Skilled Migrant Professionals December 2015 | Page 11

Career

THE DO’S AND DON’TS
OF HOW TO FIT IN

Understanding Aussie
Workplace Culture
A

n important issue for new migrants working in Australia is to
understand Australian (Aussie) culture, and a crucial part of this
is knowing how to fit in at work, with your team, and within the
organisation generally.
A lot has been written about culture at work because it is so powerful.
So much so, that it is often rated as being more important than all other business resources, such as finance and technology. Culture is about
people and what motivates them, which is important to understand as
all work is done by people (even computers or robots cannot work without a person to program them).
While there are many academic definitions of culture, it basically refers to the values and behaviours practised by a group of people. Behaviours, such as language and dress, are the most obvious and day-today factors that make up a culture. Values are deeper in peoples’ psyche
and are reflected in the many decisions that are made each day at all
levels of an organisation.

Mateship
Australians place a high value on friendly relationships, reflected in the
term ‘mate’. With a relatively small population, it is important to get along
with everyone, as you never know when your paths may cross again. This
leads to a win-win negotiating style, since having everyone come away
with positive feelings can help to facilitate future business dealings.

Modesty
Australians are very down-to-earth people and are always mindful of not
giving the impression they think they are better than anyone else. They
dislike pretentiousness and value authenticity, sincerity, and an open and
frank manner.

By John Tedesco, Planning and
Governance Manager with the
Rottnest Island Authority

Australians prefer a modest and self-deprecating approach, so a sense
of humour is highly valued. They generally do not draw attention to
their job or academic achievements and tend to distrust people who
do. Downplaying personal success, however, can often mask a fiercely
competitive spirit, as reflected in their love of sport.

Egalitarian
Aussies like to perceive themselves as being reasonably equal in terms
of status and wealth, even though increasingly they are not. They loathe
people flaunting personal wealth, authority and status, although they
generally respect people who achieve in these areas. This egalitarian
value is evident, for example, in the use of people’s first names at work,
whether it’s the CEO or the cleaner. Another example is that they don’t
accept anyone ‘jumping the queue’ no matter who they are.

Practical
The common good, or a practical worthy cause, is more motivating
and powerful than an intangible goal or vision. Australians like to
help solve a practical problem or address a customer or community need. As an example, supplying a customer’s product on time is
more motivating than winning an Australian customer service award
or similar achievement.
The following do’s and don’ts will give you some practical help on
how to fit in at an Aussie workplace:

December 2015 | www.smpmagazine.com.au

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