Member Article

Newcastle recruitment company expanding in oil and gas sector

Newcastle-based recruitment company Exclusive has just marked its seventh year with a six-figure investment by taking on three more staff from the North East and is expanding to cope with a surge in the Oil & Gas sector.

Exclusive was established in 2007 by Managing Director, Mark Ions and recruits across a number of fields.

Gemma Lonsdale has joined as Exclusive’s Lead Consultant in the oil, gas technical and engineering market.

Gemma has worked for 10 years recruiting at a senior level in the commercial and technical market and three years working with major names in the oil & gas sector on their corporate communications strategy and delivery.

Marketing graduate Adam Knight will be assisting with Exclusive’s client and candidate attraction strategy and Connor Curran has joined the team to specialise in recruitment for accountancy and finance roles, having previously worked as an accountancy specialist.

A fourth new employee will soon be added as a consultant working within Gemma’s team.

Exclusive, a member of NOF Energy, the development organisation for oil, gas and nuclear offshore renewable sectors, also has offices in Aberdeen, Leeds and the USA. It has been pioneering a strategy for tackling the skills gap by attracting candidates to the area from other parts of the UK, Europe and beyond, utilising their unique office network.

Gemma Lonsdale said: “Exclusive also works closely with STEM schools (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and universities as part of our Next Steps programme.

“We already know that the skills gap is going to continue past the next 10 years so we need to encourage young people into these roles to ensure the success of our oil, gas, technical and engineering businesses.

“We are a growing North East business in a growing market and we know that we have to differentiate ourselves and be proactive within the Oil & Gas sector to bridge the skills gap in order to attract the best available candidates for our clients.

“Attracting talent is one side of the coin and the other is retaining them long-term. This involves a complex strategy but we work closely with our clients to develop their recruitment and retention plans and encourage them to invest and develop their skilled workforce.

“Organisations of all sizes should implement a strategy now that will help them attract the best talent and retain and invest in a skilled workforce.

“This is almost more important for smaller organisations due to the costs of recruiting, including the cost to the business if a post is vacant for a substantial period or if the wrong hire is made. These situations can be devastating for firms of all sizes but the effects are especially felt in small teams.”

To support its candidate attraction and Next Steps programme, Exclusive operates an ‘instant chat’ functionality for visitors to its website and regularly holds webinars to make it as accessible as possible for everyone.

Business Development Manager at NOF Energy, Paul Livingstone, said: “It is essential for the future of the industry that we bring together all parts of the Oil & Gas sector, from the manufacturers to specialist recruiters like Exclusive.

“It is only by working together across all areas that we can build an unbreakable network to support the success of our members.”

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