Oilmen in Need of Slick Recruitment

Monster.co.uk and its parent company TMP Worldwide announced the findings of one of the largest oil and gas industry surveys ever carried out in the UK. In association with the Institute of Petroleum, Monster and TMP Worldwide set out to assess the attitudes and perceptions of their industry by contacting 30,000 industry personnel with the viral survey. A total of 869 completed questionnaires were received. The findings reveal the crux of the staffing problems facing the industry and signal a call to action for employers.
Our research draws some very clear conclusions about the oil and gas industry, both in terms of the perceptions of insiders and outsiders and attracting new recruits. From these findings we can see that there is a need to make this industry more appealing by drawing on its dynamism and technological advances, comments Charles Austin, Business Development Director, TMP Worldwide. A cross-industry long-term recruitment strategy is also needed to redress imbalances. Our figures show 25% of personnel have over 20 years experience, putting oil and gas in an enviable position compared to most industries. But with only 28% of respondents getting involved in the energy sector at university, we need to think hard about capturing talent earlier. We hope these results will provoke employers to take a more far-sighted approach to staffing.
Looking at the overall perceptions of the industry from within, 53% of respondents considered their sector to be dynamic and challenging with a diverse range of career opportunities on offer. Also, 39% saw the industry at the forefront of technology, 23% felt that it was environmentally conscious and 22% as an industry that embraces change and drives diversification. However, a beleaguered 39% felt that the oil and gas industry had a boom-bust mentality resulting in a hire-and-fire policy.
When industry personnel were asked to comment on how their profession was viewed by outsiders, a less than positive picture was painted. A huge 45% of respondents claim that the oil and gas industry is seen as irresponsibly exploiting natural resources, 34% feel it was seen as having no long term future and 31% felt is was regarded as an unfriendly and dangerous industry to work in.
From a hiring and retention perspective, the findings revealed some interesting trends.
The longevity of careers in the oil and gas industry was a key finding in the research. Over one quarter of respondents had been in the industry for over 20 years and one quarter for 16-20 years. Among the newer entrants, 7% had been working in the sector for less than two years, 8% for 3-5 years and 13% for 5-10 years. Interestingly, this suggests that if the critics are right and this is a hire-and-fire industry, then the majority are being rehired and staying within the industry. This is confirmed by the fact an impressive 30% of respondents want to stay in the industry for the rest of their careers, 8% for 16-20 years, 15% for 11-15 years and 17% for 5-10 years.
Other findings
75% respondents worked in the upstream sector, 12% in the downstream sector and the remaining 13% did not specify.
Respondents fell into the following pay bands: 12 under 25,000; 16% 36,000-45,000; 15% 46,000-60,000; 21% 61,000-75,000; 14% 76,000-100,000; 9% 101,000-3120,000; 3% over 121,000.
28% of respondents first became interested in a career in the energy sector when at university. Of the remainder, 17% found themselves working in the industry purely by chance, 10% became interested at school, 5% on post-university courses, 11% at the time of their first job and another 11% mid-career.
Of the sample, 10% had PhDs, 9& had MBAs, 32% had Masters degrees. Energy-related degrees were held by 20%, with 33% having other degrees.
For funding further qualifications, 31% would look to their employer, 19% would pay themselves and 12% planned to work for an organisation that would pay.
When asked which incentives would entice respondents to relocate, 62% chose money, followed by location (58%) and responsibility (46%). Company image was a decider for 23%.


About the survey
The survey was conducted by e-mailing 30,000 people working in the oil industry. Industry personnel e-mail addresses were taken from TMP Worldwide's own database as well as members of the Institute of Petroleum, the Institute of Energy, the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Of the 30,000 people approached, 869 completed questionnaires were returned. The results are therefore broadly based and provide a good snapshot of the industry and its attitudes.