8 signs you’re about to be laid off

The economy’s certainly on the rebound, especially in the IT industry. Salaries have seen the largest year-over-year increase ever, and demand for IT professionals is far outpacing supply. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared in the event of a downsizing, layoffs or corporate restructuring (as HP and Yahoo have recently announced).

So, how can you tell whether to keep riding out the storm, or jump ship in favor of a better opportunity? Career expert, resume writer and executive career consultant Andrew Ysasi, president of Admovio, suggests watching for these eight signs that could signal trouble ahead.

If you receive word that your company’s being sold, merging with another, has been acquired by a competitor or that there’s a new spin-off of an existing division, that could be a sign there are layoffs to come, especially if the buyer’s company has a similar structure or that there will be duplicates of roles or positions in the new organization, says Ysasi.

If you received a less-than-stellar performance review and haven’t made consistent improvements over the course of the next few evaluation cycles, that’s a serious red flag, says Ysasi. “If your manager asks for additional documentation relating to projects or initiatives on which you’ve performed poorly, or begins taking detailed notes about your attendance, it’s likely they’re putting together documentation to back up the case for terminating your employment,” he says.

If you haven’t accepted a different role at a lower pay grade but your key responsibilities have changed, your schedule has shifted, privileges are revoked or your requests for time off are denied, it may be time to update your resume and start hunting for a new position, Ysasi says. The company may be struggling financially and unable to support your salary or benefits.

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If you find yourself suddenly taking on a fantastic new title and added responsibilities but without the associated pay increase, watch out, Ysasi says. “Companies are always trying to do more with less, but some prolong the inevitable by trying to squeeze productivity out of existing employees when they know the ship is sinking,” he says.

If your boss mentions going on interviews, or openly talks about her/his own search for a new position, well, it’s not just that the writing’s on the wall, it’s blinking in giant, neon letters. Get out while you can — and get a solid reference before she/he jumps ship.

Are you noticing a dramatic shift in the human resources personnel at your company? Is it happening often? That could be a sign your company’s failing, and that your job could be at risk as management tries to eliminate positions.

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Frequent changes to senior leadership are often the sign that a company’s trying different approaches to staying afloat. While there’s a chance someone could hit on the “magic formula” that could get the company back on track, it might not be worth the risk — start looking for a new position at a more stable organization, Ysasi says.

If you’ve been asked, and then asked again and again to transfer to a different office or even to move workspaces more than other employees, pay attention, Ysasi says. This is a sign that you’re being shuffled out, and the next time it happens, you could be shown the door, he says.