TELF AG analyzes the evolving role of the workforce in the mining sector
A new study by McKinsey
The connection between the mining sector and the energy transition is now evident to everyone, mainly due to the growing centrality assumed by some specific mineral resources in the production processes of green technologies. The sector, however, also seems to be going through a movement of internal change, a process McKinsey recently defined as the mining transition, which directly concerns this industry’s workforce and is so important for humanity’s present and future fate. In one of its most recent studies, McKinsey has analyzed the ability of the mining industry to attract and manage its talents, in particular those belonging to the new generations, identifying the strengths of the sector and suggesting some valuable guidelines to promote the creation of a working environment focused on the human capital available to companies.
According to McKinsey, a motivated, well-organized, and adequately trained workforce in the mining sector can represent a clear stimulus for productivity. The latter is no longer linked exclusively to factors of a technical nature but also to the ability of mining companies to conceive their workforce as a single integrated organism made up of a set of talents capable of combining technical skills with new generation ones, such as those linked to the digital universe.
The evolution of the sector
McKinsey’s analysis clearly shows that the mining sector is in a clear evolutionary phase, not only due to the dynamics of the global raw materials market but also due to some structural factors that could profoundly change its daily operations. The integration of automation and algorithms in mining operations already represents a tangible reality in various parts of the world, and the trend of digitalization – in which artificial intelligence will also have a leading role – is already helping to define the new contours of the future mining sector.
According to the study in some specific departments of the mining sector, the recruitment of figures specialized in mining planning and process engineering already represents a serious obstacle to achieving productivity objectives, mainly due to the apparent shortage of these professionals. To overcome these shortcomings, according to McKinsey, companies should implement a change of approach as soon as possible to treat talent, considering their valorization as one of the main strategic pillars of the company, thus placing it alongside general productivity and more purely technical issues. Therefore, the talent management strategy should take on the same centrality as production planning, with which it also shares the same objectives.
One of the most interesting aspects of the study is linked to the concept of worker “skills” in the mining sector, which, according to McKinsey, should extend well beyond technical capabilities: according to the analysis, leadership skills, digital skills and corporate awareness should also be included in this definition, thus identifying strategic skills that could contribute to the evolution of the company. From this point of view, a key aspect is knowing how to identify those capabilities capable of generating value for the company, and in the mining sector, these skills may not necessarily be the traditional ones.
According to McKinsey, high-level work environments are characterized precisely by their ability to effectively manage their human capital, striving to ensure that employees feel valued, appreciated, and included in a tailor-made working context for the person.
