6
The importance of communication and collaboration
were acknowledged through the reinvigoration of mul-
tiple feedback loops. Formalized touchpoints for commu-
nication, collaboration and understanding the big picture
included quarterly technical group town hall sessions, bi-
yearly Technical Leadership workshops, and quarterly tech-
nical newsletters that have since merged to the creation of a
centralized Technical SharePoint site. Regular group pulse
checks for two-way feedback were promoted through bi-
yearly people survey pulse checks, retention analysis and
regular team member check-in’s (i.e., regular one on one
meetings between direct leaders and team members and
quarterly to annual manager once removed meetings) and
partnered quality safety interactions.
The bi-yearly Rio Tinto people survey shows the senti-
ment of the changes that have been made. The people sur-
veys serve as way point markers to the strategic destination.
People surveys measure employee satisfaction, likelihood of
recommending Rio Tinto, response rate (i.e., as a function
of participation percentage), and 18 culture drivers.
Figure 2 shows that through the wider lens, it is important
to note that there has been a sizeable upward shift in
employee engagement and satisfaction since people surveys
commenced in Quarter 2 2019 and the function strategy
workshop in Quarter 4 2021.
Figure 3 shows the continued and generally upward
trend of engagement measures for the Kennecott Technical
group. However, in the most recent Quarter 4 2023 results,
there was a regression in employee satisfaction and 16 of the
culture drivers. Large drops in Action Taking, Innovation
and Collaboration may indicate that despite ongoing
efforts, the low hanging fruit is picked, and the thornier
issues remain to be tackled.
Figure 2. Rio Tinto Kennecott Technical Group Employee
Satisfaction
DEEP DIVING INTO THE KENNECOTT
OPEN PIT MINE TECHNICAL TEAM
The Bingham Canyon Open Pit Mine has endured much
in its proud 120-year history. Be it fluctuating commodity
prices or open pit wall instability, the business has made
many difficult but necessary decisions to overcome these
existential challenges. Following the Manefay slope failure
in 2013, the largest mining induced high wall failure ever
recorded (Ross, 2017), organizational changes were made
over subsequent years to insulate the business against lower
profit margins. Although necessary to keep the business
running, the impact of these changes was lasting and has
influenced the present-day team culture.
With a currently approved mine life to 2032, the
Open Pit Mine Technical team is focused on near-term
plan performance and life extension opportunities. There
are approximately 65 members within the Open Pit
Mine Technical team comprising Geologists, Technicians,
Mining Engineers, and Geotechnical Engineers. This makes
it the largest and most functionally diverse team within the
Kennecott Technical group. Mining the structurally con-
trolled and adversely bedded south wall has presented many
slope stability challenges that consume the team’s capacity.
The recent departure of key personnel after many years
with the Open Pit Mine Technical team exposed gaps that
had to be filled.
A clear leadership mandate was established. The Open
Pit Mine Technical team’s leadership focus was to:
• • Elevate authentic and people-centric team culture
• • Build empowered leadership
• • Adapt from a reactive to a proactive way of working
Many of the following opportunities are available to all
Kennecott personnel. What is unique about the Open Pit
Mine Technical team has been the widespread and success-
ful incorporation of these development initiatives across a
relatively large technical team.
As a work in progress, re-investment in capability build-
ing has been paramount to achieving the Open Pit Mine
Technical team’s leadership mandate. Most of the profes-
sional development has been through experience, that is
honing skills on the job. Enhanced experience was offered
through internal secondments, transfers, and promotions to
encourage “…discomfort for growth. Big changes and big
risks bring greatest development and growth.” (B. Andrew,
personal communication, June 14, 2023). Team members
were also given more opportunities to present their work
to the most senior leaders. Acting leadership opportunities
The importance of communication and collaboration
were acknowledged through the reinvigoration of mul-
tiple feedback loops. Formalized touchpoints for commu-
nication, collaboration and understanding the big picture
included quarterly technical group town hall sessions, bi-
yearly Technical Leadership workshops, and quarterly tech-
nical newsletters that have since merged to the creation of a
centralized Technical SharePoint site. Regular group pulse
checks for two-way feedback were promoted through bi-
yearly people survey pulse checks, retention analysis and
regular team member check-in’s (i.e., regular one on one
meetings between direct leaders and team members and
quarterly to annual manager once removed meetings) and
partnered quality safety interactions.
The bi-yearly Rio Tinto people survey shows the senti-
ment of the changes that have been made. The people sur-
veys serve as way point markers to the strategic destination.
People surveys measure employee satisfaction, likelihood of
recommending Rio Tinto, response rate (i.e., as a function
of participation percentage), and 18 culture drivers.
Figure 2 shows that through the wider lens, it is important
to note that there has been a sizeable upward shift in
employee engagement and satisfaction since people surveys
commenced in Quarter 2 2019 and the function strategy
workshop in Quarter 4 2021.
Figure 3 shows the continued and generally upward
trend of engagement measures for the Kennecott Technical
group. However, in the most recent Quarter 4 2023 results,
there was a regression in employee satisfaction and 16 of the
culture drivers. Large drops in Action Taking, Innovation
and Collaboration may indicate that despite ongoing
efforts, the low hanging fruit is picked, and the thornier
issues remain to be tackled.
Figure 2. Rio Tinto Kennecott Technical Group Employee
Satisfaction
DEEP DIVING INTO THE KENNECOTT
OPEN PIT MINE TECHNICAL TEAM
The Bingham Canyon Open Pit Mine has endured much
in its proud 120-year history. Be it fluctuating commodity
prices or open pit wall instability, the business has made
many difficult but necessary decisions to overcome these
existential challenges. Following the Manefay slope failure
in 2013, the largest mining induced high wall failure ever
recorded (Ross, 2017), organizational changes were made
over subsequent years to insulate the business against lower
profit margins. Although necessary to keep the business
running, the impact of these changes was lasting and has
influenced the present-day team culture.
With a currently approved mine life to 2032, the
Open Pit Mine Technical team is focused on near-term
plan performance and life extension opportunities. There
are approximately 65 members within the Open Pit
Mine Technical team comprising Geologists, Technicians,
Mining Engineers, and Geotechnical Engineers. This makes
it the largest and most functionally diverse team within the
Kennecott Technical group. Mining the structurally con-
trolled and adversely bedded south wall has presented many
slope stability challenges that consume the team’s capacity.
The recent departure of key personnel after many years
with the Open Pit Mine Technical team exposed gaps that
had to be filled.
A clear leadership mandate was established. The Open
Pit Mine Technical team’s leadership focus was to:
• • Elevate authentic and people-centric team culture
• • Build empowered leadership
• • Adapt from a reactive to a proactive way of working
Many of the following opportunities are available to all
Kennecott personnel. What is unique about the Open Pit
Mine Technical team has been the widespread and success-
ful incorporation of these development initiatives across a
relatively large technical team.
As a work in progress, re-investment in capability build-
ing has been paramount to achieving the Open Pit Mine
Technical team’s leadership mandate. Most of the profes-
sional development has been through experience, that is
honing skills on the job. Enhanced experience was offered
through internal secondments, transfers, and promotions to
encourage “…discomfort for growth. Big changes and big
risks bring greatest development and growth.” (B. Andrew,
personal communication, June 14, 2023). Team members
were also given more opportunities to present their work
to the most senior leaders. Acting leadership opportunities