Mining Human Assets by Haidee E

BETTER PERFORMANCE THROUGH WORKPLACE LEARNING TMAY 2004 +D Mining Human Assets By Haidee E. Allerton AngloGold Ashanti, a South African gold mining company second largest in the world, is empowering the historically disadvantaged population of its workforce in part through leadership development, with the help of U.S.-based retention firm TalentKeepers. The results have economic and cultural implications not only for the workers, but also for gold mining and other industries, as well as for the country. Dick Finnegan of TalentKeepers (left) with AngloGold’s van Veijeren at Mponeng (means “Look at me” in the Sotho language) Mine, near Carletonville. The tower houses the elevator that goes underground to the mine. Gustav van Veijeren manager HR development ick Finnegan, chief client What Finnegan saw when he stepped ployee development program, in which Dservices officer of U.S. employee reten- off the mine elevator the next morning TalentKeepers would play a big part. tion firm TalentKeepers, arrived in Jo- was “an underground city” of corporate How a South African mining compa- hannesburg, South Africa, after a and training offices, ubiquitous kiosks ny and a U.S. retention firm found each 22-hour flight, knowing that the next housing training manuals, and an elabo- other is serendipitous. AngloGold has a resource center and library at its head- morning he would be making his first- rate system of tracks leading to the areas quarters, and its manager, Belinda Roux, ever visit to a gold mine three kilometers where ore is blasted from the hard rock. saw the article “Focus on Talent” by (about 1.9 miles) deep into the earth. “I AngloGold, second in the world by Craig Taylor, TalentKeepers’s senior vice didn’t know what to expect, but I was production to the American gold min- president of marketing, in the December ready to suit up in my hazard gear and ing company Newmont, was about to 2002 issue of T+D. She took the maga- grab my trusty flashlight,” Finnegan says. add an important element to its em- zine and walked it up to Gustav van Veijeren, manager, human resources business skills and performance man- skeptics around. So, we’re looking for development, at AngloGold. Van Vei- agement. For that reason, we found that some hard data to convince them to see jeren contacted TalentKeepers, and the the TalentKeepers approach comple- if it can work.” collaboration was forged. mented our hard management-type One radical aspect that van Veijeren is “It was opportunistic,” says van Vei- training, in which we’ve been investing referring to is TalentKeepers’s e-learning jeren. “We were looking around for ini- for a year or two. In the next couple of solution. In many cases, the online tools tiatives to expand the training and months, we’ll drive to get more data and were implemented at AngloGold with development of our first-line supervisors. then take a look at what we’ve gained workers who had no prior experience on We engaged with TalentKeepers. from the pilot process and see if we computers. Says van Veijeren, “We have “We already had been committed want to implement it on a wider basis. a few pilots, and they’re working very to first-line supervisory training pro- This is so new, so radical, in our envi- well with people who are used to com- grams, in which we train people on ronment that there are a number of puters. We also implemented it with Human Assets workers who haven’t had any contact TauTona, says, “It showed me the weak- with computers. In my view, that’s also nesses and strengths of both myself and Top Ten working rather well, with a bit of plan- my team, and which areas I need to ning and effort. It’s encouraging. The develop in order to retain talent. It further Retention success of the pilots at our TauTona helps me to determine where to apply the (which means “great lion” in the Sotho strengths to improve retention.” Talents language) Mine is proof that under- Retention is where TalentKeepers fits ground supervisors can make use of the best. It operates on the data-supported These are identified by TalentKeepers TalentKeepers online process.” principle that talent retention rests on as the leading leadership competen- Says Finnegan, “TalentKeepers the quality of an organization’s leaders. cies that keep talented people from knows the ultimate goal is to provide In fact, TalentKeepers has, through leaving organizations. leadership and retention-skills training extensive surveys, identified 10 specific 1. Trust Builder: Creates a sense of to supervisors in the mines. To do so, leadership competencies that make those supervisors must be comfortable people stay. Says AngloGold’s Norval, trust and concern with team members. using online tools, online training. “It’s still early, but we’re starting to get 2. Esteem Builder: Develops ways So far, there has been great progress information that’s valuable to us and to give team members responsibility, through Gustav and his coaching that points to the importance