"Whatever happened to that role?!"

Whilst we are in the mix of a combined global pandemic and oil downturn, it has certainly allowed us plenty of time to think, self-reflect, and ponder how we can improve, not only as individuals, but as teams, as businesses, and of course, as industries.

Approaching a decade in Upstream E&P recruitment has encouraged me to review several of the recruitment processes of recent times and I have focused on those that have fallen down a black hole. 

As a business predominantly focused on contingency based recruitment, it will be no shock to hear that all revenue is dependent on a successful placement. What does that mean exactly? It means we receive ￡0.00 for all the work that goes before the start date of a successful candidate (presuming we place a successful candidate in the end!). Risky? Yes.

Therefore, I have found myself reflecting not on the roles where we have successfully placed candidates - or those filled by our competitors - but rather those that evaporate mid-recruitment process for unclear or unexplained reasons.

Recruitment 101 will always suggest, and rightly so, that it is our own fault as the recruitment agency for not testing the true commitment of the client before commencing our process. Nonetheless, I felt it would be a worthwhile exercise for myself - and hopefully the candidates and clients of our world - to think about why it is common for roles to simply vanish into thin air.   

Here's some thoughts....

Lack of pace to the recruitment process

• I have always stated a lack of pace to a recruitment process will be its downfall. Successful recruitment workflows should have a clear timeline – sourcing and screening, pre-qualification and shortlisting, initial interviews, final interviews, offers, placement – and specific deadlines should be in place for each part. More often than not, the gap in between each stage is simply too long – which leads to a common statement when dealing with business, and more importantly: people: ‘Things change’.

No prioritisation – “we have more important tasks”

• It is no surprise to hear that when the oil price is strong, activity levels are high. It then becomes more difficult to find the time to review CV’s, attend interviews, gather to make decisions, approve offers and onboard new recruits…. The list goes on. The number of times I have heard “we need to recruit but we can’t find the time…”. Which leads to my next point….

Too many cooks - no unanimous decision 

• Successful, efficient and timely recruitment processes tend to involve two, maybe three influencers or key decision makers. We find vacancies that take longer to recruit (as well as those that fall down the black hole), have far too many individuals involved in the recruitment process with a direct or indirect influence on the decision. Interview panels of 3-4 are great and allow assessments from different perspectives. However, when there are too many ‘managers’ present, we find a unanimous decision on a preferred candidate to be more problematic. This often leads to further recruitment delays, discouraged candidates, and missed opportunities….and as a result the process does not lead to a successful hire.

Division amongst stakeholders - do we really need X?

• Connecting to my previous point, we also find there can often be disagreement on whether a vacancy is necessary. “Could X do it?”, “Could we fill it internally?”, “Should we wait for…”. We find these questions often rise throughout the recruitment workflow, even if the role has been ‘approved’. It is always worth asking a client whether all the internal stakeholders unanimously agree this hire is 100% necessary before commencing the process. If not, the black hole awaits….

Shall I wait for a 10/10 candidate?

• Of course, every organisation should maintain high standards and aim to recruit the best talent possible – but in the E&P world we do find that management often forget we are recruiting for extremely niche specialists – and hold out far too long for the perfect candidate, rejecting those 9/10 candidates that fall short in one area. Essentially, we are talking about expectation versus reality – and the search for the ‘Purple Squirrel’. “We are looking for an experienced Reservoir Simulation Engineer, who has minimum 15 years’ hands-on international experience, with both deepwater and fractured carbonate asset experience, production technology experience, and has leadership capabilities to deputise for the Subsurface Manager – but our budget is only 80% of market rate”. That’s not even touching upon the need for the softer skills to be on point. What then happens if expectation is beyond reality…. No prompt decisions are made, things change, and the black hole awaits!

Urgency often conceals uncertainty

Does urgent mean urgent?

• To encourage a swift response, E&P companies often state a role is an urgent need due to ongoing operations or project deadlines. What does urgent mean? It means that immediate action or attention is required. To me, this means we should fill the role within a matter of days. However, urgency often conceals uncertainty – and a surprising turn of events occur which leads to an external recruitment hire competing with other, more appealing, internal or external options.

We've jumped the gun

• We all love enthusiasm and proactivity – and this is part and parcel of the world of recruitment. Nonetheless, companies and recruiters alike can often jump the gun and begin speaking to (or interviewing) candidates about jobs that are not approved, with no budget or the necessary sign off. I know I have been guilty of this in the past!

The recruiter is in the dark

• I am sure most of you have been contacted directly about a job at some time, raised your own hopes and expectations, sent your updated CV….and received radio silence. While we all understand every online application simply can’t receive a personal response due the sheer volume, recruiters that directly contact candidates should ALWAYS follow up on a personal basis with feedback (positive or negative). From my experience, radio silence after direct approaches portrays uncertainty rather than rejection. The role has fallen down the black hole and the recruiter simply has not figured out whether this will be revived at a later date.

We are dealing with human beings – a species prone to the odd U-turn.

We are human - people change their minds 

• As mentioned throughout, in recruitment we are dealing with human beings – a species prone to the odd U-turn. This is not going to change anytime soon. However, if we truly value the process of recruitment, and give it the attention and prioritisation it deserves, we reduce the time to hire – and the time to second guess ourselves!

It's the oil and gas industry....

• For seasoned E&P professionals, there is a clear understanding of the turbulent nature of the industry, and a realisation that an Oil & Gas organisation can change overnight – whether this be through movement in the oil price, exploration success/failure, M&A activity, private equity backing, overseas ownership and unforeseen decision-making. The industry is certainly prone to a knee-jerk reaction, and this is symptomatic to its approach to recruitment. While this can be unsettling to the younger generation within the industry – it is a life that the more experienced become accustomed to.

Although some of the above points may appear to focus on the negative, this is not my intention. Awareness of the limitations of existing pitfalls of our process can allow for positive change and a refocus of recruitment strategy and execution.

The E&P industry is an incredible industry to be involved in. I am fascinated by the stories and experiences of our candidates and clients – the projects they have been involved in, the locations they have visited, the cultures and countries they have experienced and contributed to. It truly has been, and will continue to be, a global industry full of exhilarating and stimulating career options. We may experience some dead ends, road bumps and potholes (and dry holes!) along the way…. but if you talk to any recent retiree, ask them what they would have changed.

As for the black hole of recruitment, how can we avoid this? For your part in the process, be planned, be committed, be decisive, be realistic, be united, and be quick!

Together, we can raise the bar for the entire industry and improve the overall candidate experience.

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