The Managing Director of Jobberman Ghana, an HR recruitment Solutions firm, Kwaku Agbeshi, has advised employees to enhance their skill set by being innovative in the face of uncertainties like the coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, in such situations where job losses are very likely, workers who are innovative and have the right skill set stand a better chance of keeping their jobs.
“Make sure the company sees value in you. As much as possible with the challenges that is been faced now with Covid, I will sincerely urge employees to go above and beyond what they have been designated to do” he explained.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased unemployment globally as most companies downsize to stay in business.
However, businesses that experienced a complete nosedive in their operations are now picking up.
Mr. Agbeshi however told Citi Business News employees must necessarily boost their capabilities to be considered when companies decide to downsize further.
“So for me it is about finding innovative ways. Don’t just stick to what you do, rather, think creatively. Think about what else you can do to help your company grow and that is how you add value. Once you add value it is very difficult to let you go.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, which hit the world in the latter part of 2019 has brought unprecedented disruption to the global economy, tremendously impacting livelihoods by reducing earnings and increasing poverty in some parts of the world.
It has brought many businesses in the major economic sectors to a standstill, causing huge financial losses. As a result, many employers and employees have been severely hit.
Also, the continued sharp decline in working hours globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak means that 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy – that is nearly half of the global workforce – stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed, according to the International Labour Organization.
A recent African Union (AU) study revealed that about 20 million jobs are at risk on the continent as a result of the impact of the pandemic.
Globally, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has predicted that over 25 million jobs are threatened by the pandemic.