When working on mines or in similar circumstances, the long stretches away from home and family can be the most detrimental element to employee morale. Usually the isolation is worse for employee well-being than the work itself, management, or other common morale problems that crop up in any workplace. For miners and energy exploration experts, a lengthy three-to-five-week work assignment on a remote camp can wear out any goodwill and confidence they may have had.
The following five tips to help mitigate the blues and upsets that accompany any remote mining or exploratory operation, but before we get to these five main points, a primer: These tips are all built on the foundation of good Human Resources practices that HR directors and executives in all industries have to follow. The first, and probably the most important for remote teams spending large amounts of time together isolated in remote locations, is smart hiring practices. Hiring managers must take into account the long hours, days, and weeks their employees will be spending together. It only takes one or two individuals that profoundly irk the rest to destroy team chemistry and productivity. The managers and foremen in charge of these teams also have a large responsibility to keep the team dynamic productive and cordial in the field.
In short, what would be small problems with team productivity and cohesion in an office setting can grow into a situation much worse in a remote mining site. Here are five ways to improve team morale in the field:
1. Better access to technology
Miners and energy workers don’t expect to have all of the devices and comforts of home on-site, but one surefire way to improve worker morale is to give the workers better access to everything they are used to at home, or if not everything, than close to it. Having a phone to call family and friends back home helps fight the normal pangs of homesickness many of the workers will feel. A strong Internet connection does wonders. Workers can follow their friends on social media, manage their online banking account, send emails if they need to, or just mindlessly scroll through stories on their Facebook news feed. An Internet connection, as well as a reliable entertainment system, does wonders for employee productivity when workers have a way to unwind after a long day. There can be something for everyone if your technology and entertainment is handled, from DirecTV for football games to movie nights on the big screen.
2. Equipment, Space, and Time to Workout
Even workers involved in physically demanding jobs benefit from equipment, space, and time to exercise. Regular exercise is a great stress-reliever, especially in an isolated, remote atmosphere. Many times, if there is simply a space to go on jogs, a few workers organizing team runs or exercise routines can improve team cohesion and productivity along with morale. Whether a full gym, a running track, or just a simple basketball court is appropriate, if team managers or coordinators plan ahead to give workers the means to exercise beyond their jobs, productivity and morale will inevitably rise. Sometimes it takes a team leader to simply set aside time to exercise together to gain this benefit.
3. Good food
The ancient axiom that an army fights on their stomach is still true. And while a mining crew won’t have to march hundreds of miles to conquer some ancient city, having fresh, local ingredients and a skilled cooking staff goes a long way toward team morale. It’s important to mix in the flavors and dishes of home with comfort food that the crew is used to, but taking advantage of the local fare and flavor is a great way to spice up the menu, giving the workers variety and a sense of culture in the place they’ve been sent far from their families and friends, which leads to the next tip…
4. Create Time to Experience the Local Community
Some work groups are in small mining towns with their own history and culture. Some are in areas so remote that the only culture is of the wild animals that inhabit the area. Whether the workers are sharing space with small town residents or hardy plants and animals, taking the time to get out and appreciate these residents is a great way to improve employee engagement and morale over time. Employees will return with shared experiences and stories to tell, even if it simply means heading down to the local bar.
5. Organized group activities
On a base level, fun, organized group activities do wonders for team morale. Whether it’s engaging with the community on some level or simply sitting around a table playing poker, team activities create shared experiences that give employees reason to look forward to the end of the work day and bond with their co-workers.
Using all of these tips takes planning and forethought. But if organizers assemble a team that can work together, making plans based on these tips will improve morale and communication over time.
