Workshop aims To raise awareness of Australian workplace culture and practices To develop strategies to improve effectiveness in job search and the workplace Advise is general in nature Industries work places and roles ID: 702984
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Slide1
UTS Careers Presents:
The Aussie WorkplaceSlide2
Workshop aims
To raise awareness of Australian workplace culture and
practices
To develop strategies to improve effectiveness in job search and the
workplace
Advise is general
in nature. Industries, work places and roles
varySlide3
Typically Australian
From your experience
so far in Australia
or what you’ve heard about Australians:
What to you is typically Australian?
What about a ‘typical
Australian
person’?Slide4
Typically AustralianSlide5
Australia today
Over 80% of the population lives within around 50km of the coast!
– hence Australian culture tends to place high importance on the
beach
Non-indigenous Australians make up 98% of the population & over 25% of those were born
elsewhere
Today, people from more than 150 countries contribute to cultural change in
AustraliaSlide6
Australia StreetSlide7
Australian workplace cultures
Every Australian workplace has a
unique
mix of Australian national culture, subcultures and workplace-specific norms and values – often referred to as its
organisational
culture.
Each
organisation
will have unique communication styles, hierarchies and other features.
Learning the culture of one Australian workplace will not make you an expert in them all
!Slide8
Australian workplace culture today
Researchers who have studied the Australian workplace culture in the last 10 years have concluded that Australian workplace culture is a unique and different culture from its counterparts in N America, Asia and Europe.
In particular, they looked at the notion of “quality”.
They said:
“quality is perceived by Australians, primarily in terms of the relationships they have with those around them
and the organisation with which they are involved.”
Certain concepts, like Quality, have a totally different meaning in other countries.
Source: “Simply the best workplaces in Australia”, Working paper 88 by
Dr.
D Hull and V Read,
December 2003.Slide9
S
potting perceived cultural differences
Quality is an obsession with standards
… in Germany
Quality is the pursuit of perfection
… in Japan
Quality is viewed as luxury
… in France
Quality means ‘It works’
… in the USA
Quality implies Quality of Relationship first
… in AustraliaSlide10
Key differences between Australian and other workplaces
Organisational
hierarchy and management
styles
Equality
Managers are collaborative rather than directive
Communication styles
Informal
. Use of first names/ nicknames
Joking
and banter – sign of friendliness
Shortening
words
Expectations of
you as an employeeSlide11
One of the mates …..
Australian Approach
Ref: Lewis, D (1999),
Cross-Cultural Communication, A Visual Approach
, UK:
Transcreen
PublicationsSlide12
Australian communication styles
Informal
speech is typical
Directness can be seen as being more efficient and effective
Managers often use
collaborative
rather
than directive
communication styles with subordinates. Use of please/thank you.
Humour
between colleagues doesn’t mean there isn’t respect
Sarcasm
is a common form of
Australian
humour
!Slide13
Australian communication
Tone of voice
– statements often end with an upturn in tone, as if the statement was a question!
Need to listen to the words used to determine if the statement was in fact a question or not.
Jokes
– if an Australian teases you, it is often a sign of affection!
Do not take it personally. Australians expect you to laugh along with them and at yourself, i.e. they don’t take themselves too seriously!
Eye contact
– it is expected to have eye contact during communication
It is generally important to maintain eye contact when listening
to
someone else talk to you. (Ref: Interviews.)
Shaking hands
– it is normal for both females and males
as
a form of greetingSlide14
Australian slang
How
ya
goin
’/
doin
’?
What
d’ya
reckon?
= What do you think?Taking
a “sickie” / a ‘mental health day’ / a ‘doona
day’
= Slang for calling in sick.
Having a “
smoko
”
= taking a cigarette
or cigarette break
during work hours.
