BUILDING A RECRUITMENT STRATEGY | SUPPLY CHAIN


to consider current and desired age profiles. Other steps include assessing the existing workforce and determining what the current workforce resources are and how they will evolve over time. The HR strategy needs to consider turnover especially in the context of nuclear retirements, the report notes. It adds that identifying and determining what gaps will exist between current and projected workforce needs, including the identification of current and emerging skill requirements, is also key. Establishing these requirements can then form the


basis of the development of a recruitment, retention and outsourcing strategy, as well as identifying lead times for recruiting, hiring, training and transferring knowledge. By including these requirements in the workforce plan, operators are able to ensure timely development and delivery of skilled personnel for future needs and manage staff for the effective transfer of knowledge. According to the IAEA report, the workforce plan should be a ‘living’ document that requires scheduled reviews and updates. This becomes even more important during periods of organisational change or when the labour markets are in flux, for example where the actual workforce attrition differs from what was planned. In this regard, according to the report, it is advisable to use appropriate IT tooling in order for easily update the plan in order for it to stay current. The report’s authors also argue that it is important that the plan identifies any risks and also sets out risk mitigation measures to respond to potentially unexpected conditions. The benefits of detailed workforce planning include a


systematic structure within which to evaluate alternative organisational designs from an HR perspective. This approach also confers the ability to identify expected gaps between the competence of the existing workforce and those that will be needed in the future. Another critical aspect of workforce planning is assisting in the development of a long-term strategy, including outsourcing, for the recruitment and training of future employees. It also serves to address the replacement of employees in critical knowledge areas and where competence gaps have emerged, which can occur as a result of process improvements, technology advancements and changing organisational requirements. The report further notes that workforce planning includes


assessing the extent to which the available workforce can be effectively utilised to support the full life cycle of a nuclear facility, from commissioning through major upgrades and on to decommissioning. More broadly, planning can also help identify potential gaps in national education and training programmes and infrastructure, which could require government intervention and support to resolve, the IAEA says.


Sourcing candidate pipelines Having defined the required number of people, together with their knowledge, skills and experience and when they are needed, the next step is to ascertain where they can be found. the report notes that this includes important related considerations such as how they can be reached, what is going to attract them to join the business and how an organisation can enhance its reputation as a prospective employer? Candidates can range from those with no experience, such as school or university leavers, through to those with relevant experience coming from nuclear or


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related industries and with some skills. Important industries for nuclear recruitment include electricity generation, nuclear research facilities, nuclear navy, or those with specific transferable skills such as those from the legal, financial, procurement or HR roles. The report emphasises that the first step in working with


both categories of experience is to map the competence requirements of the organisation to be able to compare these with the potential candidate sources. When considering inexperienced candidates, from an industry perspective the role of education is to provide people with the capabilities to become competent professionals and to prepare them for industry and job specific training programmes. However, education and training institutions are typically preparing students for a wide range of careers and could be unaware of the needs of specific sectors such as nuclear. By working closely with education and training organisations, it may be possible to influence the curricula to develop people with knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) which will fit better with the needs of the workforce plan. Examples could include establishing partnerships with schools or universities to develop courses that equip people with the specific knowledge and skills needed. Furthermore, the report says, to facilitate and improve candidate pipelines and sources, nuclear industry managers and key stakeholders (including governments) could benefit from establishing such relationships. The IAEA says the industry also needs to work with the


education and training sector to develop programmes which are aligned with the nuclear industry’s professional and technical standards and requirements. To do so, mechanisms to ensure the quality of education and training programmes need to be established and could include accreditation, standardisation, internships, apprenticeships and other cooperative programmes for students. They could also involve nuclear industry managers and leading specialists teaching at education and training institutions. In some national programmes, university engineering courses are also accredited by professional engineering organisations, making these bodies important partners for the nuclear industry. Government sponsored or funded vocational education


and training programmes operated by academic institutions that produce qualified technicians can also be a valuable source of candidates. The report the authors add that


Below:


Industries related to nuclear power can be a valuable source of recruits


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