Completing my final presentation and interview was an experience that taught me a lot about myself and the person I was interviewing. It opened up my eyes to stared experiences and also taught me that active listening is one of the largest parts of our community today.
I decided to Interview Hayley Taylor, my coworker from an old publishing house that we both used to work at, over zoom. I wanted to gain an insight into what Hayley’s opinion on toxic work culture was and how this opinion had changed overtime.
In preparation for this interview, I sent Hayley a few key points that I wanted to delve into. These covered who Hayley is, how our connection was formed, how Hayley’s path has changed and what her future looks like. I also decided to take the route of touching on overwork and toxic work relationships. Hayley had decided to pick up early in her publishing career and turn towards a career inTV journalism, a role that she has never regretted taking. She has attributed this to the key points below:
- Turning away from toxic overworking habits
- Prioritising her life and her relationships
- Reevaluating what work means to her
- Making her dreams a reality
Hayley and I discussed how overwork is a very real and toxic culture in the job market at the moment. We turned the discussion into how important this topic was and how vital it is that we are taught how to deal with toxic emotions in the workplace early. BCM313 had taught me a lot in regards to this, always directing workplace culture overtime and leaning towards an attitude of safe working levels, despite the growing reliance on technology and the expectancy to be constantly working.
Hayley reinforced that toxic work cultures were a thing of her past. She explained how she was wrapped up in “being the best” and “always put her relationships second to her job” in order to climb the corporate ladder. But what does this get us at the end of the day? Hayley stated that it was vital for young people to realise that they could work as hard as possible and burn themselves out and some companies would still find a replacement for them within a week. Although some jobs see people as just a number, we have to turn away from this idea and make sure we aren’t thinking of ourselves this way.
My interview with Hayley was one that informed me of workplace cultures and refreshed me in the sense that I was made to believe that we don’t have to adhere to this. We can choose tot urn away from these norms and pick a lifestyle that is healthy and fulfilling while still having the career we choose.
Thank you!
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