A fair go
= to give someone an equal chance
Ta
=
thank you
Barbie
= BBQ
Cuppa
=
Cup of teaSlide15
Australian slang
Slide16
Aussie
slangSlide17
Employers’ expectations… you will:
Demonstrate good
communication skills
Have good
problem-solving
, planning and
organisational
skills
Be able
to work independently or in diverse teams
Show enthusiasm
and be
self
motivated
Take initiative and
be
assertive when appropriate
Be
punctual and
responsible
for tasks
Ask good questions
Give your
own ideas
(in an appropriate manner)Slide18
The Employability skills framework
Source: Graduate Careers Australia
Loyalty
Commitment
Honesty & integrity
Enthusiasm
Reliability
Personal presentation
Common sense
Positive self-esteem
A sense of humour
A balanced attitude to work and home life
An ability to deal with pressure
Motivation & initiative
Adaptability
Personal attributes
that contribute to overall
employability & which employers appreciate:Slide19
Most assessed skills/competencies
The Top 10 most assessed competencies, as reported by graduate employers in the
2014
AAGE survey:
Cultural fit
Teamwork
Oral communication
Interpersonal skills
Motivational fit
Analytical skills
Problem
solving skills
Achieves results
Integrity and trust
Written communication skillsSlide20
Age and
culture
Workplaces today:
Baby boomers +
Gen X
Gen Y
Different generations Different cultures
Different education Different perspectives
Different upbringings Different social norms and valuesSlide21
Work vs. Leisure
A fairly accurate
generalisation
could be that, in Australia:
Work is important, but leisure makes it all worthwhile!
Australians certainly do work hard, although many Australians will see work as a means to acquire the financial resources they need to do the things they enjoy the most.
(Casual) Fridays in the workplace
Long lunches; dress more casually; the weekend is almost here!
Talking Sport!
Can help you ‘fit in’/ be accepted in some workplaces.Slide22
What makes an “excellent workplace”?Slide23
Australian legislation relevant to the workplace
Federal (Commonwealth) law
State or Territory legislation
Local government regulation
A
‘must’ / shall / compulsory
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Code of practice / conduct
Workplace guidelines
Policies and procedures
A
‘should’ / ought to / supposed toSlide24
Australian legislation – Health & Safety
www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
NSW employers must have a workers compensation policy that covers all workers
Employers
have a duty of care to ensure workers are not exposed to any risks to their
health
and safety during the course of carrying out their duties.
Employees must:
take reasonable care for their own health and safety
take reasonable care for the health and safety of others
comply with any reasonable instruction by the employer
cooperate with any reasonable policies and procedures of the employer
TIP
: When you join an organisation, you should familiarise yourself with the WHS policy, including emergency evacuation procedures.Slide25
Australian legislation – Anti-discrimination & Equal Opportunity
Discrimination, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) & affirmative action
Australia has strong anti-discrimination legislation.
Federal Laws:
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
Age Discrimination Act 2004 (
Cth
)
Disability Discrimination Act 1992
Racial Discrimination Act 1975
Sex Discrimination Act 1984
State (NSW) Law:
New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) Slide26
Australian legislation – Anti-discrimination & Equal Opportunity
Under the
Fair Work Act 2009
, discrimination is disadvantaging someone in the workplace because of their:Slide27
Australian legislation – workplace
rights
The basics of the Fair Work System
There are 10
National Employment Standards
that protect employees’ minimum conditions.
There are 122
modern awards
that cover most businesses in Australia. These set the minimum wages and conditions of employment for employees and employers who are covered by them.
There are
minimum wages
,
which usually depend on the type of work you’re doing, your age, qualifications, whether you’re doing an apprenticeship or traineeship and the industry you work in.
Every employee has to get a
Fair Work Information Statement
when they start a new job.
www.fairwork.gov.auSlide28
Australian legislation – conditions and salary
TAX
If you work in Australia, your employer will deduct income tax from the salary or wages they pay you and pass it on to the Australian Tax Office (ATO
).
Before you start work, you will need to get a Tax File Number (TFN). Apply
online through
the
ATO.
