Compare and contrast: work environment

Compare and Contrast: WorkEnvironment

In today’s economic downturn, many employers are laying off their employees trying to cut costs and still be competitive in this dying economy.  There is one employer that is readily recruiting new employees into its several branches or subsidiary facets.  This employer is the United States military.  All aspects of the military are hiring, and this employer is one of the most technologically sound and advanced workplaces today.  However, like any workplace there have been changes that effect the employees in certain ways, but job security is never an issue. Let us look at the Navy and how it correlates to private sector employers.

Like most workplaces, the Navy has good and bad parts.  The fact is that with any workplace, technologyhas created a very depersonalized atmosphere.  Morecommunicationis completed through email than by other forms of communication.  However, this liability is also an asset, because this massive flow of information is available immediately and much more can be accessed via the Internet than through a phone call or letter.  Another area that can cause discontentment is the outsourcing of some job descriptions.  This has often times negatively impacted corporations including the Navy and has similar results in many private sector companies.

When Navy personnel are asked about their ideals for their jobs, the answered vary.  Some did not expect to be in the military, but are glad for the opportunity.  Other loved their jobs and positions, but feel that changes could be made that would increase productivity and rely less on outsourcing of jobs.  The outsourcing has become even more important with the failing economy and major budget cuts in relation to all federal spending.  While job security is safe, the stressors that affect employees in private sector hold true for the military personnel as well.      As with most corporations and companies there is a need for diversity in the workplace.  With federal agencies, this is more of a requirement than private sector companies.  The Navy is currently going through a 20 year restructuring of personnel and recruitinggoals.  The focus is  gaining recruits from diverse populations to ensure that there is not favoritism.  When asked about this new diversity initiative, some Navy personnel worry that Human Resources is more interested in diversity than in the qualifications of enlisting personnel.  This also holds true in some private sector companies trying to outsource to the lowest bidder who may or may not have the needed qualifications.

From considering the workplace in relation to the Navy and private sector companies, there are definitely some similarities.  The negative impact of outsourcing, thestressof the economy, and depersonalization and super fast Internet and information accessibility.  In fact, the Navy is probably more technologically sound than many private sector companies.  The two main differences are diversity in the employee population and job security.  The Navy is one of the few employers still hiring, and this gives wonderful job security.  The requirement to diversify recruitment is similar to private sector but based on different criteria.   Hence, the similarities outweighing the differences, but those differences making enough of a change to create the Navy as a viable option for employment over private sector.

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