The PetroHR conference in Aktau brought together companies from the oil and gas sector and government agencies to discuss human resource development. Among the speakers was Kamshat Baizhanova, General Manager of Human Resources at Tengizchevroil (TCO). Notably, TCO served as a silver sponsor of the conference.
Baizhanova emphasized that people are one of the company’s core values, with TCO continuously investing in employee development.
“When we say that people are one of our main values, we reflect this in all our processes. We constantly work on maintaining and developing our organizational culture, which is outlined in the publicly available ‘TCO Way’ document. We promote diversity and inclusion, implement feedback tools, develop leadership competencies, and provide development opportunities,” Baizhanova stated.
Strategic Workforce Planning and Talent Acquisition
Workforce planning at TCO is an ongoing process that includes assessing business goals and human resource needs. Baizhanova highlighted that strategic staffing planning allows the company to anticipate workforce needs and develop appropriate resource attraction strategies.
“Everything starts with strategic staffing planning. Each TCO division annually prepares a staffing plan based on business goals and needs. We determine the resource attraction strategy, whether a particular position will be filled internally or require external recruitment, and accordingly, a hiring plan is developed. Importantly, this process also includes a nationalization plan, which allows the organization to identify which key technical or managerial positions will be nationalized and when,” Baizhanova explained.
It is worth noting that since 2007, over 460 national TCO employees were appointed to positions of managers, mid-managers and key technical positions, replacing expatriate personnel.
TCO’s talent acquisition is based on creating an attractive employer brand. The company actively participates in job fairs, collaborates with universities, and hires experienced professionals. A key factor is TCO’s organizational culture, which emphasizes employee well-being and provides opportunities for professional and career development.
It is worth noting that Tengizchevroil has been recognized as Kazakhstan’s most attractive employer for three consecutive years.
Performance Management and Career Development
The Performance Management Process (PMP) at TCO is based on the We Lead leadership competency model and aims to set specific goals aligned with the company’s business objectives. Regular feedback and development goals help employees see their contribution to achieving corporate goals.
“The main requirement for the goals set for employees is their alignment with the business goals of the division and the organization as a whole. A distinctive feature of our process is the feedback, which is regularly provided during PMP meetings held four times a year. This is done so that employees can see their contribution to the organization’s activities and the achievement of business goals,” Baizhanova emphasized.
Career development is a crucial element of TCO’s strategy. The company provides its employees with opportunities to assess competencies, receive feedback, and develop plans. Baizhanova stressed that every manager at TCO is required to facilitate the development of their team, supported through talent development committees.
Training and Succession Planning
TCO actively invests in employee training and development. The Horizons program, aimed at developing young specialists in technical disciplines, is a prime example of such investments. The company also provides access to online learning platforms, digital skills courses, and leadership competencies, and supports higher education and professional certification.
Succession planning at TCO is particularly important for ensuring safety and uninterrupted production. The company regularly updates its talent pool, including top employees, and develops development plans for potential successors to key positions.
Legacy of the Future Growth Project
During the implementation of the Future Growth Project – Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP), TCO helped to create a legacy of over 40,000 trained and qualified national personnel who can apply their experience to other industrial projects in Kazakhstan and internationally.
In 2019, TCO launched a training program for residents of the Atyrau and Mangystau regions in in-demand trades: rigger, electric fitter, scaffolder, steel erector, welder, pipefitter, instrument fitter, civil worker, insulator, painter, and sandblaster.
