Advice ... Continued from page 49 Dana Pray, recruiting manager for Barrick Gold of North America, said the company trains supervisors that “past performance predicts future performance. If you are moving every few months, there is nothing worse on your resume.” Barrick spends roughly $30,000 training workers, and that doesn’t count pay and benefits so stability is important, Schack said. “We wonder why they are leaving a job. We want to pick the best applicants so we tend to gravitate toward candidates with a steady job history,” Tompkins said. Barrick also wants to know about applicants’ safety records and attitudes on safety. Recruiter Amy Lewis said Barrick asks applicants about any safety violations and whether they have stepped up to the plate to stop potential unsafe acts on the job. “It is your job to stand up and say something, to be a courageous leader,” she said. Recruiters also want to know about the attendance record of applicants, such as whether they take a lot of days off, espe-
cially those last-minute calls, Pray said, explaining that workers on rotating shifts have a lot of days off in a month to catch up on their rest. Magee said honesty also is important for applicants, commenting that a surprising number of people lie on their applications, not realizing they will be caught in that lie because of Barrick’s extensive background checks. “So, don’t lie to us,” Pray said. Tompkins said Newmont has a policy of not hiring felons or those convicted of certain high misdemeanors, and the background check will show convictions. People who had arrests when they were juveniles also might be surprised to know those actions show up too. Those with juvenile records may be hired, if they are honest about their convictions, he said. Applicants should know that if they make it through the initial application and interview process and receive a job offer, they still face drug testing, background checks and calls to references. Offers are contingent on the results. “We are a drug-free environment. We do hair testing that goes back three months. We also do an alcohol test,” Pray said. “We are going to start testing for spice.” Newmont follows similar procedures, Tompkins said.
50 MINING QUARTERLY, Elko, Nevada SPRING 2012
Barrick and Newmont only have so many openings for those who need training, however, and continues to recruit for skilled workers, including electricians, mechanics, underground miners and mining engineers and metallurgists. Lewis said the goal is to hire locally, but recruiters go out of state when they can’t find the skill sets needed to fill openings. They go to job fairs and to career fairs at colleges and universities. Barrick also is heavily involved in educating people to develop the needed skills, including providing scholarships and contributions to Great Basin College, the recruiters said. While applicants can fill out applications for any number of jobs, Pray said Barrick prefers they “take charge of their own job search” and apply only for jobs they know they might qualify to hold. “We like to hire people with goals and objectives,” she said. “Barrick strives to pick the candidates who are best for a position,” Lewis said. Tompkins offered pointers that military candidates explain what they did in the military in layman’s terms, and that all applicants go into detail about the tasks they performed in prior jobs. He also said applicants should show up for an interview on time and appropriately dressed, and they should bring copies of
their resumes. Lewis recommended applicants be patient, and if they don’t get a job now, they can try again later because often there is more than one candidate for a particular job, and they can’t all be picked. All job postings are on the Barrick website and updated at least twice a week, Pray said. Barrick outlined its application process, and Tompkins said Newmont’s is similar: • Go online and create a user profile at www.barrick.com. Applicants can attach resumes, and those are helpful but not required. There are computers in the lobby at the Barrick office in Elko and people can help potential applicants get started. Newmont has a kiosk in its lobby. • Apply for positions you are qualified to hold, then “sit back and wait for a call,” Lewis said. A recruiter will screen the top candidates and schedule interviews. Anderson said it’s important candidates have email addresses and voicemail so they can be contacted. • Give an interview, if called. Magee said a panel interviews candidates, and applicants will be contacted after the interview process is complete. The hiring decision lies with the department supervisor, while the recruiters find the best candidates, “so the decision is not just made by one person,” Magee said.