In this episode of Ore-atory: Elevating Mining Minds, host Lindsey Schultz sits down with MRC Recruiting’s Director of Talent Acquisition, Samantha Larson, to unpack Samantha’s Idaho Mining Conference talk: “Mothers, Millennials, and Misfits: The future of mining isn’t who you think.” It’s a candid, solutions-forward conversation about widening mining’s talent funnel and building the systems to keep great people once they arrive.
The urgency is real. Samantha cites sobering numbers: roughly 50% of the U.S. mining workforce retires by 2029, and up to 75% of senior leaders will exit within a decade. Meanwhile, university mining programs have shrunk from 25 to 14, and only ~330 mining-related bachelor’s grads emerge in the U.S. each year—far short of demand. The takeaway: we can’t staff mining’s growth if we only hire from traditional pipelines.
So who are we missing? Veterans—with safety, leadership, and mission-first mindsets—are a prime fit for roles like safety and environmental, especially with on-the-job training. Career changers and people with resume gaps bring real-world resilience and transferable skills; Samantha shares her own non-linear path (yoga studio owner, mom, recruiter) and a candidate who paused work to care for a parent with Alzheimer’s—reminders to see people as people, not red flags. Women and Gen Z are central to the future: Gen Z wants values-aligned work and to “make a difference,” yet few see mining’s role in decarbonization, circularity, and critical infrastructure. That’s a storytelling failure, not a mission failure.
The fixes are practical and cultural. Start by telling better stories—externally and in job descriptions—about how roles move the needle on sustainability, technology, and community impact. Build culture intentionally; it’s not a ping-pong table, it’s how you hire, grow, and include. Treat the interview as a candidate’s first experience of your culture; streamline processes and communicate clearly. Nail onboarding with 30/60/90-day plans and early wins. Be proactive, not reactive: hire during slowdowns, train for potential, and mentor aggressively.
Retention tools that work (and don’t cost much): stay interviews done early and often; internal mobility and cross-training; tuition support; formal mentorship; and “returnships”—bringing back experienced retirees to transfer institutional knowledge while developing rising talent. Redefine leadership pipelines to be inclusive rather than built around “hero CEOs,” and welcome innovation (including AI) that augments teams and attracts new skill sets.
Finally, stop fishing in the same pond. Poaching within mining just moves the vacancy. Look to adjacent industries (civil, environmental, processing, manufacturing) and non-traditional backgrounds that can be trained. As Lindsey notes, hiring is a human, iterative process—most teams ask for X and end up hiring Y. The companies that win will be those that plan ahead, flex on checklists, invest in people, and tell the story of mining as a force for good.
Meet Our Speakers:
👤 Samantha Larson, Talent Acquisition Director, MRC Recruiting
🎙️ Lindsey Schultz, CEO of MRC Recruiting
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: ⏱️
0:00 – Lindsay opens the episode; introduces Samantha Larson from MRC.
0:24 – Samantha’s IMC talk: “Mothers, Millennials & Misfits.”
1:03 – Why she created the talk: hiring struggles + narrow recruiting lenses.
2:15 – Mining must broaden its funnel beyond traditional candidates.
3:00 – Key stats: 50% of mining retiring by 2029; 75% of leaders in 10 years.
3:47 – Mining programs dropped from 25 to 14; recovery underway.
4:32 – Need to recruit outside mining schools + non-STEM audiences.
5:05 – Only ~330 mining grads/year — far below demand.
5:48 – Untapped group: veterans with strong transferable skills.
6:49 – Use slow cycles to train talent; fix “hire only when desperate” habit.
7:50 – Hiring must shift from reactive to proactive planning.
8:35 – Career changers add real-life skills and adaptability.
9:22 – Resume gaps = human stories, not red flags.
11:01 – Moms in the workplace: efficiency + unseen pressure.
12:40 – Bias: moms judged differently than dads when “busy.”
14:08 – Pivot paths create strong, entrepreneurial employees.
15:07 – Mining must accept cross-industry engineering talent.
15:55 – Gen Z wants purpose; mining isn’t telling its story well.
16:48 – Students don’t see mining’s impact on the world.
17:45 – Companies fail to connect mission to societal benefit.
18:56 – Environmental grads choose government due to messaging gaps.
19:54 – Mining comms focus on investors, not meaning.
21:01 – Values-based hiring starts with clearer job descriptions.
21:43 – Culture requires intention, not perks.
22:37 – Hire for mindset + culture add, not just checklists.
23:45 – Why people really quit: no growth, burnout, or life shifts.
24:29 – Strong onboarding drives retention.
25:50 – Interview process is the first impression — don’t fumble it.
27:14 – Leaders must define and practice culture consistently.
28:22 – Upskilling beats endless external recruiting.
29:38 – Use hiring timeframes to train internal talent.
30:21 – Don’t punish ambition (e.g., pursuing a master’s).
31:13 – Long tenure ≠ growth; stagnation is real.
32:18 – Employees stay when they keep learning.
33:01 – Stay interviews prevent early exits.
34:19 – Returnships transfer wisdom from retirees.
36:05 – Example: Boeing’s successful retiree-to-mentor model.
36:54 – Reviews should evaluate both employee and company.
37:53 – Redefining leadership pipelines for a new mining workforce.
38:41 – Early adopters of AI + innovation will win.
39:35 – Rethink rigid job requirements — hire unconventional talent.
40:27 – Companies want X but hire Y — people are nuanced.
41:52 – Hiring = human process; intuition matters.
42:47 – Recruiter intuition: the candidate who “just fits.”
44:08 – Clients often recognize talent only after conversation.
45:08 – “Stop fishing in the same pond” — expand the talent pool.
46:35 – Goal: keep people in mining, not just one company.
47:18 – Strong culture attracts the next generation.
48:03 – Final message: be open-minded and intentional.
49:22 – Hiring is iterative; use recruiters as strategic partners.
50:05 – Hiring is emotional; clarity creates success.
50:51 – Outro + upcoming MRC roundtable.
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