Nov 26 2008
Small Business: Employees most likely to advance
How can an employee of a small business get ahead? I used to wonder about this myself. Now that I am on the other side of the question I know what I did right and what I did wrong while working for several small businesses.
In the beginning of my working career I wanted to be indispensable. It did not take me long to realize that this was not what I wanted after all. There are several reasons for this.
· The pressure is all on you to get the work done
· An occasional day off is out of the question
· A promotion is hard to come by if there is no one to take your place
That last one is a real kicker. Not only is it difficult to move up – sometimes you may actually be passed over. As an employer it is easier to find someone for a new position than it is to train someone and then have to train his or her replacement.
My suggestion is to be cross-trained so that you can fill in and give a helping hand to others. You will be valued as an all around employee that can handle multiple positions. When the boss is away you will most likely be placed in charge. Other employees will learn to come to you instead of the boss and that will be seen as leadership.
Employers are nervous to leave their business in the hands of employees. If there is one employee that they can trust while being away it will be you. As an employer I can guarantee that a well-rounded employee is a valued employee. When a position opens up that calls for your all around skills you will get the job.
