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HR: new tools for talent management
The oil and gas industry is a people business at heart. Scientists and technicians have years of experience that are harnessed to boost productivity of existing fields and to develop new resources.
How can the industry attract and maintain professional talent in a tightening recruitment market? The oil and gas industry is at heart a people business. Scientists and technicians have years of experience that are harnessed to boost productivity of existing fields and to develop new resources.
It takes years to develop the proper skills. Globally speaking, the oil and gas industry employs the best engineering and technical experts and specialists. However, there is a cloud on the horizon. Over the next 10 years, a “brain drain” event is predicted, as increasing numbers of experienced engineers reach retirement age and leave the industry. This exodus of experienced engineers will impact maturing nations, especially in Europe.
Jeanine van Barlingen, Global Recruitment Manager at Shell Global Solutions, says, “This comes at a time when energy resources are in focus on the world stage. And there is a need to develop technologies and new ways of thinking to make products even more sophisticated. To achieve this, the sector has to maintain its skill levels and attract new talent.”
Recently, science-based subjects have fallen in popularity globally, which has led to a diminishing graduate talent pool. Graduates are attracted to new industries such as information technology (IT). New graduates find the new industries more appealing than the traditional sectors such as oil and gas.