Have you heard of the Great Resignation? In November 2021, when we were still in the middle of a pandemic, 4.5 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in search of higher salaries, better benefits, and more rewarding opportunities.
This year, 44% of Australian workers are also expected to leave their current jobs and actively look for new ones. So what does that mean for the mining industry?
Due to the nature of work in mining, employees are constantly stressed, unhappy, and burned out. And if employers do nothing about it, more employees will continue to quit to look for new opportunities until no one will be left behind to help the industry grow.
So before every single employee decides to quit, here’s what you can do to prevent a mass exodus from your company.
Employee Retention
Working conditions matter more to those looking for new opportunities than money. Today, people seek greater flexibility, mental health awareness, and work-life balance. The following tips will help you with employee retention:
Create opportunities for career advancement
Career advancement is one of the biggest motivators for people at work. If there are no opportunities for them to advance in their career, employees may have no choice but to look elsewhere. Try offering those who have the potential to perform well with new projects and challenges. If there are avenues for them to move up the career ladder, set aside time to talk with them about the goals and skills they would like to develop.
Reward and recognise
One of the easiest ways to retain employees is to pay them fairly and recognise them for their hard work.
Allow your employees to lead a new project or increase their salary by saying thanks for their hard work, and if you have the budget, you can always reward them with monetary rewards (such as an increase in salary).
Improve shifts
Employees are more likely to quit their jobs if they are unhappy with their work arrangements. But the FIFO roster is a part of working in mining, and it means employees will stay at an outdoor work site to work for a set period before flying home.
Extensive periods away from home have a negative effect on personal relations, and studies have found that about 30% of mine workers said their work life made it difficult to build and maintain relationships in their communities.
So if you have an opportunity to shorten FIFO rosters, it can make a huge difference in retention.
Extra Precautions
Another way to support your employees is to know more about them. How? Try using the DISC framework. It can help you understand how your current employees work to help you avoid misunderstandings, disagreements, and frustrations when working together, which can decrease the risk of stress and burnout.
As a recruitment agency, the DISC framework allows Aston Advantage to create a personalised profile of an employee’s traits. Each profile provides insight into individuals, teams, and leadership groups.
So even if the Great Resignation is already on its way to Oz, you’ll be prepared to retain your employees and keep them happy.
Want to get more insights about the mining and construction industry? Connect with us today.
