As part of my ESL research, I went to Dick Smith Electronics in the
Myer Centre. The type of business is providing electronic goods for consumer
needs. The person I interviewed was Ken; he was a full time assistant manager.
He does not own the store, but he runs it. Working 44 hours per week, his
job tasks are opening the store, selling products and employing people.
Ken? job is similar to his employees, except that he has more responsibilities.
Stages- You have to send
a resume to the state manager to apply for the job. It is then referred
to whoever needs an employee. The manager there will then ask that person
to attend an interview. When there is a vacant position, the employer will
ask him/her to work for 3 months. During this time, they will test their
personal conduct, abilities and qualities before they are accepted.
Interview- The interview
will last for 2 hours. Employers will be looking for their strengths and
weaknesses. They will use the time to test the person? mental and physical
abilities.
Qualities- The employer
will focus on how reliable and committed they work. To help the business,
they will consider targeting people who have good communication skills
with outsiders and can handle stress. Factors like experience is less considered,
because training is provided.
Education- To qualify for
a job at Dick Smith?, all you need is year 10 and some working experience.
The key factor in becoming successful is to remain focused. If you do not
perform well, you do not improve your ranking.
Wages- Wages are set depending
on the skill level. They are negotiable.
Health and Safety- The employer have the responsibilities of making
the workplace safe for everyone. Health and safety are checked at a weekly
basis.
Misconduct- To guarantee
a productive workplace, the employer has the right to sack workers, with
a legitimate reason. They will give out a maximum of 3 warnings of the
same misconduct. After that, they have the option to retrain them or if
it is a bad habit, he/she will be sacked. Rude to customers, lack of effort
or bludging are examples of misconduct. If there is a situation of crime
and it is proven, the police are informed and they are sacked immediately.
The advantage of being an employer is getting to work with different
people. It is not a stressful job; even when there is a lot of work. Being
too responsible is a disadvantage. It is pressure, when you are working
and you have to take note of the performance of others at the same time.
Teaching and training is a hassle, because it is sometimes hard to explain
directions properly.
From my interview with Ken, I realised that an employer must be very responsible. They need to think quickly and handle situations with ease. An employer is a very busy person; he/she must meet the needs of their employees and consumers.