Experienced drillers have their pick when choosing a drilling company to work for, and even green driller assistants have options when the labor market is tight. If you need to recruit, then you need to be the company everyone wants to work for. Let’s focus on a few key areas that can help make your company a first choice.

Health & Safety

The focus of any drilling company should be the health and safety of its employees, whether they’re working on a project site or in their backyard over the weekend. Many employees appreciate when their company takes a proactive stance on wellness, offering programs such as smoking cessation, stress management, pre/post-natal care, weight management and gym membership discounts. These programs feel like job perks, but they also help prevent injuries on the work site. Industries like drilling and construction have been slow to implement wellness programs, so getting a head start on this will make you stand out to job seekers.

Management Training

Most people don’t quit their jobs — they quit their boss. This is why your management team needs the best leadership training and resources available. Their ability to lead — or lack thereof — can make or break your retention of valued employees and ability to recruit new ones. Consider training programs that include a focus on soft skills, safety, team building, internal communication, employee relations and general leadership skills. Better-trained managers inevitably lead to happier staff and lower turnover … and word gets around to drillers looking to make a move.

Career Progression

If you want quality hires who will stick around, you need to make it crystal clear how to advance in your company. A career progression pathway illustrates how anyone can take a job at your company and develop a rewarding and fulfilling career. If you’re serious about investing in your existing team and attracting new motivated drillers, consider offering some form of tuition reimbursement. You’ll end up with a better qualified employee, and they’ll feel rewarded and appreciated for their efforts.

When you implement these three key changes, don’t be surprised when you begin to see a significant number of employee referrals and questions about open jobs.