Pipe up: how to get the best out of tomorrow’s energy talent

By Prof. Dr. Frank Gielen, education director at InnoEnergy

“Whether you want to call them millennials or Generation Y, the new generation of talent sees the world – and their careers – differently to their predecessors. One key difference is that they are far more likely to seek work that has a social impact, that makes a positive difference to the world.

And of course, energy companies do. Energy keeps schools and hospitals open and allows society to thrive. But the other key consideration is environmentalism. If a company has been providing that vital energy by burning coal for 40 years, it will likely to be a turn-off for younger recruits.

“We see a major shift in the expectations for people entering the industry over the next five-ten years. Graduates are basing their career decisions on new criteria such as social purpose and are looking at different ways to be rewarded […] Organisations will need to adapt their processes accordingly.” – CTO, niche energy provider

Energy companies need to do two things to play up their social value as a vital cog in society and bring their environmental credentials to the fore. If a company lacks positive environmental credentials, then it may find talent to be one of the many challenges they face in tomorrow’s energy landscape.

Expect and facilitate immediate impact

Traditionally, some graduate schemes might see a new hire rotated around a number of functions; learning the ropes before being assigned a fixed role and knuckling down to drive things forward.

However, there is a growing sense that talent will be expected – and want – to make a more immediate impact: to hit the ground running. The pace of change in the energy industry requires this: there’s no time to wait, or the knowledge graduates are acquiring might be out-of-date before they can use it.

This is true for all energy companies, but especially so for start-ups, whose existence depends on pressing their advantage and not missing their moment. Companies will have to hire talent with the ability to make an immediate impact on the business, and then be careful to manage it in a way that facilitates that impact. Care must be taken not to stifle ambitious and impatient talent.

InnoEnergy’s Master’s School knows how important this is. Its courses enable students to learn how business success and commercial awareness go hand-in-hand with sustainability, while building their understanding of business requirements.

And it isn’t just about the business’ needs. As career expectations shift, younger talent no longer believes in or aspires to a ‘job for life’. They expect careers which include a number of different roles, across a variety of different companies. For both their own and the company’s sake then, it is important to get as much value as possible out of their limited time in each role.

Next week, we’ll cover how great talent and great companies can drive innovation and how the collaborative international nature of the energy industry can be reflected in recruitment.”