Fueling tomorrow: The next generation of energy workers

In Section Professional Perspectives

By: TONI ROSARIO Director of BIC Recruiting and Human Resources

Professional Perspectives

Momentum in the global energy transition, digital transformation and generational turnover are disrupting workforce continuity in the industrial sector.

Here’s how businesses and workers can collaborate to meet these challenges:

Close the skill and knowledge gap

As baby boomers and early Gen Xers ride off into the sunset, their former employers must make sure they don’t carry all their institutional knowledge away. Energy businesses must facilitate the “great handover” of knowhow, procedures and tips to Millennials and Gen Z taking the reins. O&G businesses should formalize and expand programs that pair younger employees with senior leaders, division managers and technical experts to promote operational continuity.

Prepare incoming cohorts with mentors; send them to industry conferences; subscribe to online learning platforms; and create reward systems and tuition support for continued education in emerging technology and skills, such as:

• Data science and analytics

• Cybersecurity

• Automation, AI and machine learning

• Sustainability and environmental stewardship

• Process digitalization (welding, equipment operation, drilling, etc.)

Expand the labor pool

These advanced skill demands may limit the qualified applicants available to energy sector participants. A bigger constraint, however, is the industry’s image among job seekers and its less-than-stellar recruitment efforts.

Companies must rebrand and expand recruiting efforts to attract alternative talent sources. These could include universities, community colleges and technical institutes that have pivoted to embrace emerging technology curricula that will drive O&G exploration, extraction, refinement, storage, transportation and distribution.

Some workforce entrants and young professionals turn away from O&G because they perceive it as unfriendly to the environment. Promoting companies’ efforts in carbon capture, hybrid power, land reclamation, energy security and energy transition solutions could change these workers’ perceptions. By the same token, recent graduates and career transitioners should investigate these initiatives and the roles they might play. Keeping an open mind could lead to rewarding opportunities.

Align the motivators

O&G businesses can further ease the labor crunch by more closely designing compensation, perks and company culture to worker preferences.

Young employees respond to many of the same “traditional” career benefits that their parents worked for:

• Competitive salaries
• Healthcare and retirement benefits
• Stock options and bonuses
• Opportunities for advancement
• Continuous learning and upskilling
• Recognition for excellence

But they demand more. They want to believe in the companies they work for and expect them to take the lead on social justice issues, inclusion and employee well-being. Meeting those expectations is not just responsible and responsive; it’s also good business.

Aggressively recruiting under-represented populations both makes organizations more attractive places to work and incentivizes more applicants to explore the industry. It lets everyone feel like they belong, fostering retention and longevity.

Given the demanding nature of work in the O&G field, employees understandably expect employers to allow time for rest, recovery, mental recharging and social engagement. Allowing flexible working hours, providing mental health resources and funding family support programs shows empathy and concern for the person, not just the worker.

As the energy transition, digital tools and workforce turnover reshape the industrial sector, companies and workers must close knowledge gaps and diversify talent pipelines. Prioritizing access to next-gen technologies, investing in skill development and spotlighting environmental initiatives can help attract talent and create long-term opportunity across operations, maintenance and project delivery.

For more information, visit BICRecruiting.com, email trosario@bicrecruiting.com or call (281) 538-9996.