Gillibrand is also a member of CSG Talent’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, spearheading internal initiatives to lead the way in driving greater diversity in placing talent in mining, agriculture, construction, and renewable energy.
Here’s a sneak peek of the event’s broader discussion:
MINING.com: What do you think is one of the most common misconceptions about the mining industry?
Gillibrand: I think, from a female point of view, that it’s an old boy’s club. Which it was, honestly, even when I started. You think of a bunch of old people, digging up dirt, with a very old-fashioned way of thinking, but it’s changed.
MINING.com: What opportunities do you see for women in the industry?
Gillibrand: I think it’s an interesting time, roles are more mixed now, sites have a lot better working conditions for women, and there’s a massive change in technology and title roles. There are new types of technical roles that weren’t there before that give opportunity for women moving into the industry. It opens up the environment more.
There’s an understanding that there is a need for better environments and more diverse roles and the benefits of a more diverse workforce. We’ve seen a big shift in that last three or four years where we are getting more women joining the industry, and that is key for the industry. We are seeing more and more progression, more opportunities and more female leaders and role models.
MINING.com: What barriers to inclusion are there at the C-suite level?
Gillibrand: I still see a massive lack of females at the C-suite. On a lot of the briefings we take at CEO levels, they are asking for a diverse short list, with a representation of females on that shortlist. We hear, ‘we want to hire a female member of the board’, due to a lack of representation in the industry.
What you’ve then got is a lack in the industry, and females do [often] take a slightly different route to leadership from different backgrounds. There’s still an awful lot of ‘who you know’, and females not getting fair representation. We’ve done analysis of the shortlists, and the ratio of females to males being interviewed — it’s not a 50-50 split at the interview stage. And if someone has worked at a mine site, they’ll get priority.
MINING.com: How do we begin breaking down points of resistance?
Gillibrand: I think what is going to attract more females to the industry is putting out positive stories. You hear more about the bad stories than the good ones. A lot of the stories that have come out are about how hard it is [for females] in the industry. So positive female role models. I think what helps is, with interview panels, make it a diverse mix. On male [dominated] interview panels, it’s not a fair reflection.
I think with new technology models, we’ll be able to attract more people into the industry from all sides. With decarbonization models, they are very positive about diversity. In business, you look for good female role models to guide the organization.
Register for Edumine Shift: Women in Mining here.
