The Group seeks to attract and retain skilled staff by offering safe working conditions, fair remuneration in line with market rates of pay and social benefits packages for its employees and their families.

Policies and due diligence

The Group has a number of policies in place which govern its relationship with employees, including the Code of Fair Employment and the Diversity and Equality policy. The Group periodically reviews the terms and conditions of employment in its own operations to confirm that the Code of Fair Employment is being fully applied within the Group. Due diligence is conducted on recruits prior to their employment in the Group.

Consultation and communication

Several communication channels are open to employees to make their views known to senior management and the Board. The first point of contact is with an employee’s line manager, and in most cases, this is sufficient for addressing employee concerns. The Group holds a Direct Line event every year in which the Chair answers questions from employees on a live video feed. Each of the Group’s operational divisions has a Head of Employee Relations whose role is to act as a liaison between employees and management. General Directors hold quarterly ‘town hall’ meetings. Outside of operational or human resources related enquiries, all employees have access to a confidential telephone reporting line (‘Speak Up’) which can be used to raise ethical concerns, including any concerns related to bribery and corruption.
KAZ Minerals respects the right to freedom of association, and we consult with our employees and trade unions about changes to our business and employment conditions. All employees are entitled to join a union of their choice. At 31 December 2022, 60% of the Group’s employees belonged to one of three trade unions active in the mining industry in Kazakhstan (2021: 63%).
The Group uses a number of channels to communicate with its staff including websites, intranet sites, WhatsApp message groups, a corporate newsletter, TV news, a YouTube channel and a corporate podcast. Each of these communication channels has certain strengths which are suitable in different scenarios. During the Covid-19 pandemic and as part of the Group’s drive to vaccinate its employees, accurate and effective communications were essential to engage with staff and keep them informed of any updates to procedures and requirements.

Attracting and retaining skilled employees

Employee turnover is actively managed at each of the Group’s operations and by the Human Resources team. The retention of skilled staff has been a key factor in the successful development of the Group’s assets at Aktogay and Bozshakol, and in the wider Group’s continued operational success. During the ramp-up of the second sulphide concentrator at Aktogay, the Group benefited greatly from deep institutional knowledge of the operation of our concentrators and learnings garnered from the ramp-ups of the first sulphide concentrators at both Aktogay and Bozshakol. When employees leave the Group, exit interviews are conducted to collect feedback.

A Leadership Development Programme is in place to identify potential future leaders so that support in the form of training and mentoring can be offered. Potential successors are identified for key positions and individual development plans are created to support those identified. There are currently more than 237 employees enrolled in individual development plans across Aktogay, Bozshakol and East Region. Part of the annual assessment process for expatriate employees considers how well they have been mentoring, coaching and training their local successors. Progress towards promotion or continued development is reviewed quarterly and annually in year-end reviews.