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Backed by a driving soundtrack, the commercial starts with a swooping aerial shot of the Canadian wilderness, the narrative alternating slow-motion shots of young people hard at work with massive machines biting chunks out of the rugged Canadian landscape.
And then comes the voiceover: “Canada: a country rich in natural resources. Rio Tinto: a global leader with over a century of experience in transforming these resources for the products we all need.”
It’s slick, it’s seductive, and it’s modern: this is recruitment in 2011.
Rio Tinto is currently undergoing a nationwide recruitment campaign to fill the hundreds of positions available with its company. Aside from the TV spot, which recently reached more than 5,000 views on YouTube, the company is using social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, along with a dedicated recruitment website, to attract the right applicants.
“The broad scope of Rio Tinto’s Canadian expansion and modernization projects means that we have jobs available for skilled people in a variety of disciplines,” explained Emily Toms, media relations advisor for Rio Tinto Alcan. “Many of the opportunities being advertised are located at regional operations such as mines and smelters, and these range in location from coast to coast.”
As mining takes off around the world, companies are finding new and interesting ways to lure candidates to their ranks, and they have to be equally creative in what they’re willing to offer employees to get them to sign on the dotted line.
At Northern Employment Solutions (NES) in Sudbury, a human resources firm that pairs long-term employees with companies seeking workers, André Lapierre is seeing new recruitment trends emerge as the industry heats up.
“I can guarantee you that if I come across anybody with a good skill set and they have experience, every company that is within that facet of the mining industry is going to want that person,” said Lapierre, director of sales and marketing. “Every company wants a good, qualified person.”
As more workers retire and younger, less qualified workers are taking their place, companies are clamouring for experience and luring retirees back as mentors or consultants with the promise of working fewer hours for better pay than what they were earning while working full-time, Lapierre said.
Employees with high skill sets—mine managers, metallurgists, mine engineer specialists—are also in demand, and companies are more than willing to pay a premium to retain them, he noted.
At the same time, there is a lingering fear of excess leftover from the recession, and the soaring salaries of the highly skilled aren’t trickling down to the blue-collar workers, Lapierre said. Even though mining is in a growth period, companies are still eyeing the bottom line, in many cases holding back on pensions, benefits, and, in some cases, even hiring.
But Lapiere believes it’s time for companies to loosen the purse strings and start being bolder, or risk being left behind as workers look elsewhere to meet their needs. Even simple extras thrown into the hiring package like paid dry cleaning, fitness programs, daycare, or creativity with bonuses, benefits and commissions can be the selling point for a prospective employee.
“The companies that are leading the pack right now are those that realize it’s worth investing in the right people, and not only is it fun to be different than the others by adding a few little extras to the agreement, but people appreciate the small things,” Lapierre said. “If a person has three job offers in front of them and they’re all similar, but one offers a little something extra, they’ll go with them.”
Employees, too, are finding unique methods of directing their careers. As companies move to save costs by contracting out much of their work, workers are using it to their advantage to carve out personalized work schedules that allows them flexibility.
One example, a group of young workers working with NES comprised of millwrights, welders, and mechanics, travels around the country working where and when they choose, Lapierre said. NES sets up contracts for them at plants, mills and smelters. They might work for three weeks during a shutdown, then have a week off before working another two-month job elsewhere.
Their expertise and versatility ensures they can command top dollar while working anywhere in Canada.
“They’re young, but they’re driven, and they want to work,” Lapierre said. “What’s happening is that they’re working half the year and they’re getting paid like they would if they’re working constantly. They can pick and choose work they want to do and what they’ll get paid.”
It’s not an ideal scenario for those with young families, who might prefer the stability of a full-time job that offers lower, but steady, pay. But for the adventurous who don’t mind travelling for work, it’s a lucrative gig.
Good pay, flexible schedules, and perks might mean companies have to shell out more upon hiring, but Lapierre believes the payoff for creating a more welcoming, elastic work environment is worth it.
“You have less turnover, no issues at work, and you have less injuries because people are more prudent, they’re more careful,” Lapierre said. “People are more willing to do what they can for the company if there’s more overtime required.”