Non-financial incentives and their application to enhance motivation and productivity in mining industry employees

The mining industry is experiencing challenges in attracting and retaining sufficient skilled employees to meet strategic aims and production objectives, despite offering relatively high financial incentives. Human resources management theory indicates that many factors contribute to employee motivation and job satisfaction, and that these in turn influence performance and employee turnover. Although financial rewards are recognised as major motivating factors in mining employee job satisfaction, non-financial motivators are also desired. This paper examines the use of non-financial incentives to improve performance and productivity in mine operational employees and identifies incentives that could achieve these goals. With few studies focusing on non-financial methods of improving personnel performance in mining, studies from other industries are considered and applied to the mining industry. The paper finds non-financial incentives are likely to increase the motivation of employees in the mining industry, and that incentives which improve the employee’s workplace experience are particularly desired.