30 October 2024

In a Fireside Chat at the recent Asian Downstream Summit 2024 event, Riaz Saiyed, ChemOne Group’s Vice President of Human Resources, sat down with Christina Lu Maxwell, HR Head APAC at Neste Singapore and shared key insights on the way forward in terms of future-proofing the global oil and gas workforce.

HR challenges within the oil and gas and downstream Industries

The Oil and Gas (O&G) and Downstream industries have always been less appealing for Millennials and GenZs who tend to gravitate to newer, tech-centric industries. Given the industry’s recent shift from being process-driven to one that welcomes innovation and new technologies and is more focused on energy conservation and sustainability, how can it then start to appeal to the younger workforce of the future?

Riaz believes that to ensure a sustainable workforce in the future, it’s essential understand and address a few key challenges that the industry currently faces.

It goes without saying that the O&G and Downstream industries have a long-held perception of being incompatible with today’s climate change movement. The uncertainty surrounding the industry’s future, coupled with a perceived lack of innovation within the once very traditional and male-dominated industry, is closely tied to the lack of awareness of the actual progression that the industry has made in the recent decade or so. Additionally, the slow adoption of the flexible work model that is very much prized amongst the younger generation is not conducive to garnering their interest to join this workforce.

But Riaz believes that one way to overcome the perception challenge is for companies to enhance their sustainability efforts and demonstrate a strong commitment to reducing environmental impact as well as investing in renewable technology. He also believes that to stop the industry from being viewed as a traditional, male-dominated workforce would require companies to boost their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives towards building diverse and inclusive workplaces that reflect the values of the younger generation, therefore aiding the industry to attract a broader talent pool.

Critical skills and competencies needed for downstream professionals to remain competitive

Companies in the downstream oil and gas industry are not spared the scrutiny that upstream players face in the efforts to decarbonise. Fossil fuels are still an inescapable part of the supply chain for goods and materials, and this presents a challenge for these companies to transform.
Riaz commented, “but the good news is, the downstream oil and gas sector is undergoing significant transformation, driven by technological advancements, environmental pressures, and evolving market demands. Even at ChemOne, we have been actively diversifying our business to produce low carbon footprint chemicals and select the best technology, best feedstock, with the least environmental impact.”

To stay competitive and ensure long-term success, Riaz believes the future downstream workforce will need a combination of traditional skills alongside new, emerging competencies. This includes improving digital literacy and technological proficiency especially in the areas of data analytics and artificial intelligence, automation and robotics as well as cybersecurity. Improving efficiency by understanding and employing methodologies that focus on processes and systems optimization will be critical components that workforce of the future should have.

Promoting a culture of continuous learning and professional development

“Based on my experience, the use of collaborative technologies and platforms such as Slack or Microsoft Teams help a lot within the organisation and enables collaboration even when working remotely,” said Riaz. It is also a way for companies to create internal knowledge networks by encouraging experienced employees and specialists to share knowledge across teams whether through formal mentorship programs, peer-to-peer learning sessions, or company-wide knowledge databases, would aid in the process of fostering continuous learning.

“The future downstream workforce must possess a blend of traditional technical skills, digital literacy, environmental consciousness, and adaptability to thrive in an industry that is rapidly changing in response to global energy trends. At the same time, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning is essential for companies to stay competitive, sustainable, and attractive to future talent. Ultimately, this will position downstream companies as forward-thinking employers of choice,” Riaz concluded.