Maersk Drilling hires 3,000 new employees
When Maersk Drilling in 2011 ordered the wave of new drilling rigs and drilling vessels that will help send the company up among the biggest players in the world, it was also the beginning of an immense task aimed at hiring thousands of qualified employees. This was considered one of the biggest risk factors for the division, but the process worked out beyond all expectations.
The division, which under A.P. Moeller-Maersk owns and operates drilling rigs and drilling vessels, aims to reach a rig fleet of 30 units. This plan means the company will have to hire 3,000 new qualified employees.
Maersk Drilling started out by ordering eight new units - four rigs and four drilling vessels. These required 1,450 new employees, and the division is already very close to reaching this target.
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"The recruitment process is going very well because we produced a very comprehensive plan, and we've followed this plan. If you'd asked me two years ago, I probably would have said that the recruitment was the biggest risk, but things have gone very well," Maersk Drilling CEO Claus V. Hemmingsen tells Ritzau Finans.
According to Maersk Drilling's tally from July 1st, 907 employees have been hired for the newbuildings. 596 have been hired for the drilling vessels and 311 for the new drilling rigs. This means that two of the new rigs - Maersk Intrepid and XL Enhanced 2 - are fully manned, just as the two drilling vessels on contract in the Gulf of Mexico are fully manned.
According to Claus V. Hemmingsen, the recruitment of the many new employees have been done without Maersk Drilling having to outbid other players in the market on wages.
"We're not the leader in terms of wages, we don't want to be, because we don't want to drive a wage inflation. But we put a great emphasis on the conditions on board, as well as on training and building competencies. We treat people decently, which has given us a solid reputation that has attracted people," says Claus V. Hemmingsen, adding:
"We've shown people that we're prepared to invest in them, and that's had a good effect. And it's actually also something our customers appreciate."
Maersk Drilling owns and operates drilling rigs under A.P. Moeller-Maersk. The division has a combined fleet of 25 drilling rigs and drilling vessels. Maersk Drilling had a 2013 revenue of USD 1.97 billion and a net result, NOPAT, of USD 528 million.
The ambition is for Maersk Drilling to achieve a net result of at least USD 1 billion by 2018, and to reach 30 rigs in order to become of the world's leading players in the market.
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