Scouting for talent
Nuclear energy companies should look outside their own industry for new staff until new recruitment channels and partnerships mature, according to a report released this week.
Nuclear energy companies should look outside their own industry for new staff until new recruitment channels and partnerships mature, according to a report released this week.
The report by the Korn/Ferry Institute, entitled Leading Talent Management in the Nuclear Industry, concludes that market mechanisms can address some of the shortages facing the nuclear industry as it prepares again for mass-scale deployment of its power plants. Tightness in heavy component supply and technology refinement work will progress under market forces, but nuclear companies must be proactive in finding fresh members of staff in the face of competition from other energy industries.
With hundreds of reactors planned worldwide in coming decades, Andy White, chairman of the World Nuclear Association, explained that, "All of the key factors, including predictable and affordable cost, energy independence, and environmental preservation are aligning to support these plans." Bruce Power CEO Duncan Hawthorne told the report authors: "We can always manage the technical issues but if we don't have the leadership or skill sets, no organisation can move forward."
While the nuclear power industry is multi-national and heavily interlinked, it is not yet globalised and companies with problems recruiting skilled staff need to look further afield than they did during previous phases of the industry. The English language is increasingly seen as the primary communication method, meaning that talented staff for work in Europe or North America can be sourced from Asia, or vice versa. Furthermore, industries such as petrochemicals, aviation, the military and process manufacturing could prove fruitful recruitment areas. However, nuclear safety remains a unique part of the nuclear energy business, and a robust culture based on a commitment to excellence must be maintained.
Korn/Ferry cited the example of Bruce Power, which brought in a dedicated project team from a recruitment specialist and was able to fill over 100 middle management roles, including some that had been vacant for two years.
Aside from external sourcing of staff, the Korn/Ferry report applauded industry efforts to make new partnerships with educational and public sector organisations to create new routes for younger staff to enter the industry. While recruitment rates have picked up in recent years, "the pool of future leaders (rising managers who are currently in their late 30s to early 50s) remains far too small."
Passing on the knowledge of the most knowledgeable workers - those in their 60s, is a challenge. Bill Coley, CEO of British Energy suggested "Mentoring and the 'parallel running' of executives" in the hand-over of roles. Coley believes that "the industry also needs a structured global approach to knowledge transfer, perhaps by establishing a databank of experienced people who are leaving the nuclear workforce and agree to be available for the industry to call on for consulting positions or project assignments."
External sourcing of staff and recruiting from other nuclear companies may enable firms to solve their immediate skills problems, but this is not a solution for the industry as a whole. New partnerships and the strengthening of internal development programs are the solutions for skills shortages in the longer term.
