Hello everybody,
As you know, professional habits may differ from one country to another. In order to help newly arrived expats better understand their new professional environment in Australia, we warmly encourage you to share information and insights about the do's and don'ts in the workplace.
For instance, are there office manners? How do you greet your co-workers? Do you greet your management differently? Is there a dress code? Particular rules to observe? Maybe a professional body language?
On another level, what is key for a successful professional meeting? Are there any steps to follow? How do you a start a negotiation?
In other words, what are the most important things to know for a successful professional integration in Australia?
Thank you in advance for sharing your experience!
Julien
Business etiquette in Australia
Australian workplace environments are fairly easygoing, even if people dress formally. Everyone is addressed as an equal. It's usually possible to guess who the managers are by the way they behave, as opposed to how they treat you. Punctuality is important. Meeting rooms should be left as you find them.
Dress codes vary. Generally, it's good practice to wear a suit for the interview and ask about dress codes, working hours, office culture, breaks etc during interview.
Australians are very direct, so they expect you to be too. If you are unsure of anything or even want to double check, there is no harm in asking and it shows you are interested.
If in doubt about anything, ask. It will do you no harm and will always be viewed in a positive way.
As a senior level executive woman professional moving from the USA to Australia, here are the differences to be aware of:
1. The board of directors is highly skewed to men vs. women. There may be one female board member in the room. As such, the misogynistic comments are still a part of the culture. My bum was never patted, but comments about my anatomy, clothing (very conservative business suit always) and propositions were expected by one of the board members. Certainly, as the balance between men an women in executive roles increase, this will be reduced.
2. Voice inflection. You will notice that women end their sentences with an upper voice inflection. Only when they are outwardly angry or upset do they end their statements with a downward inflection. Men always end their statements with downward inflections. It is important as an American to smile when talking so that the person you are speaking with does not become offended with your accent.
3. Aussies speak in idioms that are quite different to American slang. Be prepared to learn the idioms as quickly as possible so that you can understand what is being said in leadership and board meetings.
4. Certain careers are easier to break into for Americans. Since there is still a stigma against asking your friends for money for worthwhile causes - fundraising and sales are both great careers, since you will just be building your friend base. This is much easier because the 'local' person who grew up in the same city that he or she works in may be hesitant to ask their 'mate' to support the local Arts or Footy organization.
5. People are very polite in the beginning, but you will truly know that you are accepted when they start to tease you. This isn't bullying. It is part of their culture to 'lop off tall poppies.'
6. If you are going for a senior level management position, plan on building friendships with people outside the organization rather than from within. Just as elsewhere, your 'mate' from work may be after your job.
Hope this helps.
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