Leading a multigenerational workforce in the mining industry Anton Guinea, Founder The Guinea Group
T Understanding generational differences is important because some mines have up to four generations of workers – sometimes in the one team.
he Australian mining industry employs over 300,000 people, which equates to 2.1% of the population. Parttime staff make up 5% of the mining industry, and 21% are female, according to the latest Federal statistics.
The average age of all mining employees in Australia is 41. That puts the average year of birth at 1982 or 1983 for Australian miners – meaning that the average generation of workers in Australian mines is Millennial. So, why is that important? Because Millennials (and no, they are generally not called Gen Y, but they do
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fit in between Gen X and Gen Z) have very different requirements from their leaders than do Generation Z employees, as do Generation X team members. For those of you wondering what the generational intervals are, start at 1964. If you were born prior to that, you are a Baby Boomer. If you were born between 1964 and 1980, you are Generation X. If you were born between 1980 and 1996, you are a Millennial, and if you were born since 1996, you are Generation Z. Understanding generational differences is also important because some mines, and even some teams, have up to four generations of workers – in the one team. Let’s take our analysis one step further and look at the average age of a supervisor in the mining industry. That average age is 45. There is not much difference between the average age of the team, and the average age of the
supervisor, you might think. Or is there? At the age of 45, the average generation of mining industry leaders is Generation X. A very, very different generation and leadership style compared to the more recent generations. Generation X miners were raised (and led early in their careers) by Baby Boomers, who were born into toughness, and who were strict at home and strict at work. Generation X mining leaders are struggling to adapt. How do I know? As a leadership coach I speak to them most days. Not only are challenges like Psychological Safety scaring them, not only are mental health claims on the rise in mining (and other industries), but each generation of worker also requires a completely different leadership style. All on the same day. In the same team. Stay strong leaders. We’ve got you covered.