Are you feeling exhausted in your job? Even though some can be highly satisfied in their job and live a happier life, a number of working people in the US think they do not fit in their jobs so they feel frequently dissatisfied in their work. In Raymond Carver’s “Vitamins,” the major theme of this story is about dissatisfaction. Nobody seems to have passion in their life, and no one does not actually dream about what else they want to be. The unnamed narrator confesses to his wife Patti about his feeling that “maybe I don’t dream” (Carver 251), and he also tells readers that he “didn’t care” (251) what goes on in his dreams.
Even Patti, the wife of the unnamed narrator was selling vitamins door to door with frequent complains about restless of her job and poor job performance so economical profit. While Patti is significantly more successful, she feels equally dissatisfied and trapped. She also expresses that “I’m sick as hell myself,” (252) indicating that she has no interest anymore. It is ironic to see how vitamin seller who provides product for others’ health is not actually taking care of her mental health. Consequently, this story helps understanding about dissatisfaction in a job that can directly affect their standard of living.
Not only for Patti and narrator but also the entire circumstance of this story represents all dreamless and hopeless people’s needs of psychological vitamins escaping from unfavorable job condition. So, what are the reasons they suffer from? There are interesting factors can build the workers’ satisfaction in the job and reasons why the business owners or policy makers in the US should make their employees less stressful. If they want to be successful, they should encourage their employees’ job performance providing favorable onditions such as their level of income, working conditions, job security, promotion, and relationship with co-workers, higher job satisfaction will increase productivity in firms.
From the business’ perspective, employee or human capital management is crucial for success. In other words, how a business successfully manages their employees can make a difference in competitive markets. If their employees are motivated by better working conditions, payments, rewards and having the favorable relationship between workers, they will be eager to work and perform in their positions so greater productivity automatically will be the result.
There is an expression that “money is everything. ” Whether it is true or not, the income level of people can be the significant matter for them. We buy normal goods such as foods and clothes or luxury goods like a good-looking car or jewelry depends on our income level. If it is higher, we can take care of our health more from consuming expensive but healthier organic foods or perhaps we can attract whom we have crush by having a valuable car or jewelry. As a result, it is true that money is significant to our standard of living.
To illustrate, according to the research conducted by the Conference Board, the New York-based nonprofit research group, there were three divided income levels and proved higher income will result in better satisfaction: In the US, the most satisfied working group had over $125,000 with 64. 1% saying they were happy with their compensation. Furthermore, 44% of median income level between $50,000 and $75,000 employees replied they are satisfied, and making under $15,000 group was only satisfied 24. 4% with their job.
Most Americans Are Unhappy At Work) These visualized statistics show the level of job satisfaction is varied by what level of pay they receive and people are valuing the income level most. My own research about job satisfaction looked for a sample to prove this. According to the English instructor in North Seattle College, August Evan, she replied that even though she loves teaching, th students and make them success with high passion, couldn’t be satisfied with her job due to lack of income level.
Her income belonged to median income group but due to the price level of Seattle, said that it is not enough to cover her cost of living so needed to get additional jobs so she valued the payment level of a job the most. For businesses, it is true that they should minimize their variable costs: wage to maximize their profit. However, there’s invisible variable to consider: high engagement of workers. If the business considers rewarding system: higher wage for employees who show better performance on given tasks, rewarded workers will highly engage on what they do for so businesses’ productivity.
In addition, another fact that can influence employees’ job satisfaction is working condition. The working condition can be made by any physical or mental conditions from their working place. For instance, the brightness of light, the magnitude of noise and cleaning status, and a lot of personal favor in their work can be variables and employees with difficult these working conditions can have negative job performance at the same time decreasing their job satisfaction. Then, let’s assume that there are sensitive workers who need quiet circumstance to make high concentration.
If their working place has noisy, they would be stressed out so lose focus on their tasks. Also, over the brightness of light can reduce workers’ eyesight or dirty working condition can cause breathing problem. According to the statistics of Physical & Mental Environment, “69% employees said that they are facing problem of workload and overtime whereas, 27% employees said that attitude & behavior of supervisor are not virtuous and only 4% employees are facing problem of noise” (qtd. in Impact of Work Environment On Job Satisfaction).
