1,700 applicants for dozen jobs 'a sign of the times', says Tara

Human resources staff at Tara Mines have just finished a gruelling round of 200-plus interviews as part of a selection process for just 12 positions. That huge number of hopefuls for the underground labourers positions were whittled down from around 1,700 CVs that were part of a stream of applications to the mine for the dozen positions. The posts themselves were never even advertised but interest grew through word of mouth and internal notifications. The applicants varied greatly in age and in qualifications. "It's a sign of the times," said Tara Mines HR manager John Kelly. "The majority of them are local lads but with varying levels of experience or education. We've interviewed 200 and there is a screening process before that to see if, for example, people have experience in construction or working with equipment," he said. Next step is a medical and, from there, a final decision will be made. The positions are due to retirements at the Navan mine. However, Mr Kelly said that "even when there are no positions, we get a steady stream of applications in". The mine actually holds application forms at its security desk, so strong is the interest in working for the Swedish-owned company, which has a reputation for paying well and rigorously adhering to safety training. Two months ago, the company started considering the applications for this, its latest employment drive for the zinc mine which is working to full capacity. The operation, the largest zinc mine in Europe, employs 700 people, making it one of the largest private employers in the north-east and second only to Meath County Council in the county.