Oil and gas workers 'need to be motivated'

The outlook for oil & gas has improved in 2014, while plans to invest in and revamp the sector could end up creating a host of jobs, from seasonal manual labour to high-end positions in finance and management. Following the publication of retired businessman Sir Ian Wood's recommendations for maximising the UK's remaining offshore oil and gas resources, the government decided to fast-track many of his proposals.

These include placing a focus on developing resources regionally rather than as individual fields and exploiting the possibilities offered by existing technology.

Sir Ian said: "I see this as a watershed opportunity to ultimately reshape the regulatory environment and bring at least £200 billion additional value to the economy over the next 30 years."

This will be good news for anyone seeking a job in the area. However, a recent conference warned that engagement remains a major issue in the industry, highlighting the importance of providing a good workplace for employees.

The discussion came as part of a Health, Safety and Environment panel hosted by SPE International in Long Beach, California, reports Rig Zone.

A variety of factors play a role in how motivated workers are, including the availability of career development opportunities, employee recognition and the reputation of the organisation that employs them.

Thom Wyatt, global director of employee engagement with Siegel+Gale, told his fellow attendees that "employee engagement is about attracting talent, fostering commitment and ensuring retention of an increasingly valuable company asset: its people".

"And one of the secret ingredients for successful employee engagement may be where the execs least expect it: with the company's brand," he added.

As the oil and gas sector in the UK works to modernise its procedures and attempts to bring in the right workers for this, it will want to hire the best staff possible - especially in competitive areas such as finance where firms will be able to gain an edge over their rivals with strong talent management.