With the energy sector entering an upcycle, many firms are on a recruitment drive, including Petrofac, which was recently rated by Oil & Gas Middle East as one of the region’s top-three EPC players. We sat down with Charla Tekün, the group’s global head of talent acquisition, about the type of people Petrofac is looking for – and why potential candidates should want to land a job there.
Tekün has the overall responsibility for all recruitment at Petrofac, from fresh graduates to executive team members. And, with more than 20 years in talent acquisition, covering everything from fast-moving consumer goods to the world of energy services, she has some uniquely informed insights to offer.
Oil & Gas Middle East: What are the top qualities you are looking for when hiring for field jobs?
Tekün: The first and most fundamental quality is to have demonstrable expertise in your field. Petrofac prides itself on delivering impeccably, and to do that, we need subject matter experts who know their discipline, are passionate about it, and can talk enthusiastically about their past achievements.
But we don’t want automatons. Ultimately, Petrofac is a people company. It’s our people who set us apart, not just through their technical know-how, but also their behaviors. So, while we are looking for people who know their discipline, we also look for people who know how to manage stakeholders and how to behave with customers, colleagues and suppliers. We need team players who can understand and relate to other people and what motivates them.
This is also a dynamic market, so we like it if people can be flexible and adaptable. For example, we are very active in new energies, and we intend to become more active. So, we are looking for people who are naturally curious, can think laterally, and apply their oil and gas expertise to other fields – perhaps in hydrogen or carbon capture.
Oil & Gas Middle East: Can you share the three main things that applicants keen on working with Petrofac must keep in mind?
Tekün: The first thing is that we are an ambitious company. Petrofac is on a growth trajectory. We are growing geographically and, with the energy transition, we are growing into new areas. So, we want people who are as excited by the future as we are, and who want to grow with us.
The second thing is that we have a pretty distinctive culture. We welcome diverse viewpoints and pride ourselves on our creative, problem-solving way of working. When someone comes up with a great idea, we expect them to run with it. We’ve nurtured many self-motivated, creative thinkers who want to make a positive impact – and we’re looking for more.
The third thing is that we care deeply about inclusion and diversity, and insist that all our colleagues, clients, and suppliers are treated with respect. When you join Petrofac, you join a big, diverse multicultural family, and you must embrace everything this entails.
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Oil & Gas Middle East: Can you give a few job interview tips to potential Petrofac job applicants?
Tekün: It’s useful to do some homework. Petrofac is a business with a distinctive culture and a distinctive way of working (for example, we have a local delivery model, nurturing local teams and working, wherever possible, with local suppliers). So, I would advise any candidate to find out more about us, follow our social channels and look more deeply through our online resources at www.petrofac.com.
It’s also useful to think about yourself as a brand – the things that make you distinctive, that differentiate you from other people in your field, and would be appealing to a prospective employer. This is likely to be grounded in your professional skills, but extends to your way of working, thinking, and relating to others.
Then, prepare yourself for a behavioral interview — one that assesses a candidate’s ability to meet the job requirements based on their previous experience, and which draws on the idea that past performance is the best indicator of future performance.
Oil & Gas Middle East: Can you highlight some benefits for potential Petrofac employees?
Tekün: This is a company where you can really make your mark – and if that is an appealing idea to you, I would strongly encourage you to take a look at any opportunities available at Petrofac.
As a business, we are all about incremental improvement, and forever finding new ways to become faster, smarter, and more precise. That means, as an employee, if you put yourself out there, you will always get noticed, you will always get opportunities to prove yourself, and you will always have plenty of support with your personal and professional development.
Having joined in mid-2022, I’m a relatively new arrival to Petrofac, and I can see that this is also a company that people take real pride in. By helping clients to meet the planet’s evolving energy needs, we make a positive contribution to world around us, and we do it in a positive way – with a local delivery model that enriches communities, a people-based approach that cares about personal and professional development as well as safety and wellbeing, and a client-centric ethos that nurtures innovation and values creative problem-solving.
To find out more, search and apply for a role at Petrofac visit www.petrofac.com/careers