QLD Mining and Energy Bulletin
Issue link: http://ebook.aprs.com.au/i/50246
MONEY WON'T CUT IT A t last count, Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) workers were making up more than 50 per cent of the workforce at a number of mining sites throughout Australia. With FIFO becoming the new 'normal', it's time to consider what it means for organisational culture and what we need to do differently in order to minimise the impact and maximise the return. While big dollars can draw people to the mining industry, it's that very same reason, coupled with working conditions, that might start to erode the company's culture and cause people to look inward rather than off, can mean that you don't pay as much attention to detail and that you lack some ownership. This seems to be one of the biggest contributors to workplace animosity: a feeling that the people 'taking over' don't do a good enough job. This leads to frustration and a lack of motivation to do the best job possible. Often employees have never even met the person on the other end of their work. Ask teams doing similar jobs on opposing shifts about their work aims and you'll likely get very different answers. In one group that I worked with, a quick check revealed that the "Working in a situation where you execute a piece of the work, and then leave it to someone else to finish off, can mean that you don't pay as much attention to detail and that you lack some ownership." become a part of the bigger picture. Most people are 'doing it for the money' meaning that they are primed to think of themselves more than the company or people that are surrounding them. The overarching problem is that people become immune to financial reward. While it is a great reason to start a FIFO job, it will eventually be for other reasons that workers stay or leave. Negative impacts One of the biggest negative impacts exists between working groups that 'take over' one another's work. That is, one team flies out and the team flying in picks up where they left off. In this situation, there is an assumption that people have the same goals and that the teams taking over will do their best work to help support each other. In fact, the opposite is often true. Working in a situation where you execute a piece of the work, and then leave it to someone else to finish [50] 50 QLD Mining and Energy Bulletin Summer 2011/12 two teams had completely different priorities and goals. Another negative impact is that many FIFO workers see the job as a temporary means to boost finances and this has two knock- on effects. Firstly, workers aren't as interested in forging meaningful relationships at work. What this means is that we see smaller sub-cultures rather than an overriding team culture. In temporary situations, employees tend to connect only with very similar people as we build rapport quickest with those similar to ourselves. And secondly, employees are less inclined to identify with the workplace culture, which is a long-term proposition. They don't want to make the commitment to living the culture if they are only in it for a short-term fix. Solutions A different kind of team building becomes incredibly important when we work with a FIFO workforce. OPINION