Employee Relations
Nordgold recognises that our people are the key to our continued success and to sustainably growing our business
Over the years, we have placed a great emphasis on providing our employees with safe working conditions and industry competitive salary levels. We have also encouraged greater employee engagement in the workplace, providing employees with every opportunity to advance their careers through further training and study.
Nordgold adheres strictly to the legislative requirements of the countries in which we operate. Labour relations at the Group’s production sites are regulated by various internal documents, including the Code of Conduct, internal regulations, rotation work regulations, recruitment policy, remuneration and incentive scheme policies, health and safety rules, internal communication and recognition policies, training and development programmes, and a policy for working with foreign employees and collective agreements, where applicable.
96% of the Group’s employees covered by collective or sectoral level agreements
Nordgold has created and implements a human resources management system to ensure that we continue to be an employer of choice and attract and retain highly qualified individuals. Risk management is performed through a number of policies, procedures, programmes, and initiatives to facilitate the implementation of the personnel management strategy and to avert risks. Nordgold continuously carries out measures to retain and further develop qualified employees and closely monitors the labour market to ensure our remuneration system allows us to retain highly qualified individuals.
Investing in training
and development
The success and growth of Nordgold’s business relies on the professionalism and motivation of our employees. Nordgold’s professional development programmes consist of mandatory training and individual development plans and are divided into leadership programmes (for management) and technical trainings (for frontline employees).
We have a range of tailored training programmes that aim to create succession plans for key roles, including:
The programme is designed to inspite collaboration between senior management of Nordgold’s mines and promote Nordgold’s standards and approaches.
Nordgold line management development programme.
Nordgold corporate development programme for Supervisors aims to ensure operation continuity and consistence.
A professional development programme designed to advance future leaders’ skills and competences and providing a quicker path to career success for young professionals.
Learn moreSprint is a great opportunity for university graduates to participate in a paid internship at Nordgold’s mines with a prospect of permanent employment for the most successful interns.
Learn moreWe also have training programmes for developing the professional skills of employees, including:
- Maintenance Academy
- Mining Academy
- Inventory Management Academy
- HR Academy
- Procurement Academy
- Metallurgy Academy
Learm more about our West Africa Training Center at the Lefa mine in Guinea.
The development of the internal online training platform, Nordgold Academy, is a priority project for us. The main aim of the platform is to develop employees’ competencies and professional skills.
Rewarding and
Motivating
Our system of remuneration and bonuses is designed to reward employees for their contribution to attaining high production and safety goals. In order to ensure balanced, fair, and competitive remuneration, we regularly analyse salary levels across all the regions where we operate and aim to pay salaries in line with or ahead of the market. At each mine, salary levels are reviewed annually.
We strive to ensure that the remuneration system is transparent and comprehensible for each employee. The approach to payroll and bonus principles are clearly defined and set forth in internal documents in each mine. The base rates for each employee category do not differ by region/country of operation, as the rates for a single position are unified across all mines.
Nordgold Drive
Since 2015, Nordgold has conducted an annual survey, Nordgold Drive, to assess employees’ opinions, engagement, loyalty, and motivation towards achieving their performance goals.
In the survey, employees have an opportunity to submit recommendations, honestly express their opinions towards the Group and specific issues and discuss operating processes. This permits an open forum in which management can identify areas in need of development and improvement. Based on the survey, an action plan for each mine is created.
The overall participation rate in 2022 Nordgold Drive employee survey increased by 4 percentage points to 94%
Employee engagement rate increased by 1 percentage points in 2022 year-on-year to 82%
Retaining and
attracting talent
Attracting and retaining the right people is vital to the success of Nordgold. We reject all forms of discrimination when selecting personnel and primarily assess a candidate’s professional competence, motivation, and potential for further growth.
The Group uses a combined approach: recruiting from the open labor market by creating talent maps, and developing and promoting internal nominees.
We are interested in people with high professional qualifications and experience, as well as those who share the Group’s values. Nordgold seeks to employ local people where possible and makes its vacancies publicly available, including through agreements with local community leaders in West Africa regarding job posting and selection rules.
Nordgold employees have the opportunity to develop within the Group and move to positions with different responsibilities or to other countries or regions. In addition to a proactive programme of training provided to employees, a Self Nomination Programme launched in 2017 proved to be hugely successful in driving Nordgold’s employees’ career development.
Self Nomination Programme
Under the Self Nomination Programme, any Nordgold employee can nominate themselves for an open position or into the Group’s succession plan.
Employees put forward for the succession plan are verified through a combination of professional (technical) interviews, cognitive ability tests, and leadership potential assessments via a «second opinion» from independent assessors.
Finally, an individual development plan is implemented for each confirmed successor by comparing their current competencies with the profile for the target position.
Succession Pool Programme
The programme helps us to identify and mentor those with leadership potential and those looking to maximise their potential at Nordgold.
Check out the video to learn more about the programme.
Homelike Mine
Our mines are mostly located in remote areas. Therefore, most of our employees and contractors live and work at the mines in shifts (on a rotational basis).
Ensuring all employees and contractors benefit from a healthy, safe, and secure workplace, we strive to provide our employees with best accommodation, nutrition, healthcare and mental healthcare, protection, public services, transportation, and recreational facilities.
Please see our video to learn more about Lefa's leisure center Jacob Club.
