Perth, Australia, May 15, 2015 – Rigzone, a DHI service and the world’s premier oil and gas portal along with The Right Group, a leading Australian employee research consultancy, conducted an employee engagement survey in the APAC region to provide the industry with an overview of market and employee sentiment, hiring trends and perceived opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

“The survey results have given us deeper insights into the learning and development needs of oil and gas professionals,” saidJackie Kirk, APAC Regional Manager, Rigzone. “We set out to gauge how employees perceive their current situations in an effort to ascertain what employers can do to retain their best talent. With the impending onset of the Great Crew Change, it is imperative that employers are informed about the challenges and issues their employees face on a daily basis so that they can develop sustainable talent acquisition and retention strategies for coming years.”

In light of recent global developments, oil and gas professionals maintain a strong sense of loyalty to the industry. According to the survey, however, while 92% of respondents indicated that they are proud to be a part of the oil and gas workforce, only 67% are happy with the recognition that they receive from their current employers. These statistics show that, although employees are proud of the industry in which they work, a majority is seeking greater recognition for their professional contributions.

Respondents also voiced their reservations about the current benefits packages and professional training opportunities offered by their companies, with 50% of those surveyed indicating that their current benefit packages are less than ideal and 39% indicating that they would be willing to move for more learning opportunities. Compensation and benefits remain the primary consideration for professionals who are trying to decide whether they should stay at their current organisation or look to move elsewhere, with 77% responding that these two elements factor significantly into their decision-making process. This data suggests that, if companies want to recruit and retain the best talent, a good start would be to reconsider their present benefit offerings and professional training opportunities.

According to the Australian Workforce Productivity Agency (AWPA), major projects in the country are entering the production phase, leading to a projected 57% increase in oil & gas jobs in Australia through 2018. Therefore, it is critical for employers to develop employee skills in an effort to prevent a potential shortage of qualified labour and ensure that they are able to manage operational demand. In this regard, companies have an obligation to ensure that the workforce is well-equipped to cope with the evolving demands of the Australian oil and gas sector.

“As the ‘Baby Boomer’ generation retires, it is creating a big demographic shift in the oil and gas industry,” said Mrs. Kirk. “The younger generation is the lifeblood of the oil and gas industry, but they expect opportunities to hone their skills rapidly. As young professionals ask for more exposure in different areas, there is a need for companies to provide more rigorous training and development programs.”

“Moving forward, as the industry faces issues that includes scaling back hiring plans, the survey provides an overview on the health-check of the current crew and areas that companies can immediately address or enhance to ensure competitive performance,” Mrs. Kirk concluded.

About the Survey

During the months of Dec 2014 to Jan 2015, in a first of its kind initiative, Rigzone and The Right Group surveyed oil and gas professionals in the APAC region about what it was like working in the oil and gas industry. Over 500 professionals responded to the survey, with 40% working onshore, 33% working in metro/head offices and 27% working offshore. Full survey results were presented at the 2015 Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibitions & Conference on March 12.

About Rigzone

Rigzone, a DHI service, is a leading online resource for the oil and gas industry delivering content, data, advertising and career services. Dedicated to bringing upstream oil and gas news and data, including in-depth information on exploration, drilling and production markets to organisations tackling the energy challenge, its online community of highly-skilled and experienced professionals is unmatched. www.rigzone.com

About DHI Group, Inc.

DHI Group, Inc. (NYSE: DHX) (formerly known as Dice Holdings, Inc.) is a leading provider of specialized websites and services for professional communities including technology and security clearance, financial services, energy, healthcare and hospitality. Our mission is to empower professionals and organizations to compete and win through specialized insights and relevant connections. Employers and recruiters use our websites and services to source and hire the most qualified professionals in select and highly-skilled occupations, while professionals use our websites and services to find the best employment opportunities in and most timely news and information about their respective areas of expertise. For almost 25 years, we have built our company on providing employers and recruiters with efficient access to high-quality, unique professional communities and offering the professionals in those communities access to highly-relevant career opportunities, news, tools and information. Today, we serve multiple markets primarily located throughout North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

About The Right Group

The Right Group is one of Australia's leading management consulting firms specialising in employee engagement research and talent strategy. They continuously focus on the delivery of actionable insights that informs clients’ people and culture strategy. Established in 1995, The Right Group has worked with many leading companies both in Australia and overseas markets including USA, UK, Asia, India and New Zealand. www.therightgroup.com.au