Page 48 - Annual Report 2020

1.6.1 Our people continued

Case study:
Developing Indigenous leaders in Minerals Australia

A successful Indigenous Development Program (IDP), run since me with confidence, resilience and motivation. The program
FY2015, has helped Minerals Australia progress its goal of taught us that whatever opportunities came our way, to no
developing Indigenous employees for leadership roles. longer say ‘no’ or think that we are not good enough. We were
The program has created career pathways for Aboriginal exposed to managers, other supervisors and senior leadership
and Torres Strait Islander employees to move into new roles, and this enabled us to network and further develop skills so that
including leadership roles, across BHP. we could create our own opportunities after the course.’
It has proven to be a success; 49 per cent of employees who Working towards leadership parity
have completed the program have moved into new roles, and Following the IDP’s success, in FY2019 BHP created the
20 per cent have been promoted into leadership roles. Indigenous Leadership Program (ILP) to help achieve the
Research underpinning the program showed that Indigenous leadership parity aspiration of 3 per cent Indigenous
employees would benefit from mentoring, more exposure representation at manager-level and above Australia by 2028.
to senior leaders and better access to training. The ILP supports Indigenous leaders to develop their careers and
The program targeted Indigenous employees in entry-level move into higher levels of leadership. The program aims to build
roles. In addition to addressing the opportunities raised through capability, provide tools to manage the complexities that come
the research, the program helped participants develop or with leadership, learn different leadership models and further
enhance skills in communication, emotional intelligence, develop skills in understanding and using emotional intelligence.
project management and business acumen. FY2020 course alumni Aaron Keevers, Contract Maintenance
Program alumni said they had grown in confidence following Supervisor, said: ‘The BHP ILP was a very rewarding course for
the program, with leaders also reporting positive changes in the me and the tools and learnings I took away have been invaluable
participants. This has resulted in a strong pipeline of potential and will help me to go to the next step in my development and
participants to take part in future program intakes. career. From our very first day, we were told to be ‘comfortable
Reflecting on her participation in the program, Dee Clarke, with the uncomfortable’ – four words that helped change my
mind-set.’
Planner Work Management, said: ‘The IDP has been one of the
most personally rewarding courses I have ever done. It helped
Indigenous leaders by role type in Minerals Australia
Increase
Role Type FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2017 to FY2020
Manager 1 2 2 4 300%
Superintendent 3 6 15 17 467%
Supervisor 46 57 68 99 115%
Total 50 65 85 120 140%

LGBT+ inclusion Flexible working
Jasper is BHP’s employee inclusion group for our lesbian, gay, Flexible work supports the diversity and wellness of our workforce.
bisexual, transgender and others (LGBT+) community and its allies. We further implemented our flexible work principles during the
Its aim is to drive a safe, inclusive and supportive work environment COVID-19 crisis by encouraging and supporting flexible work
for everyone by providing advice on ways to reduce bias and in different ways, such as new rosters, shifts for people in office
ensure LGBT+ people are respected and valued irrespective buildings and working from home offices (for people from our
of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. functions and also our operations if they were at risk). COVID-19
In FY2020, Jasper continued to focus on awareness and education, has rapidly challenged the mindset on work flexibility.
internal networking and building a network of allies. Working with suppliers
In Australia, over the past two years Jasper and non-profit We continue to work with our supply partners to ensure their products
organisation, Pride in Diversity, have visited our coal and iron ore and services are suitable for our workforce, as well as encouraging
mines in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales diversity in their own work teams. For example, we worked with our
and Olympic Dam in South Australia to roll out LGBT+ inclusion major materials supplier, Blackwoods, to redesign personal protective
awareness and education sessions. equipment (PPE) and other workwear to offer more size choices.
In Asia, Jasper hosted the Jasper Enrichment Sessions, which In formerly male dominated industries, such as resources, the design
of PPE and other industrial workwear has historically centred on
covered topics such as sexuality, coming out, HIV/AIDS and male requirements. This created a culture of ‘making do’, resulting
COVID-19. We continue to co-chair the InterEnergy Forum in in women in these industries wearing uniforms that did not fit,
Singapore and are an active member of the Philippine Financial were uncomfortable and impacted their sense of belonging in the
and Inter-Industry Pride forum in Manila. workplace. More than 70 changes and improvements have been made
In the United States, Jasper held monthly lunches where LGBT+ to the Blackwoods clothing range, from the size of socks and female
educational highlights were shared in a safe environment for boots, to the size and weight of helmets, garments, and head lamps.
discussion and support. We continued to receive positive feedback Employee relations
on the LGBT+ reverse mentoring pilot program in Houston.
Our employees participated in pride events in Adelaide, Brisbane, The four key focus areas for employee relations at BHP has
continued to be:
Houston, Manila, Perth and Saskatoon in FY2020. We began to roll • ensuring BHP complies with legal obligations and regional
out ‘all-gender’ bathrooms, starting in our corporate offices in labour regulations
Melbourne and Adelaide. We continued to participate in the
Australian Workplace Equality Index, the national benchmark on • negotiating, where there are requirements to collectively bargain
LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion and surveyed employees to assess the • closing out agreements with our workforce in South America
impact of our LGBT+ inclusion initiatives on organisational culture. and Australia, with no lost time due to industrial action, to the
extent possible
• endeavouring to create solid relations with our workforce, based
on a culture of trust and cooperation

46 BHP Annual Report 2020