While objective selection and assessments are an accepted part of employing managers and other staff, they have had only
a limited place when selecting mineworkers in Australia. Wambo Mining Corporation has used occupational testing as
part of its recruitment process since 1994. For managers and staff in particular, it is considered this has contributed
significantly to a 95 % fit of those appointees. In 1997 when Wambo undertook development of a new "on site" subsidiary
underground mine called Wollemi Services, they wanted to select the most appropriate people in terms of skill and on the
job performance. To achieve this they reviewed and improved their recruitment processes to facilitate selection and
transfer of an initial intake of almost 50 staff and mineworkers.
One of the issues for Human Resource Management was to provide an environment where employees could let go of
previously held (but not necessarily individually believed) entrenched views about individual performance and assessment.
It needed to be emphasised that performance could be objectively and fairly assessed. More importantly, the performance
being assessed was the application of skills and that new skills could be learnt and individuals could choose to change
Behaviour.