The oil industry is facing a talent challenge, caused in part due to the aging nature of its workforce, market conditions and a decline in interest by potential recruits to seek employment in the industry. One solution the oil business is adopting is investment in new innovative technologies, which cuts costs and boosts productivity.

Because of the growing investment by the industry in artificial intelligence, automation, cloud computing, etc., employers are recruiting a different type of worker, to lessen the brain drain and skills gap the business is experiencing.

The industry is seeing a growing number of technology workers are being recruited, including scrum masters, data scientists, cloud architects and even user experience designers.

Competition from other industries

The trouble for oil business recruiters in attracting new technology workers is that the very specific skill sets required by oil firms are also needed by rival employers including aerospace, high technology and logistics. For example, artificial intelligence and automation experts are in high demand throughout the world economy.

To overcome the oil industry’s recruitment problems, employers are offering more flexible and generous benefits, as well as better training of existing staff.

An image problem

The industry has an image problem with many of its potential recruits, especially with students. To overcome this problem, the oil business is automating many of the dirty, on-the-ground work, so as to create a less dangerous, less environmentally impactful and more attractive workplace.

There is also the issue of job security; ever since the 2014 oil price crisis, the media has reported job losses, industry cutbacks and consolidation, as the business experiences a tougher business climate.