Mining Talent: Should You Hire All-Stars or Develop Them from Within?

The Growing Talent Gap in Mining

The demand for skilled operators is rising fast. In Canada, the mining industry is expected to expand by 2% every year from 2025 to 2029[1] — and so is the pressure to keep equipment moving and production on target. With more operations ramping up, the demand for skilled operators is increasing.

That’s the reality, and it’s not going away.

In the past, you could hire experienced operators from other sites or industries. Now? You’re more likely to be training people who’ve never stepped foot on a mine site. It’s a different game — and it calls for a different playbook.

Building vs. Buying: What Kind of Team Are You Creating?

There’s a reason people compare mining operations to sports teams. Some crews are stacked with talent; others have to develop it from scratch. Not everyone has the budget to chase all-stars — and even if you do, they’re not always available.

The best operations know how to build capability from the inside-out. That means more than just onboarding — it means real training, real coaching, and a culture that gets results.

The mining workforce needs to shift into that mindset.

Training Grounds or Turnover Machines?

It’s common to hear, “we’re the training ground for…” at mine sites today. Success now hinges on how well you develop your team from the inside out — by having systems in place to set expectations, track progress, and hold people accountable. You need supervisors who can lead, not just manage. And you need a team that knows what good looks like — and how to get there every shift.

Ask Yourself:

• Are your management, operations, and HR teams aligned on how you’re hiring, training, and developing talent?
• Or is everyone running their own playbook and stepping on each other’s toes?
• Is your online training platform being used as a basic compliance tool?
• Or are you using it to actually build skills — on their time and at their pace?

Turning Challenges into Measurable Improvements

At Outliers Mining Solutions, we work directly with mine operations teams to address these challenges. For example, one client site implemented a combination of structured coaching, operator scorecards, and daily check-ins. Within three months, they observed a measurable increase in team engagement and a corresponding improvement in productivity.

This combination of standardized processes, on-the-job coaching, and leadership development helps build the foundation for sustained performance and engagement.

The Outliers Approach

Whether you’re building your team from scratch or looking to improve performance with your current workforce, investing in the right systems makes all the difference.

Our approach includes:

• Short Interval Control (SIC) for real-time decision making.
• Management Operating Systems (MOS) to drive daily accountability.
• Visual Management tools to keep teams aligned and focused.
• Scorecards that reinforce operator accountability and performance metrics.
• Leadership development at every level — from frontline supervisors to site managers.
• Maintenance program support to ensure reliability and efficiency.

Let’s Talk Talent

What challenges are you encountering with hiring, training, or retaining mining talent?
What’s working — and what’s not — when it comes to building your mine operations team?

Whether you're in a growth phase or simply looking to unlock more from your crew, we can help. Outliers Mining Solutions partners with you to build the systems, tools, and people that drive real, lasting results.

[1] https://mining.ca/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2024/06/Facts-and-Figures-2023-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf.

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