Those which can get global mobility right though – either on their own or with an experienced partner – will be best placed to survive and thrive in tomorrow’s world.”

Millennials are often the subject of unfair negative stereotypes - lazy, entitled, narcissistic but such aspersions are far off the mark. In reality, this generation is coming into its own in terms of careers.

That's according to Beth Bowen, Senior Vice President – Global Sales at Airswift – a recruiter for the energy, process, & infrastructure industries. She says that, over the next few years: “Millennials will hit their professional primes and increasingly be in a position to call the shots when it comes to the way we work.”

“With 89% of respondents to our recent Global Energy Talent Index (GETI) aged 18-34 open to an international move, opportunities for flexible and international working will be expected as standard,” she continues. “At that point, companies and industries caught unawares will struggle to attract and retain the best talent. In this world, a robust and thought-through approach to global mobility will move from advantageous to essential.”

"There may be some strange media hysteria around millennials, but there are some general differences in outlook and career expectations for this generation that are worth bearing in mind,” Bowen says.

One trend is a desire for remote working. According to the Deloitte Millennial Survey 2017, 64% of Millennials want to work remotely from their employer’s main site. The same survey links this flexibility with improved performance and higher employee retention. Technology is increasingly enabling this type of employment, and the remaining barriers are often cultural ones.

Not only that, but in Bowen’s experience, Millennials also desire to work abroad. “And as the number of desired locations expands, the duration of stay contracts,” she continues. “Whereas the international worker of today might be content staying put for five years or so, tomorrow’s will be more likely to move on after two. This increases the burden for employers looking to keep pace with their workforce’s international ambitions.”

The oil and gas sector has long experience of enabling and even encouraging professionals’ global ambitions. Bowen explains: “The sector exported its talent around the world for decades and has spent considerable effort in defining and refining what global mobility best practice looks like. Working with global mobility partners, oil and gas companies have smoothed the process of moving individuals around the world.”

However, arguably the industry isn’t doing enough to facilitate this, Bowen adds. Citing GETI figures, only 52% (oil and gas), 68% (nuclear), 55% (power) and 51% (renewables) of employers in each of these sectors actively promotes cross-regional transfers.

Yet, doing so is no mean feat. “Items on the agenda include visa and immigration, safety and security, compliance and tax and payroll to name just a few. Then you have destination support services such as finding accommodation, securing school places for workers’ children, safe shipping of personal possessions etc. Doing all this safely and compliantly takes a small mountain of local expertise specific to each and every worker destination around the globe – it cannot be done effectively and safely from behind a computer half way across the world,” Bowen says.

However, Bowen concludes, “to attract and retain the best talent, firms will need to indulge their jet-setting career expectations – better workers have itchy feet with regards to location than employer. To do so, they can look to the oil and gas sector for guidance on global mobility best practice, but that sector itself isn’t free from change either. Those which can get global mobility right though – either on their own or with an experienced partner – will be best placed to survive and thrive in tomorrow’s world.”