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Thank you for the interest shown in the launching of this newsletter. If
you know anyone else who might like to read it, then please feel free to pass it on to
them.
After the first newsletter was sent out,
I received some disturbing news that certain local agencies are using CRS's name
to convince people that they are genuine about finding them overseas jobs for a
fee. Please click on "Tell Us What You Think" (on the right hand column)
or scroll down to read this report and my comment on it. NOTE: Back issues of CRS NEWS are published at
http://www.crsoilandgasjobs.com/Newsletter.htm.
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 It's
common knowledge that it's an employee's market in the Energy industry
worldwide. Here in Trinidad, there are not enough skilled and suitably
experienced people working in the industry and they are being desperately sought
after by several companies, often bidding for the same work. So how does
an employer try to keep their in-demand staff?
From my own
experience, there are 3 main elements that will affect whether an employee is
happy or not - the job itself, the office environment and commutation concerns.
If all 3 are good, then this employee is very happy and will not leave. If
only 2 are good, then this employee may be content but would be open to better
offers. If only 1 is good, then this person will be looking for another
job.
If none are present, then you have a seriously unhappy
individual who is desperate to leave. Clearly, this is a simplistic view
and people will have different emphases on which elements are important to them.
1) The Job
Job interest is
particularly important to technical people who thrive in a challenging role.
If the job becomes too much the same, day in and day out, then they will get
bored and look for something more stimulating. Development and
training in new skills is important for any professional to maintain their
marketability. For example, having off-shore experience is essential for
some of the best jobs and so the opportunity to gain this experience is highly
valued.
Often, the nature of
the work is more important to an individual than the salary, though an underpaid
person will probably feel discontented. A highly paid individual is
unlikely to be more happy just because of their salary. Nevertheless,
people may be tempted
to move jobs simply to earn very high salaries, presumably because they (or
their families) can enjoy luxuries because of it.
I will discuss the phenomenon of poaching and counter-offers in a later
newsletter.
Working long hours for a long period of time is extremely stressful and can lead
to 'burn out', so why do people do it? Often, staff are motivated to make
whatever personal sacrifices are necessary to complete a project by a deadline
imposed by their employer. But afterwards, the 'down' after the 'high' of
the adrenaline of team effort can lead to depression and demotivation.
2) The Office
Environment
By office
environment, I mean the building, the office arrangement and the people the
employee has to work with. If the office is shabby or the desks are too
close together or otherwise unpleasant to work in, then this is bound to affect
the people who work there. Working for days or weeks away from home is a
big sacrifice to an employee's personal life.
In addition, office politics can have seriously
debilitating effects on a person's psyche, whereas being part of a cheerful and
supportive team is very uplifting to most people. How well employees
relate to their boss and how well respected they are in their jobs are also
major factors in how happy they are at work.
3)
Commutation Concerns
Commuting to
work can be very stressful and occupies a great deal of unproductive time if it
involves travelling for over an hour in slow moving traffic. Some people
get round this by changing their hours of work to come in either before or after
the morning rush hour, but this still means having much less personal time at
home. 'Telecommuting' or working from home is becoming
more popular because of the increased difficulty in getting to work in a
reasonable time.
All I can advise
is that companies who want to retain their staff should listen to the concerns
of their employees, and be prepared to change those elements that are within
their power to change in order to maintain a happy working environment for
everyone. The reward is a contented and productive team and a low
turn-over of hard-to-replace staff.
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Letters to the Editor:
Referring to our last newsletter "Job Scams"
http://www.crsoilandgasjobs.com/Newsletters/NewsletterO&G1-1.html
Dear CRS,
I would just like to inform you of a company claiming to recruit people for
North Sea employment - CALEDONIAN OFFSHORE.
The Daily Newsday Newspaper runs an ad in the classifieds section on a daily
basis. A local agent - Charlie's Tax & Accounting Services, St. James St. San
Fernando Trinidad supposedly procures labour for Caledonian Offshore. I paid
them a visit, recieved some literature and was informed that thier services cost
approx. $1400.00 TTD fully refundable if I were to be refused employment.
I had relatives living in Toronto Ontario check this company out - in fact one
relative of mine works on Yonge St. Toronto, Ontario, the same street that
Caledonoian Offshore's Office is supposed to exist.
Their was no phone number to contact the company and the office could not be
found. I called the Canadian Embassy and they warned me of being very cautious
in sending money to this firm.
I paid the local agent (name & address above) another visit informing them of my
findings. They were in denial, claimed to be legitimate and also claimed to be
agents for two other firms one of which is CRS OIL & GAS JOBS.... Luke
Editor's Reply:
Please note that Caribbean Resourcing Solutions (CRS) is not associated in any way with any
agency or company purporting to find overseas jobs for individuals.
The following website has some
interesting comments about Caledonian Offshore:
http://www.oilcareers.com/content/community/board/view.asp?
mode=viewtopic&topicID=634
Also see what this website has to say about them:
http://www.slucia.com/archive/jobs/caledonian.html.
This is a common scam.
Please be very wary and investigate the company name on the Internet before
handing over any money to an employment agency for foreign jobs. If it
sounds too good to be true then it probably is!
I also recommend that you read
http://offshoreguides.com/Avoid_the_Scams.asp
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We would love to hear what you think of this issue of
CRS News. And of course, if you have any suggestions for upcoming issues that
you would like to share with us, please send those too.
Comments, suggestions, feedback?
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LOOKING FOR A QUICK, CONVENIENT,
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PERSONNEL FOR THEIR JOBS?
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Caribbean Resourcing Solutions Ltd (CRS)
www.crsoilandgasjobs.com
... a leading provider of technical resources for permanent and contract jobs in the Caribbean
and elsewhere in the world. We are based in
Trinidad & Tobago.
We also do technical recruiting for Information Technology
professionals.
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© Copyright 2006
Caribbean Resourcing Solutions Ltd.
All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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In This Issue:
-
Editor's
Introduction
-
Retaining Technical Staff
- Tell Us What You Think
-
Subscriptions
- Psychometric Testing
-
Who is CRS?
See
our website for a complete list of JOBS
New Requirements include:
Process Engineer
(TRINIDAD)
(Urgent):-
To provide definition of the
process engineering work in the project, design approach or criteria by skill
and experience as directed by the Lead Process Engineer.
Job Ref:SJ167
Electrical Engineer
(TRINIDAD)
(Urgent):-
Maintenance and general
coordination of engineering work, trouble shooting, supplier selection and
coordination for the client of an Oil & Gas Service Company.
Job Ref:SJ166
Senior E&I Engineer (TRINIDAD):-
To initiate and oversee
Electrical/Instrumentation design engineering activities within the project.
Job Ref:SB67
Still urgently required:
E&I Engineer
Maintenance and general coordination of engineering work, trouble
shooting, supplier selection and coordination for the client of an Oil & Gas
Service Company.
Job Ref:SJ163
Cost Engineer
(TRINIDAD):-
To develop cost forecasts
and trend analyses for an Oil & Gas Service Company. Should be familiar with the
principals of change management and cost reporting. Should also be familiar with
the procurement process and able to manage the budget for procured items.
Job Ref:SB66
Lead Civil/Structural Engineer
(TRINIDAD):-
To ensure that structural design
integrity is not compromised while managing the structural department in the
execution of the process for oil & gas projects.
Job Ref:SB64
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...
a leading supplier of technical resources in the Caribbean