Public sector oil and gas exploration major, ONGC, is on a major hiring spree. In 2015, ONGC proposes to hire close to 850 graduate trainees and 700 odd class III-IV employees.

Interestingly, this comes at a time when domestic as well as global oil companies have been hit by the steep fall in crude oil prices. Competitors in the private sector are downsizing. Cairn India has laid off 250 employees, and Reliance Industries is not stopping employees wanting to exit.

Denying that the hiring has anything to do with high attrition rates at the middle level, a senior ONGC official said it had more to do with the company’s new human resource policy which has been synced with its physical performance targets.

In 2012 and 2013, it hired over 700 young professionals annually. However, no recruitment was made in 2014. In the past six years, it has hired over 7,000 employees, including graduate trainees.

The company’s total regular manpower as on April 1, 2015 is 33,091.

The official said the average age of employees in the company today is 46 and a need was felt to fill the vacuum created at the junior and middle-level, as it takes 10-12 years to fully groom a graduate trainee.

“We see the lowest attrition rate. The company has worked out its HR policy around its physical work programme. The manpower requirements are being met based on the company’s ambitious production target. Starting 2011-12, the company has stepped up its recruitment drive,” DD Misra, Director Human Resource, ONGC, told BusinessLine .

In fact, the last voluntary retirement scheme offered by the company was in 2010. “The number of employees opting for it was also low, as working in a public sector enterprise comes with its own sense of security,” another official said.

ONGC is often criticised for its physical performance. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has questioned the explorer for delays in developing discoveries and is now regularly monitoring the company’s performance.

The company has set a target of producing 130 million tonnes by 2030, out of which 60 million tonnes will be from its overseas arm, ONGC Videsh Ltd.

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