The remote workforce in the oil and gas industry will play a larger and larger role in the years to come.
That’s according to Gladney B. Darroh, the founder and president of Piper-Morgan Search, who told Rigzone that remote work “is an established reality now and it’s not going away”.
“The oil and gas industry has always been quick to adopt new technology - this is nothing new,” Darroh said.
“Think about PIGs. This technology has been around for decades and transmits the complex signals recorded to a technician’s laptop or desktop hundreds of miles away. That technician doesn’t need to be in an office. Right now, most of the reservoir techs in the upstream industry are working 100 percent remote - you can’t get one to go into the office, note even two days per week. And why should they? They know they can be just as effective and efficient working from home,” Darroh added.
“Now take these examples and apply them across the board. Given the advances in technology across every discipline in the oil and gas industry, its track record of adopting new technology, the ever-increasing power of laptops and cell phones, and to all of this add the preference of employees to work remote and the corporate efficiencies that result, it becomes clear that remote workforce in the oil and gas industry will play a larger and larger role in the years to come,” Darroh continued.
In a statement sent to Rigzone, Darroh outlined a number of “positive things” Piper-Morgan Search has learned about remote work for employees and employers.
Looking at the employee side, Darroh highlighted that employee productivity remained the same and quite often increased, and that remote work was “extremely popular” with employees “offering a better work/life balance” and “very popular” with employees who have children “as it helps balance childcare responsibilities and often reduces childcare cost”.
Darroh also noted that remote employees “save meaningful discretionary income” by avoiding commuting costs, the expense of eating out, and the expense of frequent dry cleaning. He also said that employees prefer being evaluated and rewarded on their productivity versus the show of productivity by coming in early and staying late and that remote employees are typically keen to adopt, embrace, and apply new technology “and thereby increase productivity while increasing efficiencies, reducing costs, and increasing profitability”.
Looking at the employer side, Darroh reiterated that remote work increased employee productivity and the adoption of technology. He also outlined that it increased employee happiness, health, and motivation with the better life/work balance and led to a decrease in absenteeism and an increase in retention rates.
“Remote work is now seen as a benefit,” Darroh said.
“If it’s not offered by another employer, the employee will not be enticed to leave,” he added.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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