Doosan Babcock

Finding the right skills and experience to design and construct advanced steam generation technology for the power industry has taken the expanding Doosan Babcock Energy on an international talent search.

The company, which employs around 600 of its 5,000 staff at its European headquarters in Renfrew, develops some of the cleanest, most efficient coal-powered plant in the world.

"Now coal fired technology is moving up the agenda again, with cleaner extraction and production methods and advanced plant technology," explains Stefan Pawlowski, Resourcing Manager for Doosan Babcock Energy.

"But finding enough people with the required expertise in the UK can be difficult. We need to attract the best talent from countries which have concentrated on coal-fired power over the last 30 years or so, including India, China, Romania and Poland."

Application process 

Doosan Babcock uses direct press advertising in these countries to attract candidates and has received a tremendous response.

"The most successful method to date has been direct press advertising in India," Pawlowski explains. "We've advertised in two Indian broadsheet newspapers and got enormous numbers of responses.

"We send one of our senior team out to conduct interviews and tests. If the candidate meets the recruitment criteria, they are added to a shortlist which is then matched up with line managers' requirements here in the UK. We then do the interviews by video conference."

"The quality of volume of applicants is exceptional," Pawlowski continues. "People with this sort of experience are sometimes hard to find through our usual recruitment methods in the UK, but when we advertise in India, we get applicants with great experience. Sometimes they are already working for international companies in their home country, but have not been offered the opportunity to go and work abroad.

"They're very attracted to us because we offer people a UK contract with permanent relocation to the UK for them and their families, and help with work permits. That means we can get the best people, because it's a very attractive proposition for them."

Relocation assistance 

Doosan Babcock also provides relocation assistance, including help with finding accommodation and information on the local area and services. About 60 of the company's staff in Crawley, West Sussex, have been recruited from overseas.

Pawlowski hopes the Fresh Talent initiative and advice from the Scottish Government's Relocation Advisory Service can help boost Doosan Babcock's international representation in Scotland.

"Recruiting internationally has been very successful for us in Crawley and we want to use Fresh Talent to help us extend that process out to Renfrew," Pawlowski says. "If we can help recruits and line managers with work permit applications and other issues, it irons out the bureaucracy and ensures a smooth transition for everyone."

Having a multinational workforce is also good for the clients.

"We work with global clients who are as likely to be in India, China or Poland as the UK. The fact that they can speak to people in our company who understand their market and way of working is a huge advantage."

In 2007, Doosan Babcock reported a turnover of £750m. The company operates in the thermal power, nuclear, oil & gas and petrochemical industries as well as steam generation and coal-powered technology.

Contact

Stefan Pawlowski - Resourcing Manager
Doosan Babcock Energy Limited
11 The Boulevard
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 1UX

Tel: +44 1293 584663
Web: www.doosanbabcock.com