There’s a lot of buzz around employee experience (EX) across industries, but what does it really mean and why is it particularly important for the remote mining and resources (M&R) workforce?

The war for talent is driven by change, and employee experience is key to helping organisations attract and retain the right employees. Competing on salary alone is no longer a viable approach in M&R, with competitive incentives including tailored employee benefits becoming an expectation for any employee package.

Employee experience

Organisations across industry sectors are now using simple, powerful ideas to lead a change in mindset and set a new approach to attracting and retaining the best talent. In the M&R industry the pressure of renewed industry growth on a limited skills pool is perhaps one of the greatest challenges for organisations.

About a third of all Australian organisations regularly measure employee experience, with a majority either already running, or planning to implement, an employee benefits program.

M&R’s unique workforce

After reaching the depths of industry decline in 2014, M&R has rebounded. Commodity prices are increasing and there’s confidence about continued growth in the sector. However, universities are reporting reduced enrolments for mining related courses, which means the battle to attract and retain the best talent is tougher than ever.

The remote nature of the workforce and the specific skills required to work in the mining and resources sector differentiates the industry from others. So it’s important employee benefits are packaged to offer benefits that help improve the lifestyle and financial wellbeing of people working in the industry.

Competing for talent based on salary has been industry practice in the past, but now employee benefits are becoming a critical part of the employee experience.

M&R employee benefits

M&R employees are entitled to a range of salary packaging benefits – including employer-provided in-house childcare and relocation expenses, remote living reimbursements, superannuation benefits, fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) benefits and other lifestyle and work-related benefits.

Investing in a positive employee experience and enabling your people to get more out of their pre and post-tax dollars can help your organisation unlock loyalty in your remote workforce. Maxxia offers salary packaging specific to the M&R industry.

Click here to download Maxxia’s Essential Guide to Benefits in Mining & Resources: How employee benefits can unlock loyalty in a remote workforce.