Safety Professional Salaries

Resources Sector Salary Gap Closing

A new salary survey released today shows a brain drain triggered by the mining boom has forced employers in other sectors to increase salaries for safety professionals.
The gap in safety salaries between the mining and resource sectors and other industry sectors is closing for the first time in past six years according to survey results from specialist search and recruitment firm safesearch.
The 2011/2012 safesearch Annual Remuneration Survey includes data from over 80 Australian organisations covering over 697 individuals.
Safety salaries in the mining and resource sectors saw a minor decrease across all positions this year, a first since the surveys inception in 2006. At the same time, the professional services, consulting and retail sectors demonstrated remuneration levels grew among senior safety positions.
Managing Director of safesearch, Julie Honore, said that this is likely the result of pressure on professional services, consulting and retail sectors to retain top talent, which they have been losing to major capital projects in the resource and mining sectors.
“The decrease in salaries across the mining and resource sectors is likely related to a both a more tempered approach in this sector, and a settling effect as during the boom many resource companies were forced to take people from other industry sectors. This has addressed, to an extent, the severe shortages being felt in prior years.”
In addition, it appears that companies are now being more strategic in their approach by putting an emphasis on their HR and employee branding strategies rather than simply throwing more dollars at the problem.
“We have observed a trend in major resource companies where more focus is being placed on retaining top safety talent. Resource companies are attempting to retain and attract top talent through increased flexibility, such as the use of more attractive rosters and onsite facilities for FIFO. No longer are they relying on salary alone. Retaining this talent then allows for the coaching of their broader teams while also engaging with educational institutions to build a long-term talent pipeline at the lower levels,” Honore said.
With the remuneration levels across industry sectors converging, other sectors will need to follow the lead of this sector and focus on extending and enhancing their employee value proposition in order to be competitive in the market for safety talent.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Julie Honoré, Managing Director, SafeSearch www.safesearch.com.au
03 9663 5513, Mobile: 0419 859 217
The 2011/2012 survey includes 84 participating organisations with analysis on data for 697 individuals across 11 job positions, with two newly introduced positions, Sustainability Advisor and Energy Manager.
Julie Honoré is the founder and Managing Director of SafeSearch and EnviroSearch, specialist search and recruitment businesses. Previously a Director with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, she led their national HR Consulting practice in Australia. She holds a Masters in Leadership and Management (MLM) and is actively involved with AHRI (FAHRI and past Victorian Councillor), the Safety Institute of Australia – FSIA (Hon) and various committee posts with the SIA. She also chairs a regular General Manager Health, Safety and Environment forum for ASX 200 leaders as well as being a committee member of OSHAC (WorkSafe OHS Advisory Committee Victoria).