How does one do Human Resources in a mine? Well, you are not likely to do any HR activities in the mine itself, but you can be hired to work in the office of the mine and conduct HR operations there. HR for mining companies also runs a bit differently than other businesses, and if this is a career change you are considering as an HR professional, there are a few things you should know first.

Mining Experience Necessary

​You absolutely have to have some mining experience. Serving as a miner yourself or coming from a family mining business helps. Working on mining rocks and ore after they have exited the mine also helps, although most mining companies are more likely to hire in-the-mine experienced individuals than out-of-the-mine experienced individuals. If you have zero mining experience, there is no way you will even be asked to interview for this type of position because you cannot ask the miner candidates questions that are pertinent to the jobs for which they would be hired.

​HR Experience Is Good, but Not Immediately Necessary to the Job

​In some rare instances, when the mining company is short-handed, you may be in the mines helping out. This is why the mining companies want people who are experienced in mining first and foremost. Your HR degree and experience are good, but they take a back seat to what most mining companies want from an HR staff. If you try to apply for an HR mining job without any mining experience at all, you may not even get a callback to interview. 

​HR Mining Staff Head into the Mines to See Places Where Miners Were Injured

​As an HR staff, you often have to handle worker's compensation claims. That frequently involves going to the site where the injury occurred to verify what happened. In a mine, miners can get pinned under rock or equipment, struck by equipment, and injured by tools. If you were in the position of an HR staff for a mining company, you would have to go into the mines and see these places where miners were hurt in order to file the proper claims documents. You need to have some miner safety training and experience with navigating inside a mine. Again, that is why your HR degree and experience alone are simply not enough. Of course, if you have mining experience and​ HR education and experience, you are practically a shoe-in for the job.