Worksite NEWS
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 6
Canada’s premier occupational health, safety and environment E-Magazine
MINE SAFETY ....page 6
June 2015
Mining for Manpower The prediction that Canada's mining industry is entering a period of growth is putting company HR reps in recruitment mode- with emphases on talent, diversity and reputation. Globally it's estimated that over the next decade, at least one third of the current mining workforce will retire. This is particularly important in Canada, where mining represents 4.5 per cent of the GDP—and 23 per cent of Canadian exports. New challenges require new strategies Historically, the industry has relied on high wages to attract talent. However, as mining companies look into the future, it's clear that they need to find new strategies to engage and appeal to a broader set of prospective employees. In addition to the milllennial challenge, diverse groups such as women, immigrants, and Aboriginal Peoples, remain underrepresented in the industry. Women represent only 16 per cent of Canadian mining, falling short of other natural resources sectors such as manufacturing, energy, oil and gas, utilities, and forestry. From our perspective, there are five ways mining companies can close the talent gap: Build reputation from the inside out: An organization's reputation is essential to attracting and retaining a new generation of employee talent. Reputation starts with current employees. With Gallup noting that employee engagement is at record lows (13 per cent globally), organizations should consider how their brand can be an accelerator, a filter to guide innovation and creativity, and a vehicle that inspires discretionary effort as a means to higher productivity, safety, and performance. Tell your story proactively—not reactively: Whether mining companies value it or not, reputation matters. With demographic shifts, millennials entering the workforce, and the game-changing impact of technology, the industry needs to do a much better job telling its story transparently and doing so through non-traditional methods, like social media. While many companies engage public relations firms during a crisis, the real opportunity is for mining companies to go on the offensive. Mining companies have the opportunity to intentionally create, shape, develop, and manage their brand proactively, rather than let happen by accident. Focus on millennials: In their careers, members of the millennial generation expect rapid progression and exposure to different facets of an organization to remain stimulated and engaged. Attracting and retaining millennials requires a different strategy, as they also place more emphasis on authenticity.