The Silent Threat in Mining Recruitment: Why Candidates Don’t Hear Back

Career Services
Free Resources
Leadership
Recruitment
Wellbeing

December 1, 2025

Why have candidates stopped hearing back from mining employers?

Leslie, a site administrator, moved back to Perth in April.

Since then, she’s sent over 60 job applications for temporary and permanent mining and FIFO jobs across Australia.

She’s heard back from three companies.

All rejections. No calls, no feedback, nothing helpful.

She asks, “Why don’t I hear back after applying for mining jobs?”

It’s a fair question.

Silence lands differently. It feels personal. And, unfortunately, ghosting is becoming our industry standard.

Why communication breaks down in mining recruitment – and 5 ways to fix it

Leslie isn’t alone.

According to Indeed, a staggering 88% of Australian job seekers haven’t heard back after applying for a job.

Ghosting kills trust. And it’s the main reason skilled mining workers walk away from companies.

However, most employers genuinely want to hire well but are drowning in volume, time pressures, or systems that make it difficult to reply.

So, why is it so hard for employers to get back to people?

Let’s look at 5 different reasons, and 5 ways mining employers can improve communication and protect their employer brand.

Too many applications

Challenge: Mining and FIFO jobs attract plenty of interest. When volume spikes, replies drop. Not because employers don’t care, but because they’re juggling several jobs to keep things moving.

Fix: Write an ATS auto-reply that feels human. “Thank you for your application. Here’s what happens next…” keeps people in the loop. It buys time and it will protect your employer brand when volume spikes.

Too many jobs

Challenge: In many mining companies, recruiters aren’t managing ten jobs. It’s closer to 30. Replies often fall silent because of screening, chasing hiring managers, mobilisation admin, and urgent unexpected requests. Humans can only stretch so far.

Fix: Set clear expectations at the start of each recruitment campaign. Agree on what the communication checkpoints look like and when feedback is due. Zero ambiguity. Clarity offers candidates an idea of what to expect and when.

Clunky ATS / recruitment tech

Challenge: Some mining companies use software that’s great for compliance and reporting, but not so great for communication. Messages get buried. Emails sit unsent because the system needs five clicks to send a simple update.

Fix: Create a central library of replies for each stage of the recruitment process. Conversational copy works better. Give your system a human-sounding voice, even if 2009 is calling for its software back.

The jobs keep changing

Challenge: Mining recruitment moves fast. Scopes evolve, budgets shift, and approvals get delayed. When a job goes on hold or is re-scoped, communication stalls because nobody really knows what to say. Employers don’t want to mislead candidates, but this pause feels like a vanishing act.

Fix: If roles change often, ask your hiring managers how likely other roles will. Weed things out before you start recruiting. If it happens, let applicants know the position has changed, and you’ll reply to them once you know more.

Lack of accountability

Challenge: Hiring managers might not see feedback as part of their job. Recruiters often don’t feel empowered to push for it. The loop doesn’t close. It can feel difficult challenging a busy manager who thinks “no news is no news.”

Fix: Set expectations at the start. Assign somebody as an authority to gather feedback on all recruitment campaigns. Make every person accountable with set deadlines. No news is news to somebody who’s taken the silence personally.

Want a simple summary of these fixes? Download this handy guide (with 2 more fixes)

Respect starts with a reply. Even when the answer’s uncomfortable.

Silence isn’t respect.

Every unanswered job application harms candidate experience. It’s a reflection of our business.

We don’t need to have all the answers. We just need to answer. Even when it’s a ‘no.’

It’s not hard. It’s human.

Ghosting in mining recruitment isn’t just unfair. It’s expensive. The damage to trust and your employer brand lingers far longer than a simple email would have.