Flexible work arrangements have delivered a positive impact on BHP’s culture, according to Australian vice president for planning and technical in minerals, David Ruddell.
Ruddell has been able to experience firsthand the benefits of providing his team with the opportunity for flexible work after an internal employee survey revealed more than 60 per cent of his team felt they worked flexibly.
The average across BHP for the same survey was 45 per cent, giving Ruddell and his planning and technical team a huge boost in productivity and job satisfaction.
“For me and my team, the real benefit is a total cultural change with everyone being more trusted, respected, more productive and, most importantly, more engaged,” he said.
“This is absolutely reflective of an inclusive and diverse workplace, somewhere that everyone enjoys coming to work- it is simply fantastic and great to see the impact flexible work is having on the culture at BHP.”
For Ruddell, flexible work included a variety of arrangements which included job sharing, working part-time, returning from parental leave, different start and finish times or simply working from home occasionally.
“It not just for parents with children. We all have commitments outside of work, we might have ageing parents that need our support, external interests we are keen to pursue, or we might work better at different times than others,” he said.
In order to optimise performance and satisfaction, Ruddell emphasised that it’s about supporting team members to work flexibly and balancing the individual need with the business requirement.