Could you comment on the recent developments in the company’s evolution, including the merger between Stratum and Clifton Hill Associates? 

Stratum had historically focused on executive search for technical leadership roles at the mine site, while Clifton Hill sat at the other end of this, focused on C-Suite and Board roles at the corporate and HQ level. As separate entities, we worked together on projects where we complimented each other’s areas of expertise, but we quickly noticed a gap in the market whereby the big firms specialise in multiple industries and the small firms specialise in technical roles, leaving an unattended sweet spot for a human capital firm which encompasses everything from board level to site level.

At Stratum International, we offer a powerful combination, understanding our clients’ needs from the culture around the board table down to the requirements at the site, bridging the two at a global level. The mining industry is incredibly global – when we run a search, we do not look at a finite group of talent in a specific country or city, but around the world.

Stratum International is now structured across three divisions: Stratum Partners, which is more of your traditional executive search at board and C-Suite level; Stratum Site, rooted in Stratum’s original site-based leadership business; and Stratum Advisory, where we provide advisory services on everything from due diligence for our private equity clients, succession planning, diversity and inclusion, remuneration, advice and corporate governance. The different divisions work closely together ensuring we have a holistic understanding of our clients and their needs.

How important is Africa to Stratum International’s business and why?

Africa remains a key market for us, and it is also one of the more challenging markets for talent. Africa has an aging workforce: the people working in the deepest parts of Africa are starting to retire, and the younger generations are not filling those gaps as readily because they come with different expectations. They pay more attention to the work-life balance, not wishing to spend weeks at a time on site in a relatively secluded location; they are more values-driven than money-driven; they are politically aware and tend to oppose to work in countries with a human rights abuse record. This creates a huge problem in terms of the industry’s ability to attract talent.

Could you elaborate on the current trends you see in the labour market?

From an expat perspective, I would say this is a candidate-driven market. The candidate pool is diminished by an aging population and fewer younger people are interested in site-based roles. Those people with experience across multiple African jurisdictions and commodities have a lot of choice as to where to work and whom they want to work for. Remuneration, career progression and company culture are becoming increasingly important, especially for junior and mid-tier players. It much easier for larger companies to suck up top-tier talent, to the detriment of the more junior companies. Crucially, it is these smaller companies that require that talent to get their projects off the ground. 

From a local talent perspective, each government dictates the local workforce minimum quota, which is easier to meet in countries like Tanzania or Ghana with a history of successful mining, but not in the more frontier markets without an established mining workforce. Government requirements often do not match the reality of the ability to meet those demands. Oftentimes, companies overlook this aspect when they do their country risk assessments; they check the geopolitical, technical, or financial risk, but fail to consider the sustainability of their talent pipeline. 

What advice would you give to mining companies in terms of having a smart talent strategy?

The mining industry needs to do more to engage with younger generations about what we do and why this is an exciting, innovative industry – so much of what we use every day comes from a mined material. Mining is more than digging a hole in the ground – it requires accountants, HR professionals, technical experts, doctors… the possibilities are endless. If we do not get this message across, we are going to have a significant problem in 10 years’ time, when our current talent pool retires and there is no one up and coming.

How has the skills base required in mining changed as a result of developments like ESG and AI?

There has been a significant shift, not so much in sustainability, but in the emergence of new metals being mined, advancements in technology, and the closer integration with downstream value chains, such as the automotive industry. Today, we see a new generation of graduates with relevant qualifications, a contrast to the situation 10 years ago.

Sometimes we get calls from clients asking for candidates with “extensive lithium experience,” but realistically, there is hardly anyone out there who has extensive lithium experience since this is a developing market. As for technology and AI, people with strong skills in these areas are drawn to working in big tech firms or companies like Tesla as opposed to the downstream aspects of the industry. Mining lacks that brand awareness, and unless you are DeBeers most companies do not have a B2C engagement strategy.

Do you have a final message?

Talent is the biggest risk facing the mining industry. You can talk about access to capital, social license to operate, and a number of other issues, but without talent, none of these issues matter. At Stratum, we understand mining, we understand the challenges and we can advise the industry to navigate the evolving talent landscape.