Introduction
Growing up, I would always hear from my teachers that my mind should be thinking about what I want to be when I grow up. They told me to always be on the lookout for a job, work hard, and make money. It was made to sound as though a job would solve all of my issues in life. It was simple; a job meant money, and money meant that I could provide for myself. There was just one issue: what was I to expect when I looked for a job, or even got one? Questions like this were constantly swarming my head. To help others be better prepared for the workplace, I have interviewed average people and employers alike to get their perspective on what is valued in the workplace, the culture therein, and other topics that could be of use.
The Normal People
To start out my project and my quest to find this information, I went around the Campus of the Brigham Young University of Idaho and interviewed random people. When asked what is looked for in a job when in the process of the job search, one person stated that she looks for a job she actually wants to do. This was a common answer among almost everyone that was interviewed. People look for a job that they will enjoy and not absolutely hate. Due to the workplace environment being a huge factor in employee satisfaction, I asked what they valued in a workplace environment. When asked this question, one man answered that his fellow employees were an important factor. Whether or not he got along with them highly impacted his feelings and opinion of the environment. Another stated that support was huge. Support and help from employers and coworkers allow for more unity and a more productive workplace. These were also common answers. It seems that support from the employers, unity in the workplace, and employee satisfaction are huge factors in how people will decide on a career. But what do the employers look for?
The Boss’ Interview
In an interview with Nate Bair, the head manager of the Rexburg Progrexion site, states that positivity is the main character trait that is looked for in the hiring process. Employers want to make sure people can endure through hard times and work well with others to encourage them to be productive. I had the opportunity to interview other employers as well and it seems that positivity and hard work were the most common answers as to what is important in a workplace and in an employee.
I also asked for a few tips and opinions from employers for people looking to apply for a job or start up their own business. Jim Youngstrom, an entrepreneur, provided the advice that hard work and a good attitude are the main attributes that are needed. When things get hard, it is important to press forward and get creative. Nate Bair also stated that positivity is needed. These were all common answers among every employer that was interviewed.
Difficulties
Some difficulties that I faced are that not everyone wanted to be interviewed or recorded. A lot of the people that I tried to interview were either too busy to speak at all or just did not want their interview to be recorded. I had to change my approach each time I asked for an interview to get a better result for the interview, But I was able to get the information that was needed.
What I Learned
In this experience, I have learned that a lot of the things that employers look for are also what the employees value as well. It was also interesting that hard work and positivity, the most basic and simple answers, were the main factors in the hiring process as well as in the workplace. It showed that we cannot overlook the basics and skip the fundamentals. As we look for a job, and even when we have one, let us remember to work hard, be positive, and get creative.