There is no doubt that we have an increasing age gap in the drilling industry. I say the “drilling industry” because it is not just water well drilling having hiring issues, but all aspects of drilling. No matter where I am in the country, I hear similar comments about recruiting and hiring. They generally start with, “These kids today don’t want to get muddy.” And that is followed up with, “These millennials don’t have what it takes to become a driller.” The final quote that makes my guts churn is, “Every time I get a new hire, they last less than a week because the job is too hard and they don’t want to work.”
Yes, the drilling industry requires an employee to work harder in a broader range of climates beyond the typical 8 to 5 workday. But how we convey that to a new hire in their first week or month will make the difference between success and failure. The increasing age gap is an epidemic that, as an industry, we have to solve by defining and fixing faults in promoting the industry, recruiting and the onboarding process.