"Executive Search in the Energy Industry - Finding Top Talent Requires Special Skills"
Released:                                                   01/02/2002
Location:                                                    Naperville, IL
For additional information contact:                Leonard R. Wass

  The Energy Industry is changing as never before, and the need to obtain top-notch management talent is emerging as one of the industry's critical challenges. Competition for customers has also developed in to competition for the best people to run the businesses that deregulation and competition have spawned.

  Today's energy companies bear little resemblance to their predecessors. To keep up with the pace of change in the industry, energy companies need to attract, hire and then retain executive management talent from outside the company as never before.

  The Wass Consulting Group, Inc., (WCG - Naperville, Illinois) has recognized that these hiring decisions can have a profound affect on the hiring organization, and also on the success or failure of the hiring executive as well. As a result, WCG believes that specific skills and strengths should be expected of your search consultant to ensure you get the best people to fit your needs.

  The first of these is industry knowledge and contacts. Quoting James J. O'Connor, retired Chairman and CEO of Unicom Corporation, "The Wass Consulting Group has a high degree of professionalism and vast knowledge of the energy industry. I enthusiastically endorse WCG being considered to meet a company's search requirements."

  Your consultant should know your company, or other similar companies, beforehand, in order to get up to speed quickly on your culture, company and business environment. The search should be a priority for the most experienced, senior staff, and should be conducted in strict adherence to appropriate professional and ethical standards - particularly with respect for confidentiality.

  A comprehensive and thorough search process should be used. "Ethics Matters" columnist Carlton Vogt, talking about honesty in the hiring process, stated "They saw the hiring process as a poker game in which each side bluffs - candidates about their qualifications and companies about the job, working conditions and salary - until they reach some agreement." To avoid this poker game, your consultant should ensure through comprehensive screening that candidates are both qualified and motivated once they understand your specific circumstances, needs and expectations. The consultant should also carry the ball all the way to the end zone, assisting both you and the candidate in finalizing all employment and transition arrangements.

  John Riordan, Chief Executive Officer of the Gas Technology Institute remarked that "WCG's search process is the most disciplined and thorough in the search industry; even the candidates remarked about it and were very pleased."

  The Wass Consulting Group, Inc. provides Executive Search consulting services to their energy clients as a complement to their general management consulting services. WCG has also recently issued an article discussing this topic in more detail.  For additional information, refer to our recent Management Insight Article titled "Executive Search in the Energy Industry" (PDF format) (DOC format), or feel free to contact Len Wass directly at 1-630-637-1405.