The client

Our client is a leading global mining firm with assets all over the world. 

The challenge

Our client is a leading global mining firm which wanted to create a leadership development and talent management programme.

The mining industry faces a demographic timebomb in senior positions, especially for the critical site-based role of General Manager. The firm had 34 General Managers and a pool of 200 potential successors at different stages of readiness for promotion.

The company wanted to assess, prioritise, retain, and develop the top talent in this group and asked Change Associates for help.

What we did

We designed a comprehensive talent management and succession planning process for the General Managers, considering baseline factors like language skills, cultural experience, and willingness to relocate as basic entry requirements.

We managed development centres to identify high-potential candidates, using psychometric tests and interviews to determine their readiness for promotion. Using quantitative and qualitative data, combined with insights from line managers and performance reviews, we developed a complete picture of each candidate.

We also assessed the current General Managers to support their leadership development. This involved interviews, analysis, and benchmarking to refine the role description and define the required proficiency levels for key responsibilities.

In addition, we developed a customised onboarding experience for newly promoted General Managers.

This ‘white glove’ support acknowledged the importance of their roles and helped integrate them into the leadership development programme and the wider organisation.

The result

  • Two General Managers from the original cohort rapidly moved to senior positions within their business unit.
  • The new succession process allowed internal successors to be assigned to each active General Manager role, leading to greater diversity and inclusion and improved morale and retention amongst General Managers and their successors.
  • The talent acquisition team significantly enhanced the time-to-hire and onboarding process for internal and external candidates.

Image (c) Shutterstock | Rido