Recruitment

We are starting to see results from our increased recruitment efforts. In 2006, we hired almost 6,000 people – nearly 50% more than in 2005 and more than double our hiring levels in the late 1990s. Over half were from technical disciplines and, for the first time, we recruited more people in Asia than in any other region.

We strive to recruit locally and in ways that are sensitive to local conditions. For instance, to help build new skills in Algeria, we are hiring and training local graduates, rather than recruiting experienced staff from the national energy company. In 2006, we hired just under 200 local university graduates and 75 experienced Indian professionals to support the establishment of Shell Technology India. In Nigeria, we recruited more than 350 graduates and experienced professionals, record numbers including the largest number of Nigerians returning home from abroad for many years.

Building skills

To help this wave of new staff understand our values from the start, our introductory training programmes have been improved. New employees are offered a series of training sessions and workshops including courses on the Business Principles.

We provide a balance of on- and off-the-job learning. In 2006, about 10,000 staff participated in our company-wide leadership development courses. Sustainable development issues are integrated into the courses that are run jointly with leading business schools in Asia, Europe and the USA. Our Project Academy, launched in 2005, is a dedicated learning programme including ongoing assessment and support for project managers to help them build skills, learn from Shell and external experts and apply our standards and approaches. In 2006, the Commercial Academy was launched for commercial staff.