How to become indispensable at work

To thrive and advance in your career, it's essential to learn how to be indispensable at work. Living without job security can be extremely stressful. However, there are many ways to enhance your professional reputation and grow your long-term prospects. From building strong relationships and developing your skills to demonstrating initiative and tracking your results, you can learn practical tips and strategies to become a much-needed team member.

Follow our guide on how to be indispensable at work and give yourself the best chance of career success.

Be consistently reliable

Reliability starts with you committing to doing excellent work with 100% effort, always meeting deadlines and delivering on all promises. It’s also about being there for colleagues and senior employees when they need additional support. Helping people to meet their own targets, pitching in on projects and resolving difficult situations can all show reliability. Volunteering for work that other employees don’t want to do will help you to be seen as a dedicated employee and a necessary team player.

When people know they can rely on you, it increases trust, establishes you as a vital member of the team and increases the chances of them talking about you favourably to others.

Make your manager’s job easier

Having someone influential in your corner at work is important. If you’re making your manager’s job easier, they’re more likely to fight to keep you if your employment is ever up for discussion. It will benefit you if they see you as a source of support who makes their team look good, as they’ll always be on your side.

Try and find a gap in your manager’s skills so that you can look to complement them and get things done that they may not be able to. Understand their priorities and align your own work accordingly, taking initiative and tackling anything urgent before issues arise. Communicate effectively, be responsive and keep your boss informed and updated at all times, with full visibility of your goals and current tasks.

Support them with operations by seeking opportunities to streamline processes, suggesting improvements and taking on additional responsibilities when you have the chance to step up. Find ways to solve problems faced by the business. Coming up with solutions independently shows that you can work autonomously and could be a future leader.

Create a solid case for yourself

Demonstrate your value as much as you can with quantifiable metrics. Look at what you can do to support the success of your team and the wider business, setting goals to achieve specific objectives. Take ownership of your duties and deliver high-quality results consistently, so that you’ve always got a solid bank of evidence for your overall contribution. Keep a record of everything you achieve and regularly communicate these results to your line manager.
Prioritise the work that is most important to your company, not that which is easiest to do. This will help to build your profile by honing in on what really matters to senior leaders, so that people will take notice of the difference you make.

Be the expert

A foolproof method for how to be indispensable at work is developing an area of expertise. Monopolising a particular skill, which is highly valued in your company, allows you to become the go-to source of knowledge in your specialism. Identify a task that frequently needs doing or that will see a significant positive impact, and make sure you’re the person who knows how to do it well.

Having a unique strength expands your remit and will almost guarantee that you become indispensable. If you need additional training or support to hone in on your abilities and boost your skills, find out what is available to you and request it from your manager.

At the same time, knowledge sharing can also be important when positioning yourself as an expert, so it’s important to get the balance right. Passing on useful information to others can add value to the wider department, and educating others gives you the status of an invaluable training asset.

Build relationships with key decision-makers

Sometimes, it can help to know the right people when it comes to safeguarding yourself at work. Being connected and having relationships with people across the business can stand you in good stead for your career. In particular, connections with key stakeholders can support your Indispensability. Make sure you are presenting yourself as approachable, respectful, and collaborative at all times. Take the time to understand senior leaders’ needs, challenges, and goals. Actively listen, show empathy, and give support whenever possible. Offer to lead on new projects and have a positive attitude that inspires others, promoting a good work environment and making sure people at the highest level want to be around you.

To help your confidence in this area, invest time in networking both within and outside your organisation, attending events and participating in professional communities. Building relationships also involves celebrating others' successes and recognising their contributions. By nurturing meaningful connections, you'll become a valuable asset and could open doors to new opportunities.

What’s next?

When it comes to the workplace, one in two people are motivated by career progression according to our 2023 Talent Trends report, which breaks down our survey of 70,000 professionals globally. 

But before you can step up, you need to build your skills and experience. This does not happen by chance; developing the skills you need takes time, commitment, and often support from your employer. Here’s our advice on how to take your career development into your own hands this year. 

For more helpful advice on growing your career take a look through our extensive library of advice pieces, or submit your CV to start applying for our live roles.

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