November 11, 2019 [The Highfield Company] – Recruitment is one of the most important things to get right for your business and knowing the recruitment landscape in the tank terminal industry going into 2020 is absolutely step one as we approach what is going to be a busy year for the sector.
Projects are continuous across Asia Pacific, China, India, the Middle East and the Americas and getting staff at the right time is key. This means securing the people you need before the competition do, which means looking ahead of time.
Here is the key advice for recruiting your tank terminal staff for 2020:
Be prepared – start now!
Experienced tank terminal staff, who actually know the industry, can be difficult to find or secure at the right time – but the best way to ensure you are able to beat your competitors to the best staff is to be ready right now.
Don’t miss out on an active candidate just because the role isn’t yet urgent for you, and if you interview someone who is a good fit for you get them offered as soon as possible, even if it is not with an immediate start, but something on paper to them to show commitment. I can’t count the number of times a lack of urgency has cost a client their target candidate.
This is particularly true with management and senior management requirements. Getting the right senior management in place is vital – installing the right foundations early on and then making sure you keep hold of them should form the basis of all of your recruitment strategy for 2020 and beyond.
Recruiting in hard locations?
You’re in need of specific expertise in a hard, or more remote location? You want an expat but don’t want to spend money on a typical expat package? This is a common dilemma, but it is no longer the implication – more and more now expats will join your project on a visa and a local contract; you just need to ensure the role and benefits are appealing.
Get out of the mind-set that expats are looking exclusively for “expat packages” – they are not.
Project jumping
People project jump; it is the nature of the sector and particularly Oil & Gas. Getting the niche/specialist tank terminal staff onto your payroll – getting them to go permanent – should be high in your staffing strategy for 2020.
Companies are always looking for project engineers, finding success in bringing in young engineers and nurturing them. Keeping project engineers’ long term and investing in their growth is another key to solving this. Homegrown experts are more loyal, better understand the intricacies of your business and are much, much less likely to want to jump to wherever the next hot project is. Therefore always keep your mind open to a young engineer who is passionate about the industry and projects, invest in your businesses future, and theirs.
2020 is going to be a great year for the sector and keeping these key points in mind will put you ahead of your competition in terms of securing the best staff in the sector. Keep close to your networks, keep close to your recruiter and be prepared now for strategic hires for the new year.
Tom Archer
Business Development Manager at The Highfield Company
