Workforce Planning and Recruitment
We take a strategic approach to workforce planning. We assess the basic skills, knowledge and competencies needed within each business unit and map those needs against the talents available internally and externally. To attract the people we need, we combine targeted recruiting efforts with outreach programs. For example, through outreach programs in Houston we encourage students as early as middle school to consider the energy industry as a potential career.
Our benefits are flexible to meet employees’ varied life needs. We offer competitive compensation packages and regularly evaluate base salaries against market surveys and other relevant indicators. Employee compensation includes incentive pay for achieving and surpassing objectives that include environmental, operational, economic and other performance metrics.
We reach out to attract talent from a wide range of schools in Canada and the United States. Our recruiting investment includes support for student development programs, scholarships and other special programs at several schools. In 2009 we provided over $400,000 in Spectra Energy Foundation funds to support such programs.
A creative workforce planning approach in Ontario provides multiple benefits. Our energy audit program partners with McMasters University and the University of Windsor. By training and engaging students to do energy audits within the community, we help manage energy demand while building relationships with potential employees.
In Northeast British Columbia, we support the Northern Opportunities program, a collaborative partnership among industry, community, and education to encourage at-risk students to complete secondary school and pursue trades and technology training and careers.
In Houston, we have sponsored several programs that connect young women with careers in energy, including “Expanding Your Horizons,” a middle-school conference, and “Young Women Energized,” a high-school level event organized by the Women’s Energy Network, a Houston-area professional association.
Our diverse recruiting efforts also reach outside traditional settings. In British Columbia and Alberta, this includes partnerships with programs that support employability for skilled immigrants. Our involvement enables us to benefit the community while increasing our access to talented workers.
