MPI Recruitment Marketing Business Partner Mark Pearce says one of the key reasons behind why Australian mining professionals are leaving the industry is harder to fix in comparison to pay.
This news comes after MPI Recruitment conducted a recent survey aiming to understand what attracts professionals, as well as identify key factors influencing their engagement once they are in a role.
Out of 1,238 blue and white collar mining professionals, three themes sat at the centre of the decision-making process: the ability to use and develop skills, leadership quality, and the working culture, as previously reported.
Meanwhile, for both blue and white collar mining professionals, job promotions ranked in the bottom three at 4% and 6%, respectively, in terms of what matters most when considering a new role.
“Mining has historically competed on pay — it’s a repeat cycle that hasn’t broken, but there’s a reason behind why,” Pearce tells Mining.com.au.
“Every year, most mining companies carry out salary benchmarking reviews. Salary is tangible that can be easily tracked and tweaked. Support, engagement at work, culture, and leadership are harder to quantify.”
Pearce notes that another factor is a lack of market research, as well as employee engagement surveys.
“Invariably, both require a lot of time and resources to gather the data, crunch it, and find what’s motivating people to stay,” he says.
“Most job adverts still feature language like ‘competitive pay’ or ‘market-leading salary’, so we know it’s still a lead. Very few talk about what the benefits of the job are to the reader. That signals a lack of research.”
Why mining loses talent
MPI Recruitment’s latest survey came off the back of a debate on whether or not leadership and culture were the main drivers behind why mining professionals were willing to move jobs in Australia.
According to CSG Talent, Australia’s mining industry has been experiencing a talent shortage for several years, with the industry requiring an additional 22,000 production-related workers by 2040 to meet current project commitments.
Earlier this year, MPI Recruitment found that 86% of Australian mining workers are moveable, while only 14% were ‘empathetically’ planning to stay put in their roles in 2026, as reported by this news service.
Out of 217 survey respondents, 66% prioritise leadership and culture, while 6% cared mostly about pay.
Pearce says one of the more interesting findings from the latest survey was that respondents are more likely to ask for opportunities to use and develop skills, rather than opportunities for promotion.
“In practice, it can mean exposure to new projects, greater responsibility, cross-training mentoring, or technical development rather than simply moving up the ladder,” he explains.
“Our findings suggest many mining professionals simply want to feel they’re growing, contributing, and progressing rather than repeating the same cycle year after year.”
Starting with leadership
MPI Recruitment’s recommendation to address this problem is to establish a solid frontline leadership.
Pearce says Gallup’s Global Workforce Report suggests that managers are under increasing pressure, and they’re experiencing declining engagement.
“Many have never received formal management training,” he notes.
“If companies expect leaders to coach, develop, and support people in their careers, then some will need to invest in their leadership teams first.”
It is considered important that leaders have support, development, and clear expectations to achieve company objectives.
“Fix those, and the people they lead will feel more fulfilled at work,” Pearce adds.
MPI Recruitment is a mining recruitment agency for employers and job seekers. The company carries deep mining knowledge and provides personalised guidance and insights for professionals, from first-year trainees to senior managers.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: MPI Recruitment
