We used to live in a world where our lives were governed by the learn-earn-retire model. We got an education, secured a job, and worked until we retired. That model is fast disappearing. Today, shifts in political, economic, and social norms have driven far-reaching changes. 

The biggest of these shifts have been driven by technology, which has altered the way we work. “Anyone, anywhere, anytime” is the new approach to work—work that can be sliced, diced, and distributed across the globe based on skill and cost. Indeed, work can be done by people any time, across time zones. And the workspace is anywhere. 

High on Tech, Low on Employment 

Fluctuating demands in business cycles are making it hard for companies to predict the demand for manpower. Keeping a team on the bench without assigning it a billable project burns cash. So, employers are regularly shedding jobs. New companies are leveraging automation to the hilt. They are low on employment. For instance, Airbnb, valued at $30 billion, runs a global operation with less than 3,000 employees. 

Cost pressures are also forcing employers to weed out people who are no longer critical to the business. Almost one in 10 public companies fail each year, which is a four-fold increase since 1965. Companies now face a one-in-three chance of not surviving five years, up from about one in 20 a half century ago. If the employers are dying early, it may be a warning sign to rethink your career strategy. Having the right skills makes a person valuable to the employer. 

Our skills can be represented by a pyramid. At the base are commoditized skills, which do not create a differentiator in the marketplace (like knowing Word, Excel and PowerPoint). In the middle, lie the marketable skills, which are obtained through a certificate or degree that assures the employer that the skills are up to par. Technological shifts continuously chip away at the shelf life of marketable skills turning them into worthless commoditized skills. The skills that make employers queue up are niche skills. People with niche skills are self-taught. The market is slowly tilting in favor of the handful of people who possess niche skills and the masses will continue to be vulnerable.  

Five Deadly Signs 

Employers will frequently have to make choices about who they want to retain and who they want to let go. These decisions are rarely made overnight. Here are a few signals that should alert you that your job may be at risk. 

1. Boss doesn’t respond to your email or calls promptly. When you buttonhole your boss, he makes a lame excuse about being busy. You know that your peers have had no such complaint.

    

2. You have been bypassed for a promotion. This is usually meant to be a hint, and not a very subtle one. The best projects go to people like you, but not to you. Those who have received hikes are working on the projects that matter to the company. 

3. Nobody reviews your work. If your work is critical to the organization, several leaders will be keen to know what you have been up to. If your work is not reviewed at least once a quarter, you should be worried. 

4. Company is not investing in updating your skills. It is in the interest of the organization to have employees who possess cutting-edge skills. If you are not being sent to attend training programs and conferences, it could be an ominous sign. Better invest in updating your skills and network.

5. Head hunters don’t return your calls. Those who possess cutting-edge skills are wooed by head hunters. If they do not return your calls, find out which skills are in demand. 

To delve deeper into this topic, join me at the ATD 2017 India Summit in Mumbai on January 17, 2017, or Bangalore on January 19, 2017.  

Editor’s Note: This post is repurposed from the author’s article on The Economic Times.