It’s mining conference season, with the VRIC, AME Roundup, PDAC Conference, and CIM Convention + Expo, around the corner! Mining conferences can be a fantastic way to discover new talent within your industry while connecting with other mining professionals face-to-face.

Staffing is cited as one of the top challenges in mining today. The severe shortage of workers leads to production cuts and shipment delays. Attending a mining conference this year and looking for ways to optimize your investment? Here are some tips on how to efficiently recruit at a conference: 

Talent acquisition is everyone's responsibility, not just HR’s!

It doesn’t hurt to have a dedicated recruiter at the event to push the agenda. If the conference is not a dedicated hiring fair, most attendees will already be employed and will be in attendance to represent their organization. What does this mean for your recruiting approach? You likely won’t see as many quick wins. In an industry as tight as mining, it’s fair to be concerned about taking an overly direct approach. Instead, these conferences should be a platform where you’re building awareness and fostering relationships with other mining professionals and top talent. This in turn will help you in building a talent pipeline.

During networking opportunities

• Share your personal story. Make sure you’re integrating your EVP into it, for example, “What I love about our company is….” or “What’s kept me here so long is….” Others will be intrigued by your passion for your organization and will want to learn more! 
  
  
• Show genuine interest in your prospect’s career. Asking questions like “How did you get started at your current company?”, “What do you like about working there?”, and “What are the next steps for you?” If any challenges or dissatisfactions come up, probe into that! Tell me more about it. And again don’t forget to share a personal experience on how this would be addressed differently in your company. 
  
  
• Express the challenge that is finding great people for your team. This is a subtle way to plant the seed that you’re open to discussing an employment relationship. If it doesn’t go anywhere on the spot, don’t push it. You don’t want to come across overy direct and like you are there to poach talent, and you never know, their boss might be right around the corner! Instead, follow up by email or with a phone call after the event, simply stating that you enjoyed meeting them, they stood out to you, and offering your support as it relates to their career advancement.   

Hiring Students

PDAC states that members of the Canadian mineral exploration industry are critical partners in the success of programs such as the Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop (S-IMEW), mentoring engagements, and many of the PDAC convention events. (X) By becoming a partner, you can gain access to exclusive opportunities such as: 

• Guided Tours of the Exhibitors. Profile your company and showcase opportunities directly to groups of keen students and early-career individuals right at your booth. Forge connections and engage upcoming talent!

• #studentfriendly Company List. Add your organization to the #studentfriendly Company List. This indicates to attendees that you welcome visits from students and early-career individuals at your booth throughout exhibit hours.

• Participate in the Student-Industry Mixer as an Industry Partner. Take part in this free opportunity to directly profile your company to students and industry professionals at PDAC’s largest networking event. As an Industry Partner, you will receive a table to create a meeting space for your organization, displaying promotional materials and showcasing your company's opportunities. 

Check out this page to apply for any of these opportunities. 

Are you hiring for positions in the mining industry? TPD provides a Total Workforce Solution that supports organizations like yours with flexible, scalable, diverse talent options aimed at optimizing your return on investment and reducing your liability. We have deep expertise in mining recruitment and extensive experience with diversity and inclusion initiatives.