At the end of each income year (30 June), most people need to lodge an income tax return. Your employer should provide you with a payment summary which has most of the info required on it. Deadline is 31 October each year
.
If you are working temporarily in Australia, you may pay tax at different rates depending on your residency status. You will need to work out whether you are classified as a resident for tax purposes using the residency test on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website:
www.ato.gov.auSlide29
Australian legislation – conditions and salary
SUPERANNUATION
(“Super”)
Money set aside over your lifetime to provide for your retirement
.
Employers make compulsory superannuation contributions (minimum
9.25%)
on behalf of eligible employees
.
Employees can generally choose the superannuation fund into which their contributions are made. Employers will pay super directly into a super fund
.
Generally paid to employees who are less than 70 years old; are paid a salary or wages of A$450 or more in a calendar month & who work full-time, part-time or on a casual basis.
See:
http
://www.ato.gov.auSlide30
Australian legislation – conditions and salary
SALARY
The national minimum wage acts is a safety net for employees in the national workplace relations system to provide minimum rates of pay for employees
not
covered by awards or agreements.
Correct as at
1 July 2014
:
Federal minimum wage is
$
640.90
per week ($
16.87 per
hour).
Reviewed by the Fair Work Commission annually. Into effect from 1
st
pay period on or after 1 July each year.
Basic rate of pay depends on age, job classification and industrial instruments (e.g. an Award or Workplace Agreement).
Casual rates of pay can vary (for example $15 – 26 per hour).
VISAS
You must understand your work rights in Australia. See the
Dept
of Immigration website
www.immi.gov.au
BANK ACCOUNT
When filling in paperwork for a new job, you will be required to provide your bank BSB and account number.Slide31
Australian legislation – conditions and salary
FURTHER INFO
http://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment
http://www.industrialrelations.nsw.gov.au/
http://employment.gov.au/
International students living in NSW:
http://www.nsw.gov.au/internationalstudents-living
Australian Government:
http://australia.gov.au/people/students/international-students
NSW Police have
Facebook and
Weibo
pages for international students:
https://www.facebook.com/nswinternationalstudents
http://www.weibo.com/signup/signup.php?inviteCode=3165942032Slide32
Steps to assist with cultural adaptation
Observation
Observe what goes on in social situations: what do people who are a similar age, gender, role
etc
to you do?
Observe how Australians react to your
behaviour
.
Try to understand why people behave in certain ways by learning about cultural norms, values and beliefs - (the
lightbulb
moment!).
Self-awareness
Be mindful of how you interact with others.
Personal space
Experimentation
Try new
behaviours
until you find the one that seems most accepted or ‘normal’ in any given context.
Things that are successful with one person may not work well with others.Slide33
A self-audit
Which
generic/transferable skills do you think are most important for your industry?
(e.g. communication skills, teamwork, problem-solving, analytical skills, time management, leadership etc…)
What
is your current level of ability in each of those areas?
(e.g. no ability, beginner, intermediate, advanced)
How
convincing is the evidence you can give in support of your abilities?
(i.e. what specific examples can you give to demonstrate your skills?)
List
specific development activities / your Action Plan list of activities which will enhance your employability…
(e.g. join some societies, network, see HELPS for communication lessons, update your resume, seek out opportunities for leadership roles etc…)Slide34
Final Tips
Adaptation begins with
self-awareness
.
Be aware of your own attitudes and values.
Observe
others in your surrounds – you will pick up on what the cultural ‘norms’ are by doing this.
Be open
to others and get to know people: talk to them, learn about them and let them learn about you.
Give yourself time and
be patient
. Transitioning from one culture to another takes time. As an Australian would say, give yourself a “fair go”!
Pat yourself on the back
for your courage in going out there and trying something new
Useful booklet -
Employability skills and workplace culture in Australia
:
http://vetinfonet.dtwd.wa.gov.au/Resourcesandlinks/Documents/6.1.1_Employability_guide_Skills_work_place_culture-guide_for_migrants.pdfSlide35
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www.careers.uts.edu.au
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