Head of the talent class

O&G. There has been a lot of talk about the skills-shortage in the oil and gas industry. Why is attracting new blood beginning to become harder?

WM. It simply comes down to investment, with the oil price so high then the oil company’s priority is to take advantage of the current economic situation. Therefore the mentality is about utilising the skills in the market and not thinking about long term staffing solutions.

The economic rewards within the industry are also not as great as they once were, the younger generation can make comparable money without having to be away from home on an oil rig or on a 12 hour shift. Again this seems to be down to the companies getting the most out of personnel on each individual asset or project.

Companies used to be able to send trainees onto sites and installations to gain valuable worksite experience. Unfortunately due to client’s costs and the logistics involved in mobilizing personnel to work in the oilfield, ultimately the clients/operators do not want or have the ability to allow ‘extra’ bodies onto operations, assets or projects. Their P&L and working timeframes simply wont allow it.

O&G. How does the industry go about doing this? Do you think the HR and recruitment processes within the industry are as advanced as its exploration and drilling technology for example? If not, what needs to change?

WM. Unfortunately recruitment and more importantly retention of staff seem to be an afterthought in light of the demand for technology and extraction of the raw material. With the industry changing so rapidly in other areas, few companies have got their staffing issues and policies under constant review. This is apparent for both permanent and contract staff.

I believe that the industry in general needs to look at the processes & procedures along with the investment that is needed to employ and retain staff.

With technology heavily influencing the oilfield, in a number of cases new technology or equipment will take away the human element that was previously required.

With that in mind, staffing will always be second to technology. It’s unfortunate but its reality.

O&G. Given that recruitment is not necessarily a core-competency for oil companies how can they benefit from bringing in specialist recruitment professionals? What specific skills can third-parties bring to the party?

WM. Without doubt bringing in third-party specialists will add value and benefit to any company. Obviously the recruitment companies have a better grip on the current employment market and the problems that it has at any given time.

Unfortunately like all industries, recruitment does have its fair share of bad press and is often considered a service that could be removed and replaced by an ‘in-house’ recruitment facility. This is a good policy to a point, but staff can have the tendency to become administrative as opposed to being proactive recruiters.

Fortunately good companies, such as the TMA Group, do recognize that within any recruitment process, be it contract or permanent, then all parties have to be considered. It’s a triangle of trust that involves the agent, the client and the candidate.

With this in mind we offer operational solutions for all involved rather than just sending out random speculative candidates.

O&G. Can you tell us a little about your own company and its philosophy and approach to recruitment?

WM. With the TMA Group our focus for 2008 is to build on our success of the last year and to deliver high quality recruitment solutions for all our clients old and new.

We look at the delivery of quality candidates and our ability to recruit these in large quantities of these as our resourcing strongpoint. As mentioned earlier, the TMA group do look at the needs of each party involved in the recruitment process. Our team of consultants will technically screen every candidate before submission to the client.

We are continuously developing our teams and the footprints of our operations. New offices will be essential for the company’s development and our ability to continue delivering a high level of service with experienced recruitment consultants.

In 2008 we are set to launch our own web based recruitment tool that will allow our clients to recruit, manage and retain their contract or project staff in an effective and efficient manner.

We will be looking to introduce the product to companies who would interested in partnering and developing the tool to their own specific requirements for any given project or scenario.

The future for TMA is very exciting and as we continuously seek like minded forward thinking companies to work alongside, delivering quality recruitment solutions.

O&G. How do you see the outlook for the industry in the future? Will we still be talking about a skills shortage in five years time?

WM. My own opinion of how the industry and its recruitment processes will develop is that I can envisage the introduction of a lot more master vendor agreements and more web portals within every sector of recruitment, not just oil and gas.

It does mean that outsourcing the recruitment procedure and its management will become more remote from each company and more heavily dependant on the account controller.

I also believe that the personal contact with recruitment will start to diminish and technology will overcome the day to day recruitment activities and contact that we currently undertake and use.

In terms of a skills shortage, globally I do believe that the industry will survive, due to the development and recruitment of different nationals around the world to facilitate different projects and operations at local regional level.

An example of this would be the development of personnel with the former Soviet Union. Due to work and operations within this region, personnel have gained valuable experience and training over the last seven years and the numbers of ex-pats working in supervisory positions has started to diminish in certain areas. Hence making the region a profitable asset for the local workers and the operators.

Within the West, unless the industry looks at its recruitment programmes and strategies then I can see a problem arising. Operators, service companies and engineering contractors need to find the balance of investment against profit where manpower is concerned. Until that is resolved no one will ever be able to manage and facilitate their needs without the help of agencies or consultants such as ourselves.