Comparison Between Worst and Best Jobs: My Reflection

Introduction

Most people who have had an employment know that work experience goes beyond a simple exchange of time for money or purpose. In some jobs, employees are fortunate and can have firsthand experiences that can change their lives completely. On other jobs, however, employees have to deal with the grim feeling that often hung over their workstations. I have worked for different companies and organizations since high school and the experiences I've received since then have shaped the person I am today. If I had to pick the worst experience I ever had in a workplace, it was probably when I worked for McDonald's back in high school, but my experience with Bailey Mills provided me with more insight into what I could gain from welcoming and experienced colleagues as a building constructor.

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Differences Using Organizational Climate and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

My experiences with McDonalds and Bailey Mills were completely different, perhaps because of their differences in terms of organizational climate and organizational citizenship behavior. Reflecting back on my first day at Bailey Mills, I was overwhelmed by the employees' attitude towards one another, particularly towards me; the newcomer. After an introduction to everyone, I was given a personal guide for the day to take me through the orientation. It was literally my best first day in any place. The people were very open to me and were happy to assist me wherever they could. Immediately after the orientation, I was given my first assignment in which I was tasked with reviewing several projects and even asked to give recommendations for improvement if need be. It was quite surprising how they were open to suggestions from a new recruit and were happy with my overall contributions and recommendations on their projects. Moreover, during the first two weeks at Bailey Mills, I was surprised by the amount of responsibility I was given which showed how much trust they had in me. With the help of my supervisors who were easy to work with and I've had years of experience in construction, I was able to pick up on different types of skills and tips that helped me become a great constructor. This made me feel comfortable, confident and as though I was already part of their team.

My experience with McDonald's was worrying from the onset. There is no real connection between the experienced employees and the newcomers and trainees are often left on their own or relegated to performing rudimentary jobs. When I first joined McDonald's, I was promised one on one training with a supervisor which was to take a minimum of two weeks, however, after just minutes of training, I was left on my own in order for my supervisor to help other experienced employees keep up with the high demands in the service area and the kitchen. I had no experience and I was unsure of what to do without an experienced staff. Moreover, the work environment in McDonald's was always chaotic and oftentimes one would have to deal with some of the foulest customers and managers you will ever meet.

I-O Psychologist's Point of View

From an I-O psychologist point of view, McDonald's did not meet any workplace criteria in terms of employees attitudes and behavior, workplace morale and the organization's training programs. At McDonald's, experienced employees often left the new recruits on their own devices without proper or any training at all. Similarly, due to little training, the vertical relationship between the managers and the subordinate workers was always negative. This ensured that the workplace moral remained low at all times. However, considering an I-O psychologist's view on Bailey Hills, attitudes and behaviors among employees and the new recruits were encouraging. Similarly, Bailey Hills had the best training programs that involved at least one supervisor, and this improved confidence and morale among the employees. Ideally, from an I-O psychologist's point of view, organizational climate and employees behavior in Bailey Hills compared to McDonald's is fit for a workplace environment.

Impact on My Job Performance

Organizational climate and organizational citizenship behavior are crucial in any office environment and my survival secret at Bailey Hills. For instance, the attitudes and behaviors of Bailey hills employees not only improved my confidence as a new recruit but also gave me a high workplace morale that helped me carry out my responsibilities without fear. In addition, the training program at Bailey Hills gave me the right experience and attitude, especially when working with experienced colleagues with years of experience in construction. This made the learning process simple and easy to follow from one mistake to another. McDonald's on the other had had poor workplace interaction and training methods that left me with zero experience. Without proper training and the right attitude, the work experience at McDonald's was always demoralizing.

Conclusion

Overall, my work experience at Bailey Hill was positive compared to McDonald's. Bailey Hills employees had the right attitude and behaviors that helped me adapt as a new employee without difficulty and I was particularly very happy with the different types of skills I acquired from my colleagues. Moreover, unlike the McDonalds, the training program at Bailey Hills was well developed and involving which motivated me as a new recruit.

References

Landy, F. J., & Conte, J. M. (2016).Work in the 21st century: An introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.