Are you feeling underappreciated at work? Lack of recognition and opportunities at the workplace can be quite stifling for employees. Global studies show that 79% of all employees who quit their jobs, do so because they did not feel they were appreciated enough by their managers.

But before you think about putting down your papers, consider why it is that your manager does not recognise your contribution to the company. The reasons could be multi-fold, such as:

●       Lack of training to identify critical performers.

●       Poor corporate HR policies.

●       Lack of time to study your performance.

●       Managers’ personal ambitions which cloud their judgement.

●       A corporate culture that doesn’t value their people.

While an absence of recognition and promotion can be very disheartening, there is something that you as the employee can do to ensure that you get noticed by the Who’s Who of the organisation.

Top ways to get noticed by your boss

1.      Brief your team of your success, every day

These days, the most appreciated employee is the one who toots his horn the loudest. The time for humility is long gone, and if you want to be considered the right candidate for a senior promotion, you need to show your boss why you’ll make a good boss yourself.

So, if you’ve successfully resolved some issue the previous day or have brought in more sales than anyone else in your team, be sure to inform them through a daily morning briefing. You can either have a team huddle where you share your progress report or send a mail to your boss, outlining what you’ve achieved. Actively updating your boss about keeps him/her informed about your performance.

2.      Proactively ask for challenging jobs

Management love employees who enjoy taking up challenging tasks. This shows excellent initiative and passion for work. If you proactively seek difficult assignments and work towards achieving them, you stand out from the crowd. You also create the impression that you’ll be great in positions of power, which involve solving difficult problems and making tough calls.

It is always best to seek projects outside of your comfort zone. It’s also important to let your boss know that although the project isn’t something you are comfortable with, you don’t mind going the extra mile to learn about it and work at it. This highlights your dedication and willingness to work hard.

3.      Take complete responsibility for an entire project

As a boss, you will be expected to take responsibility for an entire team, department or an organisation and ensure that operations run smooth, deadlines are met on time and the people work well together. Demonstrating your ability to achieve all these things, when you’re still in the lower rungs of the organisation, will show your managers that you have what it takes to be a great boss.

Ask your boss to assign you a project that you can be entirely responsible for – start-to-finish. Your organisational skills, people & resource management skills, time management skills, communication skills, and technical skills will all be highlighted here, which will help you get the recognition you seek.

4.      Actively take part in corporate competitions and events

These days, organisations look for employees who have had experiences beyond the academic and the professional. A person with a volunteering experience on his resume will be more likely to get a job than a person with a degree to do the job since these out-of-the-ordinary experiences infuse diversity into the workplace.

Even when considering people for promotion, managers tend to look for an all-rounder, who is as interested in personal enrichment, as he/she is in professional development. So, if your company has organised a seminar or a talk or an expo, take part in it. Send in your entries to your corporate competition. Suggest new events to your events committee. All of these will make you an interesting person, worth taking notice of.

5.      Volunteer for tasks no one wants to do

There are certain jobs in the organisation – like making copies, filing, chasing debts, data entry, etc. – which no one likes to do. The ones who take up these tasks may also do so begrudgingly. But the fact remains. These jobs are extremely important for the proper functioning of an organisation, and they must be done.

Even if these jobs seem to be beneath your job role, volunteering to do them shows great initiate and extreme maturity on your part. Your boss will immediately realise how you value the bigger picture and are not worried about personal inconvenience; which is an excellent trait for a budding manager.

Additionally, if there’s a day you’re absent or are unable actually to do these tasks, your team will realise your value to the group; which is another plus point.

6.      Pitch in and help your colleagues when they need assistance

One of the most essential traits of a good boss is the ability to recognise that someone needs help and to chip in voluntarily, to assist them. An excellent way to get known for your positive attitude and your skills is to help your colleagues out if they require your help actively.

Whether they’re newcomers to the company and they need a buddy, or they are veterans who are struggling with a task, helping your colleagues understand the job, while training them to do the job, shows how great a team player you are.

One other thing that your manager will learn from this is how you care about the welfare and professional upliftment of your entire team and not just your promotion; which is a precious trait in a would-be leader.

7.      Go the extra mile to solve your client’s problems

Finally, a great way to showcase your value and your skills to your team is to work on solving the client’s problem actively. By treating the client’s problem as your own and not sparing any effort in helping them, you can highlight your respect for the client, your passion for the job, your ability to work very hard, your initiative, your independence, your high EQ and your dogged perseverance to achieve the goal.

Additionally, your clients will also be very impressed with your work, and they may send in their positive feedback to your manager. This will be the best thing to happen to you, and it will improve your prospects of a promotion tremendously.