Hays : A turbulent year for the global oil and gas industry could result in exacerbated skills shortages when growth returns

• Overall salaries have decreased by 1.4 per cent, as a result of redundancies and a reduction in the use of often high-cost expat workers
• In an effort to secure work or retain their current role, oil and gas workers are being flexible on salaries with 51 per cent of employee respondents saying they would consider a cut in salary to retain their current job
• Forty-one per cent of oil and gas professionals said a company's reputation is the number one factor when evaluating a job, ranking above compensation (34%), career progression (15%) and benefits (10%).

Oil and gas employers predict modest growth in headcount during 2016, however, skills shortages and recruitment issues are looming due to the number of workers having left the industry during the downturn, according to the seventh annual Oil & Gas Global Salary Guide, produced by recruiting experts Hays Oil & Gas and Oil and Gas Job Search.

Compiled in November 2015, the Oil & Gas Global Salary Guide illustrates how the fall in oil prices has impacted the industry's workforce. Thirty-two per cent of survey respondents said they had been laid off or made redundant and 93 per cent of employers said they had made some level of headcount reductions over the past 12 months.

Seventy-two per cent of those surveyed, and who have been laid off or made redundant in the past year, are considering looking for a role outside of the industry. If workers begin to leave the industry this could cause a brain-drain of talent within the sector, potentially creating future talent pipeline challenges.

Twenty-two per cent feel that skills shortages will be the growing concern and if the market begins to improve during 2016, the increase in hiring could then place job seekers in a buying position, driving up salaries in turn as companies compete for sought after talent. This will make skills shortages among the industry's major concerns in the future, should the oil price start to rise again.

John Faraguna, Managing Director, Hays Oil & Gas, says, 'The fall in oil prices is causing more challenges than initially meets the eye - it's not just about the fall in profitability and the reduction in the industry's workforce. Headcount losses and the resulting potential brain drain to the industry, coupled with the inevitable halt in hiring fresh talent, could lead to more acute future skills shortage.'

For the majority of businesses effected by the downturn, the focus has been keeping headcount costs low in order to remain profitable. However, employers must consider how employer reputation can effect an organisation's ability to attract and retain top professionals in the industry. Forty-one per cent of oil and gas professionals said a company's reputation is the number one factor when evaluating a job, both for an internal move or a role with a new employer. Sixty per cent of respondents who have been laid off or made redundant said they did not receive any assistance from their previous employer in helping them secure a new role. Businesses that do assist recently laid off or redundant workers in seeking new employment, such as providing time off for interviews or being introduced to a recruiting firm, can improve their reputation.

'Supporting workers throughout the full work lifecycle, including exiting the business, will help preserve a good reputation, as well as help ensure that when market conditions improve, the employer brand is still attractive' says John Faraguna, Managing Director, Hays Oil & Gas. 'With hiring plans low on the agenda for the foreseeable future, there is a storm gathering within the industry. A pause in hiring today could create an even greater skills shortage than that caused by the downturn of the mid-to-late 1980's. Employers should be looking at their training offering and implementing succession plans to retain current staff and build a reputation as a top employer to help attract candidates in the future'.

Additional findings

• Currently, 56 per cent of employers said the main issue facing the industry is economic instability, however, 63 percent of employers feel confident about the oil and gas industry in 2016.
• The number of employees receiving benefits has held steady at 74 per cent and health plans are the number one most prevalent benefit
• Year-on-year there are 15 per cent fewer expat workers, a likely example of companies looking to reduce expat staffing costs. Eighty-five per cent of respondents are seriously considering an international move and 40 per cent are looking to move in the next 6 months
• Professional development is the third most important factor for employees when evaluating their role. Employers are responding to this need, as 35 per cent of employers invested in or upgraded training plans in the past 12 months and 43 per cent are using training as a way to upskill their current workforce.

Survey Summary

Disciplines covered 28

Countries represented 178

Respondents to the survey 28,000

Respondents who are employers in the industry 4,000

About Hays

Hays plc (the 'Group') is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2015 the Group employed 9,023 staff operating from 240 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2015:

- the Group reported net fees of £764.2 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £164.1 million;

- the Group placed around 63,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 200,000 people into temporary assignments;

- 23% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 41% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 36% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;

- the temporary placement business represented 58% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 42% of net fees;

- Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA

- the Group reported net fees of £724.9 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £140.3 million;

- the Group placed around 57,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 212,000 people into temporary assignments;

- 24% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 42% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 34% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;

- the temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees;

- Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA.

For further information about the survey, please contact:

Jonathan Beasley, Group Communications Executive at Hays on [phone] or [e-mail]

About Oil and Gas Job Search

A CareerBuilder company, Oil and Gas Job Search is the world's premier job site dedicated to professionals who work in the oil and gas industry. The site currently holds a searchable resume database of 1.4 million candidates which is growing at a rate of 700 per day. Over 5,000 jobs are posted to the site every month in a wide selection of locations and disciplines. As well as job postings and access to the resume database, employers can gain access to other industry leading products such as resume alerts and email marketing campaigns in order to attract the best talent in the industry.

Oil and gas job search is headquartered in the UK with offices in the USA, UAE and Australia.

For further information about the survey and methodology, please contact:

Deena Rosenberg at: 1 212-777-2220 (office) 1 201-280-1937 (mobile)

[e-mail] or Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search on [phone] or [e-mail]