In December of 2017 over the University summer break, I started working at Elite PT, whilst also continuing to work at the Sutherland District Trade Unions Club (Tradies). Positioned directly on the Esplanade along Cronulla’s beautiful beaches, travelling to work was an easy walk as I live at the end of the track. Over the course of the first few weeks, this new workplace was a space and a “…legitimate environment for learning new skills and knowledge”, to which over time has enabled me to participative more effectively in changing work environments (Le Clus 2011).
Coming into this job I had not previously worked in a gym environment or as a receptionist, therefore I found myself experiencing and observing a totally new atmosphere to my previous places of work, including restaurants. However, I was familiar with the workplace environment as I had previously trained at Elite PT for a number of years. To some degree, this spacial awareness conveyed a level of comfort coming into the job. In turn, through ethnographic observation, I have been able to characterise customer’s interactions with trainers, employee to employee conversations and the overall structure of the organisation over the past 10 months.
Within this workplace, informal learning is represented by conversation, social interaction, teamwork and mentoring. Whereby ethnographic observation draws attention to “…the learning that takes place in the spaces surrounding people, activities and events in the workplace” (Le Clus 2011).
Upon entering into this place of work, I had to adjust to the new hours of work I would be rostered on for. My shifts vary each week, whereby they consist of 4:30am starts, to 9pm finishes depending on the day. Initially I found it quite difficult to adjust to the open shifts, especially if I went straight from work to University, finding myself quite tired at times. During each shift I engage in conversation with customer’s and other staff, however, I have noticed individuals are quite prompt in their replies during the early morning peak periods.
Specifically, every week I am always rostered on the Friday night shift, whereby the same customer’s come in each week to use the gym and pool. Through recognising familiar faces, I began to learn which locker they preferred, how long they stayed in the gym for and what protein shakes and bars they purchased after their session. The following interactions have enabled me to acquire knowledge into individual’s behaviours, to which heightened customer service is displayed.
In regard to media use within my workplace, the implementation of communication tools, such as a Facebook Group page, enables reception staff to communicate about current updates, shift swaps and weekly issues that may arise. The use of media channels “… have significant benefits for organisations, enhancing internal communications and creating opportunities for innovation and knowledge sharing” (Wadee 2013).
It is evident my current workplace routine has enhanced my awareness towards a unique perspective on the way in which individuals interact in different industries. Through day-to-day informal learning, I have discovered individual’s behaviour patterns when coming to the gym, along with how my fellow reception staff interact and highlight issues via social media communication tools.
Brittany
Reference List
Elite PT, 2018, Elite PT, image, viewed 15 September, <http://www.eliteptsc.com/>.
Growing Social Media, 2015, Growing Social Media at Work, image, viewed 15 September, <http://growingsocialmedia.com/will-facebook-work-mode-ever-take-off/>.
Le Clus, M 2011, ‘Informal learning in the workplace: a review of the literature’, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 355-373.
Wadee, Z 2013, ‘Facebook your boss: using social media in internal communications’, Guardian, 25 January, viewed 16 September, <https://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/facebook-employers-encourage-social-media>.
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