The numbers are somewhat surprising, but real. In 2020, it is estimated millennials comprise as much as half of the American workforce. According to Forbes, by 2025, 75 percent of the global workforce will be made up of those born between 1980 and 2000.
Expanding on these numbers, a 2019 survey conducted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. offers insights into the complexities and expectations of millennials as they enter the workforce.
Analyzing more than 3,000 interviews with STEM graduates from 10 countries, the survey determines the oil and gas industry is facing strong competition against technology, health care and other disciplines for young talent, with about 44 percent interested in pursuing a career in oil and gas.
In order to meet the challenges of this workforce reality, it is incumbent upon the oil and gas industry to actively attract and recruit more young professionals who have been trained in STEM disciplines. But how?
Shell Lubricants Americas Environmental Engineer Samantha Elliott points to a number of factors that attracted her to the oil and gas industry in general -- and to Shell in particular.
"I was attracted to the training programs that included on-the-job training, traditional classroom training and regular checkins, and everything was specific to my expertise," she said, speaking at the International Association of Drilling Contractors' Health, Safety, Environmental and Training Conference and Exhibition held recently in Houston.
Formal mentorship was another primary factor that appealed to Elliott.
"The first one was a structured development program. I was excited about the opportunity to be assigned a senior leader to help guide my progression through the company," she said.
Competitive compensation that included a generous benefits package helped Elliott make her decision to join Shell.
"Pay is always going to be a contribution, right? So, on top of a competitive starting salary, it was also important to be recognized and rewarded through performance pay," she said.
Another factor that attracted Elliott was rotation of positions.
"I wanted the opportunity to explore other areas of the business as well as lay a solid foundation for an exciting career," she said. "I really liked the idea of the rotation aspect and the possibility of sampling two or three roles and responsibilities that were challenging."
New generation, new priorities
Elliott also cited culture as an important consideration as young professionals chart their career paths.
"To me, we'll enjoy our time in the workplace if we fit in with the company's culture," she said, explaining that a good cultural fit contributes to loyalty toward the company. "Also, young professionals [want] to work hard, but for millennials, maintaining a work/life balance is an even higher priority than pay. It's important [for a company] to incorporate that into its culture."
"Who is oil and gas? It's us, who work in the industry," Elliot asked and answered, adding that going forward, the industry's own stakeholders are responsible for "making it what we want it to be."
"We may get negative press," she concluded, addressing the cultural push to reduce global dependency on fossil fuels. "But we're all actively working to make it a better industry. We know what we need to do: We need to act responsibly and do the right thing."