Yes, the majority of employee most value proper amount of tasks and not overworking in their working place. However, even though employees do not want to overwork or get a lot of tasks, the problem is, employers are not going to simply hear their voice because they think assigning as many tasks as possible in limited hours is profitable. But this is a misunderstanding. For instance, if they keep assigning the uncontrollable amount of tasks to their employees, their engagement decreases from getting more stress and make less productivity.
On the other hand, when employers contribute to making the enjoyable working environment, higher outcomes follow. For example, in my experience as being as a student, I surely get large pressure and stress from having more and more assignments in limited time. As a result, I ended up with poor academic performance. However, when I had the controllable amount of tasks, I made better grades so academic success. Business should be aware of not only they can make higher job satisfaction of their employees, but also they will be more profitable by making efficient work performance from them from improving the environment of the workplace.
Moreover, in the fast changing economic condition in the 21st century, people’s concern about their job security can also be boosted up. Even from temporary of unemployment, people can seriously have negative impacts on their payments for necessary goods, school tuition, or even rent fee. People are sensitive with money due to these problems so the security of a job can be a huge part to consider. When employees have felt that unsureness about their job security from worse business performances, there will be a higher possibility to look for another job so prepare to leave.
Even worse, since they decide to quietly move their job, their interest in the current job will decrease so poor job performance will be made from less engagement. The opposite is true. Better reputation will be made if a company has a solid so better job security. How? Workers will be proud of their job and tell to others positive side of the company they work. More educated people will knock the door of the firm due to high reputation. Better competition would be made from people have higher knowledge, so better job performance will be made.
Increasing productivity of a firm automatically follows. Rewarding any creature in the world will make them behave or perform. I have a dog in my hometown and I often tried to train her to urinate on a right spot such as the bathroom. However, she didn’t like to hear me. However, when I gave her a piece of dog snack, she became the smartest animal in the world. I do not try to compare between animal and human but even highly intelligent human needs rewarding in a job field. Promoting employees gives higher incentive for their employees to perform their job better.
In this competitive labor market, businesses need to consider higher productive employees to get promoted for more so making more productivity for their firm. This reward will definitely attract employees to dedicate themselves for a job. Because people spend a long time in the workplace of a day, they are supposed to stay with co-workers more than family. Building better relationship leads to the better productivity of the firm so firms have an obvious reason to put efforts for making enjoyable circumstance.
According to Kate McFarlin of Demand Media, when employees get familiar so become close each other, they would have better teamwork and positive competition each other. Furthermore, it improves employee morale (“Importance of Relationships in the Workplace”). For instance, if employees have a good relationship with their co-workers, they will positively engage on their tasks cooperating each other. No one would want to give any negative effect on other co-workers based on their faith.
Also, this kind of relationship makes lower employee turn-over for seeking other companies. Firms that have lower employee turn-over rate can have cost saving from extra work such as training new workers. From contributing workers to have a good relationship each other, businesses will be more successful from minimizing their labor cost. Employees spend almost more than half of the day in their job so depends on their job, their happiness of life can be improved or decreased. The happier people are within their job, the more satisfied they are said to be.
Also, employee satisfaction for all working groups is a serious concern which can benefit the employer or the company. In fast changing and competitive social environment, job satisfaction survey or research only can express their feelings that dissatisfied or satisfied. The importance of this paper already present and this shows the most considerable factors with one’s job satisfaction. This paper studied and tested factors affecting job satisfaction of general working group in current society of the US.
Employers, encourage your employees motivating and offering better working conditions, pay, promotion, job security, and relationship with coworkers to make a solid construction of a business. Surely, it can charge them higher efforts and costs, they will get invisible benefits as a gift. Employees, do not try to give up your job, instead, look for what you can make better. “He who does not work, neither shall he eat” (John Smith in Jamestown, during the Russian Revolution). Both of you, I hope you take some vitamins I made in this paper and change the job world.
