job security

Both employees and managers have something to do to increase job security in an organization. As an employee you can follow below tips to increase job security:

• Increase your productivity: By increasing your productivity you can prove your value to the managers or employers. This can make them term you as an important worker in organization. 
• Volunteer to do more: You can also increase your value in an organization by being the first to volunteer to do more tasks that you're capable of. 
• Improve your skills: Learning and improving your skills can make you be able to embrace change (for instance technological changes) this can make you more valuable to your organization. 
• Focus on work: Avoid things that can distract your focus during work, for instance personal phone calls, chatting and other unnecessary activities that do not relate to work. This can help you to maintain your work performance and productivity thus keeps you safe from losing your job. 
• Mentor and support your Colleagues: You can also mentor your coworkers and give them help when they need. This can show your managers that you are an asset to an organization. 
• Build relationship with others at work: By communicating and cooperating with your fellow employees and managers, you can be termed as an important part of a team.

As a manager you can handle job security issues through:

• Be transparent: To avoid rumours that can cause anxiety and stress to employees, - as a manager -, you should be open to your employees by telling them what is going on in an organization. Being transparent to employees can create a sense of security to them knowing that their job is still going on. 
• Encourage learning and development: Learning and development improve the skills and knowledge of employees, this can create sense of job security to them as they believe that they are skilled and knowledgeable enough to fit their positions.
•  Promote internal recruitment: Also, filling the job openings by considering existing employees within a company can be a good way to increase job security. 

 

You can also read:

• What is job experience?
  
• What is job performance?
• What is job satisfaction?

References:

• The Importance of Job Security in the Workplace (With Tips) - indeed
  
• Job Security - growthspace