Finding qualified (and available) drillers is a challenge nearly every drilling company faces today. While the niche industry, in and of itself, contributes to the shortage of qualified drillers, the tightened labor market and increased competitiveness makes the challenge that much more problematic. What can you do to recruit the elusive driller? In today’s article, I highlight some key recruitment strategies that any organization can implement to help identify and entice qualified candidates.

Understand your Value Propositions

When you talk to candidates about your organization, know what exactly makes your company unique from other companies in the industry. Why would a qualified driller want to leave their current job and come work for your organization? Before attempting to recruit a driller, you must answer this crucial question. Effective use of value propositions can help you find that answer.

A recruiting value proposition conveys what makes your company the best one to work for and the benefits that the candidate can expect from the employment relationship. Value proposition statements begin as just that – a brief statement. However, an effective value proposition should also have supporting points.

To learn more about value propositions and how to create one check out an excellent resource from Gary Fox here.

Listen and Learn

One big mistake recruiters and hiring managers make when first approaching a candidate involves jumping too quickly to selling the job and the company. Instead, first take some time with a candidate to ask questions with the intent of truly listening and learning more about the individual. It’s never a bad idea to let someone talk about themselves, as research has shown we spend 60% of our conversations talking about ourselves!

Letting a potential driller talk about themselves can open conversation around the challenges and problems in their current role. Finding these pain points can help steer the conversation and identify areas where you should focus when selling the opportunity at your company. You’re not just pitching a job that the person may or may not want; you’re solving an actual problem for the candidate.

Never Stop Recruiting

Leaders and recruiters tend to assume mistakenly that the recruitment process ends once we bring a new driller onboard. Remember that your current employees need to be recruited just as much as potential candidates! This doesn’t mean you need to interview and continuously sell the company to existing employees. It does mean having an awareness of the industry’s competitiveness and the likelihood your new hire may still get approached by other companies.

Continuously “recruiting” your employees, if done correctly, will set the foundation for a solid retention strategy. One way to do this is by going through the process of conducting stay interviews. These interviews are a great tool to use to identify any potential challenges or struggles an employee faces that could cause them to seek employment elsewhere. Surveying new hires and existing employees is another effective method of uncovering potential problems and proactively preventing drillers from leaving your organization.

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: to attract and retain the most qualified candidates. By effectively communicating the value of the employment relationship, listening to understand the needs of candidates and continuously investing in the process of retaining top talent, you are well on the path to a solid recruitment and retention strategy.