Meet Our Speakers:
👤 Dr. Haydon Mort, Founder of Geologize
🎙️ Lindsey Schultz, CEO of MRC Recruiting
In this live Ore-atory episode from the AEMA conference in Spokane, host Lindsey Schultz and Dr. Hayden Mort tackle one of mining’s most pressing narratives: there isn’t a talent crisis, there’s a selection and communication crisis. Sparked by a viral LinkedIn debate, Hayden recounts a conversation with a senior mining geologist who argued that companies over-index on elite schools and underweight essential client-facing capabilities. The result? Technically strong graduates who struggle to communicate, and capable grads from less elite programs who are overlooked.
Lindsey and Hayden zoom out to the broader pipeline problem: shrinking K12 to STEM enrollment, budget-constrained mining departments, and an industry still communicating to speculators rather than communities, candidates, and long-term shareholders. Hayden highlights the cost of corporate safety in communicationssanitized, KPI-only messaging that strips out the very emotions needed to change hearts and minds. He cites research showing reputation can account for the majority of market capitalization, arguing that mining’s fixation on the ticker undermines the human stories that build trust.
Enter tactical empathy. Hayden explains why the industry’s instinct to rebut community fears (e.g., groundwater, tailings) triggers defensiveness and the advocacy paradox: no one trusts a mining company to advocate for itself. Instead, companies should label and validate concerns, align with stakeholders’ values, and co-create solutions. This neurologically disarms resistance (think basal ganglia, insula, and anterior cingulate) and lubricates social license. He even shares how he’s trained an AI on tactical empathy, capable of role-playing heated town halls and coaching more effective responses.
The conversation moves into recruitment and retention realities. Lindsey describes how AI-heavy applicant filtering and rigid checklists miss high-potential people, worsen time-to-hire, and fuel burnout. She urges skills-based, human-centered hiring and reminds candidates that authenticity, story, and even a simple follow-up call can cut through noise. Both argue for cognitive diversity: recruiting creatives, communicators, and neurodivergent thinkers from non-traditional programs, pairing their strengths with AI to supercharge innovation.
They also confront a delicate truth: women who reach senior roles are too often selected for hard-nosed traits that mirror the prevailing culture at the expense of empathy, a leadership superpower the industry desperately needs. Culture change must be led from the top, with executives modeling emotional intelligence, modern communication, and a clear Employee Value Proposition that connects purpose to practice.
Bottom line: to attract capital, secure social license, and inspire the next generation, mining must humanize its message, diversify how and where it hires, and embed tactical empathy into everything from investor decks to town halls. Technology can accelerate the shiftbut only if it serves people, not replaces them.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS: ⏱️
[0.00] – Introduction from AEMA Conference in Spokane
[1.00] – “It’s not a talent crisis, it’s a selection crisis”
[2.00] – Overreliance on elite schools vs. overlooked talent
[5.00] – Shrinking STEM and mining program enrollments
[6.00] – Stock price obsession undermines authentic communication
[7.00] – Why mining needs a compelling EVP (Employee Value Proposition)
[10.00] – Communication is a critical skill, not a “soft” skill
[12.00] – Social license and ESG: communication as the missing link
[14.00] – The advocacy paradox: why no one trusts mining companies
[16.00] – Tactical empathy: validating concerns to disarm resistance
[18.00] – How tactical empathy reduces community pushback
[22.00] – Humanizing mining: emotions vs. technical data
[23.00] – Logos, ethos, and pathos—why emotion matters in communication
[25.00] – Tapping ESG capital through empathy-driven communication
[28.00] – Progress vs. reality: are we really shifting public perception?
[30.00] – Mining’s echo chamber and LinkedIn problem
[34.00] – The STEM pipeline problem and missed opportunities
[36.00] – Recruiting beyond engineers: HR, legal, and educators
[37.00] – The value of cognitive diversity and neurodivergent thinkers
[40.00] – Combining creativity and AI for innovation in mining
[43.00] – Visible diversity vs. cognitive diversity
[45.00] – Women in leadership: mirroring prevailing culture vs. empathy
[49.00] – Why people really leave companies: leadership & culture gaps
[53.00] – Culture change starts at the top with empathetic leadership
[54.00] – AI in recruitment: gaming the system and its pitfalls
[56.00] – Why resumes aren’t enough: authenticity and follow-ups
[59.00] – Using AI to support (not replace) human hiring
[1:00.00] – Training AI in tactical empathy for mining town halls
[1:02.00] – AI roleplay: correcting responses with empathy coaching
[1:03.00] – Wrap-up: emotional intelligence, technology, and humanizing mining
Connect with us on LinkedIn and check out monthly episodes of Ore-atory: Elevating Mining Minds on Apple Podcast or Spotify, where we continue to explore the mining industry workspace.
Tune in and be part of the conversation that’s shaping the future of mining!
Are you a job seeker looking for your next opportunity or an organization looking to hire your next team member? If you have time for a quick chat about your goals MRC can help connect with us.