September 06, 2006
When I sing the praises of my job.
It almost seems unnatural to say this, but, I love my job. I really do. I love the atmosphere, the customers, my coworkers, even the people at the corporate office. This is an environment that fosters friendships and loyalty.
Every week we have an "Employee of the Week". The employee is given $100, and then has their photograph and a small biography about them on the homepage of the company website. I notice a theme across the board in all of the bios; "I love this company."
I don't know what it is, exactly, that we all love, but I think it's a combination of many things.
1- Nobody is ever breathing down your neck. Although our job can be extremely stressful (we sell metal), and the sales staff are constantly swamped, there is never anyone riding you to "Get it done FASTER!" That's nice.
2- The communication inter-office, and with corporate, is excellent. We're burning up our GroupWise email every day. We're not afraid to use our email to communicate even the simplest things (Like the time that someone in the back of the office emailed me with "Can you bring me some staples?")
3- There aren't too many secrets. We all know how much money the company is making per month. Monthly sales meetings keep the sales staff on top of things, and memos keep the rest of us abreast of the fiscal facts. Since everyone is included, it really makes the group mesh, and feel like a family.
4- The benefits are unbelievable! How many companies do you know that have private insurance with premiums at only .01� ? Seriously. We pay one cent per pay period for our insurance. Plus, we have medical, dental, vision, and a prescription rider that makes those oh-so-expensive scropts more affordable.
5- Opportunity for growth and advancement. I have only been here a few months, and I've seen at least 5 promotions within the company, almost everyone on staff has gotten a raise, and bonuses are handed out like they're going out of style. (Of course this would stop if sales decreased, but it's nice to see that hard work is richly rewarded.)
6- The company is getting bigger, but still keeps a ma-and-pa feel to it. When this company started (about 12 years ago) there were only about 10 employees. Now there are over 100, and still growing. The company started in Arkansas, and has expanded into Missouri and Oklahoma, and has plans for Louisiana soon, and Texas after that. The warehouses have doubled, and even quadrupled in size, and the truck fleet has grown from one truck to close to 20. The sales staff and purchasing keep getting bigger and bigger, and honestly they still can't keep up. (All of this adds up to one thing: job security!)
6- Unlimited internet access from the office. Need I say more?
Ok, I really didn't have to throw that last one in there, but it does help my mood while I'm at work to be able to check my personal email, keep abreast of what's going on in the world, and to be able to do this!
So, for all of those posts from people who hate their jobs and their coworkers, this is just the flipside.
I really do love my job.
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jktty at 11:15 a.m.