Equinor is an energy company with an ambitious vision : to meet the increasing demand for energy in more sustainable ways . As the business develops and changes , bringing in young talent is an important part of its people strategy . But how has the team fared during COVID-19 ? Ellen M . Andreasson , Head of Emerging Talent , tells all .
Equinor ’ s mission – to shape the future of energy – means that everyone in the business is committed to making this a reality , and the emerging talent team is no exception . It ’ s a given that we need new talent and perspectives and , for new business models and opportunities , updated competencies and capabilities . Emerging talent will form a substantial part of our workforce renewal over the next few years , and we ’ ve put in place a robust pipeline to build relationships and attract the best graduates , interns and apprentices into the business .
In 2020 , some 600 young starters joined us . We were in the middle of a round of apprentice recruitment when the COVID pandemic struck . Overnight , we hit the buffers . No longer able to carry out our usual face-to-face assessments , and with a third of candidates already booked to fly in to visit us , we had to pivot – and fast . Cancellation was briefly considered , but rejected . We made the decision then and there to put the needs of our candidates first – and to find a virtual solution that would enable us to press ahead .
Looking back , we benefited hugely from the fact that we already had a good , long-term relationship with AMS . Working together , we successfully completed the recruitment , as planned .
Once we realised that COVID-19 was with us to stay , it was time to face the challenge of protecting our emerging-talent pipeline for the rest of the year .
Being able to deliver our first virtual graduate recruitment programme to plan and on schedule has been a great source of pride
Virtual delivery
What should we do about the 340 successful candidates enrolled in our summer internship programme ? The answer : transform the programme for virtual delivery , with 275 of the original interns from Norway , the UK , the US and Japan joining a seven-week programme from home , using their own PCs . Before starting , each intern was given a list of projects to choose from . They were then placed in groups and assigned a mentor , boosted by weekly learning and social sessions , all delivered via Microsoft Teams . Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive : 97 % of respondents in our exit survey said that they would like to work for Equinor again .
What about career fairs and events ? We held our first virtual career fairs , one with two other companies which extended our reach with our target markets . The usual career-fair giveaways were replaced by a donation game , where students could play and donate to a pre-approved charity of their choice .
How could we tackle our annual graduate recruitment process ? By bringing together a team from Equinor and AMS to devise and develop from scratch a new format and content . In short order , we had ready a virtual assessment centre , again using Teams alongside a SOVA tool for assessment and scoring . Crucial to the process was a pilot day with recent graduate joiners and hiring managers so that we could test the concept , the tech and the risk assessments we put in place . And equally crucially , the whole programme was designed so that we have the flexibility to use it face to face in future if we want to .
Is virtual here to stay ?
Being able to deliver our first virtual graduate recruitment programme to plan and on schedule has been a great source of pride . Even though we haven ’ t been able to give top candidates the ever-popular experience of visiting company headquarters in Stavanger in Norway , feedback so far has been positive . The tech has worked and 365 candidates , 20-plus recruiters and 150 assessors later , we have excellent outcomes for entry next year .
The million-dollar question we now face is , of course : is virtual here to stay ? There have been undoubted advantages , in terms of both cost and carbon footprint . Having to think creatively , to adopt a flexible mindset and working collaboratively with AMS has made us realise that we can be agile when we need to be . It ’ s been a year when necessity has driven change and given us experiences that we would not otherwise have had . We ’ ve been able to continue our work to identify and nurture emerging talent for the business . And , as importantly , it has left a legacy that will make us even more resilient for the future .
The view from AMS : David Ingleson and Lauren Cunningham
Working alongside Equinor to deliver its emergingtalent programme virtually has taught us many valuable lessons . One of Equinor ’ s hiring managers spoke for many when she applauded our virtual approach for “ absolutely aligning ” with the company ’ s strategy of being “ always safe , high value and low carbon ”. Rather than change being seen an insurmountable barrier , we ’ ve made changes that have been rapid , effective and – thanks to everyone ’ s hard work – relatively painless . The pandemic has shown us that , with the right mindset and relationships , change is not just possible , but can also be a transforming force for building sustainability and resilience longer term .