The First and Only Job and Career Development Magazine for Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs in Laos.
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Lisa Harmony is an Australian expatriate working and living in Laos. She is employed by the Australian
mining company, PanAust as Recruitment and Workforce
Planning Superintendent. Lisa shares her experiences
moving to Laos and the challenges and rewards faced by an expatriate joining the workforce here.
108JOB: Lisa, we understand you grew up in
Queensland, Australia where you attended
universityand attained a degree in Human
Resourcesand Marketing. This helped to
commence your career in human resources and
led to you move into the mining sector. What
attracted you to your field and how did you
transition into mining?
Lisa: I really wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do when I finished my degree. I had been living and studying on the Sunshine Coast and relocated
back to Brisbane (Queensland’s capital city) to find work. The job market was really tough at the time so it took me a few months to find a job. The combination of my HR degree and previous customer service and administration experience seemed to really suit the recruitment industry, so I found myself drawn to job ads for recruitment
consultants. The job that I was first offered was actually providing administrative support in a small recruitment agency, which was a lower
Workingin LaosLisa HARMONYRecruitment and Workforce Planning Superintendent, Phu Bia Mining
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level than I had hoped for, but I accepted the
opportunity anyway. My career progressed to a senior role within a recruitment agency
specializing in the mining industry. It was there
that I was approached by one of my clients to join
their company to set up their internal recruitment
function.
108JOB: You lead the recruitment and workforce
planning team for Phu Bia Mining, which is
PanAust’s registered company in Laos. What is
your main role and what are your responsibilities
within this role?
Lisa: My team are responsible for the recruitment of expatriate and Lao national positions for Phu Bia Mining’s operations here in Laos, so it is always busy! My main focus has been to develop and
implement standard processes and procedures and to train the team so that we are maintaining best practice standards for recruitment, but I am also
responsible for workforce and localization planning.
This involves developing manning budgets and planning for future growth, whilst considering
the training and development requirements
of our Lao workforce. I am really lucky that I have a varied role, so every day is different and
there is always an interesting project to work on.
108JOB: Were you already working for PanAust
when you relocated to Laos in 2011? Was it a difficult decision to move to an unknown country away from friends and family?
Lisa: No, I joined PanAust in this role in Laos. I was working for another mining company in Australia when my position was made redundant
due to a company takeover. I had already travelled
to offshore mining operations in that role, which had started me thinking about pursuing an
expatriate opportunity – it seemed like an exciting
new adventure. When it comes to job opportunities,
it is always about timing…this was one of those situations when everything worked out perfectly. Of course, it can be hard being
away from friends and family, but I felt really
positive about the new company, job and
location so I knew that it was the right decision.
108JOB: Many expatriates would agree that Laos is a wonderful
place to live. The weather is warm, the locals are friendly,
l iving expenses are relat ively low and Vientiane
Capital is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of larger
cities. But working in Laos can be very different to working
in other countries and some adjustment is often needed.
How does office culture differ in Laos to Australia? What major
cultural differences have you noticed in the workplace?
Have you had to overcome any cultural hurdles?
Lisa: I am really fortunate to be working in our modern office in Vientiane, so when I am sitting inside in the cool air conditioning,
it doesn’t feel any different to working in Australia! Office cul-ture is still maturing in Laos, and as a large, professional organi-sation, we have certain office rules and etiquette in place, which are no different to what I am used to back in Australia. I am sure that this is a different environment to what many of our Lao staff are accustomed to, but they all handle themselves professionally.
One of the more obvious cultural differences is the way that I greet new business associates. I will only shake hands with someone if they initiate first, otherwise I will nop – this
is particularly the case when I am meeting Laotian men, it is important to be respectful. The other difference is the typical office dress of the female Lao staff, being the sinh. I had one made a few weeks after I came to Laos and was pleased with the reception I received upon arriving at the office in my new office attire – “Lisa, you look beautiful in your sinh!!”, but was then deflated to hear, “but, it is too short!!” It was sitting just on my knee, making it almost risqué in this part of the world.
Lesson learned, my other sinhs fall to a respectable calf-length.
108JOB: What do you believe you have learnt from working in Laos? Which skills have you developed since working here?
Lisa: I have a really multicultural team with Lao, Australian, Thai, Filipino and Indonesian staff reporting to me so I need to modify my style to suit their culture and have had to be more patient, flexible and take more care when I speak. I didn’t realize
how much “Aussie slang” I used to use! What I have found though, is that there are more similarities between us all, than there are differences. Everyone wants to enjoy their work and be able to support their family. In terms of work skills, I have had the chance to manage a number of different projects with Phu Bia Mining. I am really lucky that I have been able to broaden the initial scope of my role, which has provided me with great career development, whilst also developing the skills of my team.
108JOB: Laos has just become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and will soon enter the ASEAN Economic
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Community (AEC) in 2015. These are both excellent national
opportunities, but also lead to the challenges of greater
competition. As a human resources expert, how do you believe the Lao workforce will meet these challenges? What do you see as the number one area for improvement in Lao human resources?
Lisa: You are right, it is an exciting time. The Lao workforce will need to be prepared for this increased competition by
planning and further developing their professional skills,
including their skills in other languages. It probably sounds like a contradiction, but they will need to be flexible and prepared to take some risks to seize opportunities as they are presented,
but be patient about how quickly results will be realized.
108JOB: What are the top 5 attributes that you look for in a potential employee?
Lisa: Aside from having the right qualifications, skills and
experience for the position, we look for people who aremotivated,
have excellent communication and language skills, the ability
to work with people from different backgrounds and strong
problem solving skills.
108JOB: What advice can you offer to Lao graduates looking to start a career in the mining industry?
Lisa: Firstly, I recommend speaking to people you know who are already working in mining to understand more about the industry. Attend the Careers Fairs at the
universities and speak with the company repre-sentatives.
Graduates in all countries often think that just
because they have finished a degree that they are
guaranteed a high paying job. This is not the case.
There is no ndoubt that having the right degree,
particularly in the industry specific disciplines
like engineering, will hold you in good stead for a Graduate position. But you also need to have excellent communication skills, including
English language. You will have a lot to learn and have to prove yourself as hardworking, committed and prepared to listen and learn.
You will also need to be flexible about the role that you are initially offered. For example, we offer a two year Graduate Development Program, but numbers are limited. The alternative for Graduates
is to join us in an operational role, which provides
an excellent chance to gain on the job training and experience that could lead to a higher level,
technical or professional position in future.
108JOB: Thank you very much for your time, Lisa. We wish you the best of luck in your career and hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Laos.
This article is part of our “Working In Laos” series of interviews in collaboration with 108job.
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