2.3 million Egyptians lost their jobs in 2020 due to the disastrous economic crisis imposed on us by our response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the Egyptian Ministry of Finance published in the same year. Even if you weren’t one of them, the industry you work in might have been hit so badly that you considered shifting careers, changing your industry, or quitting your job. Maybe your salary was cut, or your workload is hurting your personal life, or perhaps your workplace doesn’t take safety precautions seriously, and you feel that your health is in danger. We thought an Egyptian HR expert should pitch in, and invited someone who spent 18+ years of his diverse career dealing with the recruitment, monitoring, and evaluation process of employees.
Our expert for this piece is Ahmed Essam. He was the former regional HR manager at Nokia, and the former regional people and organization director at Mars, Inc. He currently holds the position of head of international cooperation at Zamalek FC and is the CEO and founder of Talento HR Consultancy.
“It’s a good time to have an honest reflection and think about the pros and cons of your current job in an objective way.”
Should You Make Sacrifices for the Sake of Your Company?
The global recession we’ve faced and its ongoing repercussions had employers cut salaries and ask their employees to work longer. Why? To help revive companies from the hard hits they’ve been receiving, of course. But should you bear this sacrifice for them? Especially if you’re not an equity employee, why should you swallow this hard pill when you might have other options elsewhere?
The HR veteran thinks that it’s all about two main factors:
1) Putting yourself in your employer’s shoes
Essam thinks, “It all boils down to profit and loss statements. Organizations are in the business to make money, and even NGOs need to sustain themselves. Employees must consider this.”
Essam always advises companies to start by removing non-essential overheads before they resort to slashing their employees’ salaries in such unfortunate crises. After all, they’re fundamental to keep the ship afloat.
“I always ask employees, if this was your company, what would you do? Would you increase salaries while you are facing losses? Or would you make some cost reductions?” Essam said. In his view, this line of thinking will help you determine if the company you’re at is treating you fairly.
2) How satisfied you are with your job
In such crises, Essam affirmed that employees will make sacrifices for their company partly because they think they’re being treated fairly, while feeling involved and engaged.
But how do you determine how satisfied with your job? Here is a quick checklist the HR guru thinks could help you find out.
But this checklist is tentative; it might change according to one’s seniority level in their workplace, the company they work for, and overall circumstances. He still, however, believes that it’s a useful guideline.
For more senior employees, it should include:
1) What is the value you’re bringing to your organization, are you adding to it?
2) Were you able to build a good reputation and portfolio of accomplishments so far?
3) How does your job align with your career aspirations and life goals?
But for more junior employees, it would look like this:
1) Is the salary you’re taking allow you to live the lifestyle you desire?
2) Career-wise, are you developing?
3) If yes, then how quickly are you progressing in your field?
After asking these questions and determining whether or not you’re satisfied with your job, you should have a clearer image of your work life that should help you make the right career move.
But Before You Change Jobs/Industries…
Given the current economic decline, we asked Essam if it’s a good time to change jobs and he answered, saying:
“My advice is you should never stay in a job that you don’t like. This will lead to a dead end. You’ll feel stuck and your creative side dies slowly.”
He also recommends that you need to keep updating your skills and capabilities so that you can cope with the rapidly changing and uncertain future of work. If you constantly work on developing yourself, you’d have a higher chance of successfully changing careers or jobs.
But that of course depends on multiple variables. If you’re working in the wrong job, or in an aching industry, Essam asserted that you should consider the following:
- It is vital to consider your financial status and needs in the time being.
- The number of years of experience you have in your current industry. It might be difficult for someone who has 15+ years of experience to change industries, while it might be okay for someone who only has 5 years.
- The level of employability in other industries; do you have the skills that would help you succeed in other industries? How many of your current skills and expertise overlap with those in the more booming industry you want to jump to.
Follow Ahmed Essam on Instagram here, or checkout his LinkedIn here. Or check out Talento HR Consultancy’s LinkedIn page through clicking here.
