Relearning The Art of Recruitment

All names and identifying details have been changed or removed from this case study to ensure anonymity.

Introduction

TerraForge Minerals Ltd. is a well-known mining services provider that has been operating in Western Australia and Queensland for the past three years. It is a subsidiary of diversified mining group and employs over 170 people.

The Challenge

Like most mining companies, TerraForge Minerals Ltd, was finding it more and more difficult to attract, recruit and retain workers in recent times. The demand for mining talent seemed to be fast outstripping supply and the company’s tried-and-true recruitment methods didn’t seem to be working anymore.

Fierce competition for labour from other mining companies was making the labour squeeze even more critical and TerraForge soon realised that they would have to devise more creative diversity and inclusion strategies if they wanted to attract, recruit and retain the talent they needed.

The Solution

Terraforce realised that the traditional strategies they had used to attract diverse employees were no longer enough. Instead they went about ‘relearning’ the art of recruitment by:

Organising workshops and cultural awareness programs aimed at redefining leadership perspectives and transforming the organisation’s culture from ‘friendly’ to one that genuinely embraced difference.
Implementing ‘unlearning’ sessions where employees reflected on their traditional mindsets, identified areas of unconscious bias, and challenged and discarded outdated beliefs and practices to increase their awareness and embrace new, inclusive ways of thinking.
Appointing diversity champions in leadership teams to facilitate personal growth, reduce biases and ensure ongoing responsibility for promoting diversity of thought.
Firstly understanding that it is difficult to attract candidates from underrepresented groups when those groups are not represented in the current workforce. Then implementing initiatives to rectify that situation, such as forming partnerships with other organisations and community groups that focused on underrepresented groups (e.g. neurodiverse candidates).

“It’s about creating an environment where diverse individuals can genuinely be…”

Elena Parker, Managing Director

Redefining leadership was fundamental to the success of TerraForge’s ‘relearning’ revolution. This was achieved by implementing initiatives that:

Moved away from traditional hierarchical structures to focus more on people and continuous learning.
Supported the development of emotional intelligence, empathy, and people management skills.
Introduced mentorship programs to break down barriers between leaders and employees from diverse backgrounds and facilitate mutual understanding and learning.

The Outcomes

By committing to unlearning, TerraForge Minerals have achieved positive and multifaceted results:

The organisation was able to break free from past norms and biases, and foster a more dynamic, empathetic work environment.
The organisation now has a more creative, responsive, and dynamic workforce, compared to its early days.
It has developed a comprehensive, yet evolving D&I policy.
TerraForge has also learned the power of a phased approach to organisational change. This approach has involved experimentation, learning and unlearning – practical and creative activities that can be extended to other organisational changes in the future.

…It’s an ongoing journey of unlearning and experimentation…”

TerraForge Minerals’ journey in D&I stands as a testament to the continuous effort and adaptability required to create and grow an inclusive workplace in today’s highly competitive environment. Their innovative approach to D&I has not only transformed the organisational culture but has also built a more diverse and inclusive workforce, offering invaluable lessons for other organisations embarking on a similar path.