How to build tomorrow’s oil and gas workforce, starting today.
Oil and gas leaders preparing for tomorrow’s workforce face key challenges of producing growth while at the same time preparing for the new, often unknown, opportunities the future will bring, against a backdrop of volatile oil prices and cost fluctuations. The most astute also know that they must answer a deeper question: How can I deliver great performance by helping our people to thrive? This requires a clear vision for an uncertain oil and gas world – one that sets out plans to allow people to take on new and augmented roles, and to create a compelling people experience. This changing profile demands a new way of recruiting, developing, and nurturing talent. Tomorrow’s oil and gas workforce will be markedly different than the workforce of the past, and even today.
In 2018, PwC collaborated with the London Business School on a global survey of more than 1,200 business and HR leaders from 79 countries — which included respondents from the Energy, Utilities and Mining (EU&M) industry — to identify the most important organizational capabilities for tomorrow’s workplace. We gauged whether these organizations are taking action today to prepare for the future. Our survey revealed clarity in identifying key capabilities, but potentially damaging gaps between energy organizations understanding the problems they face and taking the necessary actions to solve them.
PwC’s energy workforce survey revealed the disconnects between the capabilities that are seen as critical by energy businesses in the future and the actions in place to strengthen them in-house. These initiatives can and should be led by a forward-thinking business and HR team. At the heart of future thinking change are the people and talent already at companies and preparing for the future energy workforce.
In upcoming thought leadership reports, we will explore these issues in further detail and suggested tactics to support an energy company’s talent such as:
Ultimately, preparing to evolve into a successful energy organization tomorrow requires action today. Oil and gas companies that embrace the new realities, recognize the urgency to invest, and create forward-thinking workforce strategies to develop fit for growth talent, will gain a powerful competitive advantage.