How can energy companies attract and retain staff: and what does the future look like?

The energy industry faces huge recruitment challenges.

The pandemic, working from home, early retirement and the job expectations of new entrants to the labour market have combined to make it difficult for employers to find the right people. And retain them.

A recent report suggested half the general population wouldn’t consider a job in oil and gas and there have been warnings of a skills collapse that could threaten the UK’s net zero ambitions.

For offshore staffing agencies, the question is: how can energy companies improve offshore recruitment and onshore worker levels?

The battle for talent

All sectors of the energy industry – from oil and gas production to decommissioning, and from maritime to offshore wind – use the same supply chain. That creates pressures on the supply chain to keep up with wide-ranging demands and makes access to talent more difficult than ever. Companies must combine creativity with hard work to attract the right people.

How has the legacy of the pandemic affected recruitment in the energy industry?

When Covid struck in 2019, many energy sector workers accelerated their retirement plans and left. Lots of those that didn’t retire looked to renewables for a career. The slowdown in new entrants led to a shortage of experienced personnel. That put middle management under pressure, firstly because they didn’t have sufficient people with the right talents, and secondly because they lost crucial senior mentoring support due to the retirement exodus. Today, the situation is no better. In fact, it’s got worse.

How can energy companies recruit new people?

In today’s challenging environment, where good people can be hard to come by and keep, it’s essential to differentiate your value proposition to match the ambitions of the workforce. There’s a new generation of workers that aren’t interested in restricting their careers only to oil and gas. However, they are interested in answering the technical challenges across the wider energy spectrum.

Companies that offer a diversified energy solution where employees can operate in multiple sectors attract interest. Employees also look for businesses with policies related to drivers such as the energy transition, sustainability, energy security, diversification and reducing carbon footprint. It’s also important to communicate positively about how the energy industry is still the most exciting industry to join for anyone who’s technically, commercially or even creatively minded.

How to create a positive culture in your workplace.

Creating a positive culture is about being open-minded and inclusive of another’s perceptions and fostering a team ethos. It comes from the top down and back up again. A positive culture is about being people-centric, offering an inspiring working environment and being mindful of the needs of every member of staff. And ensuring those needs are included in your daily behaviour, which then becomes the culture of your business.

Human Energy Explorers.

At JAB, we are committed to being the best energy staffing agency. We operate across the energy system – from our traditional core business in oil and gas to onshore and offshore wind, carbon capture utilisation and storage, hydrogen, geothermal, solar and biofuels. We’re currently working with one of the biggest oil companies in the world to help transition their employees as they diversify across energy.

We don’t just effectively advise our clients on establishing a positive workplace, we work hard to develop and maintain our own culture. Our people enjoy a totally flexible working environment to fit their needs. For example, when one of our employees asked to work from Barcelona for six months, we agreed. And, because we have best-in-class technology to ensure our remote workers feel completely connected all the time, it worked really well.

We’re super cognizant of our diverse workforce. Being global means we’re used to incorporating different nationalities and cultures, so we’re inclusive and flexible when it comes to how we communicate and work with our people. Our business was built on the team ethos. We support each other to achieve our shared goal – to be the most respected energy recruitment company in the world.

By walking the talk in our own company, and by supporting a myriad of clients as they navigate their modern recruitment challenges, we are expertly placed to advise on the future of work, and the steps organisations need to take to develop and retain effective teams in this challenging market.