of the freedom to act, and feel good team to make that happen. I’d also say leader to talent retention. That is the about themselves. that AngloGold chose TalentKeepers first set of information we have, and I 3. Communicator: Communicates the because it saw the opportunity to focus think it supports the process.” importance of retention to team not just on leadership development, but members and others effectively. on employee retention as well.” The impetus 4. Climate Builder: Develops ways to Jan Norval, senior human resources The major impetus for South Africa’s make work and the workplace enjoy- manager at TauTona, and whose first mining industry to embark on employee able and fulfilling. language is Afrikaans, weighs in: “I can development was the government’s 5. Flexibility Expert: Recognizes, only support that. In one of our project Socio-Economic Empowerment Char- sections, an operating section in the ter of 2002-2003, to “deracialize” the understands, and adapts to individual mines, we tried it with first-line super- country’s economy. Specifically, the aim needs and views. visors, who generally are not computer was to “encourage black economic 6. Talent Developer and Coach: Devel- literate, to get them into the process. empowerment and transformation at ops and coaches team members to Training personnel had to assist them the tiers of ownership, management, help them grow, which results in initially, but what has been quite inter- skills development, employment equity, greater commitment and loyalty to esting is that using the TalentKeepers procurement, and rural development.” the organization. online solution stimulated computer lit- “It’s not so much the charter but the 7. High-Performance Builder: Creates eracy and an interest in this technology. issues contained in the charter,” points conditions that reinforce high levels Some of the supervisors have enrolled in out Alan Fine, AngloGold’s public of team member performance, partic- other e-learning programs following affairs manager and an English-speaking ularly critical for retaining the most introduction of TalentKeepers’s pro- South African. “Similar efforts are going talented people. gram. In addition, these supervisors on in other parts of the economy, have expressed a great appreciation that other industries. The charter carries the 8. Retention Expert: Develops reten- here is an initiative from the organiza- legacy of the Apartheid years and con- tion knowledge and an understanding tion for improving their management tains various sentiments and targets of the supporting values that are cen- skills and an interest in keeping talent.” broadening ownership of the industry tral to initiating effective retention- Armand Wentzel, a mine overseer at to more black people, advancing them focused actions. 9. Retention Monitor: Demonstrates ability to measure and identify poten- Jan Norval senior HR manager tial retention problems and take pre- at TauTona Mine emptive action. 10. Talent Finder: Within the scope of his or her role, actively seeks to source and select qualified people effectively. Alan Fine Public Affairs manager 4 TDMay 2004 Human Assets HRD Gold Standards Here are several ways the skills gap of the South African labor force in the mining industry is being addressed: ● skills audits ● scholarships and educational advancement, especially in mathe- matics and science ● registered learnerships, not less than 5000 by March 2005 ● skills training opportunities to miners during their employment in order to improve their income- earning capacity after mine closure. Above: electric rock In addition, companies are drilling expected to offer every employee Left: TauTona Mine, the opportunity to become function- Carletonville, 70km ally literate and numerate by 2005, from Johannesburg to implement career paths to disadvantaged employees in their chosen Below: Great Noligwa careers, and to develop systems (Zulu for “the other side through which empowerment of the river”), Anglo- groups can be mentored as a Gold’s largest mine means of capacity building. worldwide, at Klerksdorp to higher levels, encouraging the ment and labor—having the right inten- procurement of goods and services tions and a plan in place.” from black-owned companies for our To achieve the goals to empower and mining operations, and various social develop its historically disadvantaged and development efforts in the mining workers (referred to in the charter as community and regions from which HDSAs, historically disadvantaged a lot of the migrant labor is drawn. South Africans), AngloGold looked at Those are the kinds of things that the its leadership competencies in particu- charter seeks to encourage.” lar. Says van Veijeren, who is Dutch but The charter—essentially a contract whose family has been in South Africa between government, the industry, and for three generations, “There are a num- labor—“seeks to encourage and require ber of relevant factors.

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