The Beginning
Finding qualified talent in O&G has always been a challenge, especially for small businesses without dedicated HR and recruiting teams. Having worked in O&G operations for the last 10 years, including managing aa business unit of 250+ people, our goal when starting PetroHire was to leverage our experience to help other companies identify and hire key talent at affordable rates.
PetroHire was initially intended to be a dispatch center of excellence that would provide logistics support to smaller O&G trucking companies without their own dispatch. However, after extensive research into staffing augmentation, we decided the real need for these companies was the ability to hire dedicated workers that would be embedded in their business, just at more affordable rates and with more flexible terms. We quickly pivoted to finding affordable, skilled, and bi-lingual talent that we could place in these small companies.
Major Cost Savings
Hiring W2 employees can quickly become expensive, especially for small companies. The direct costs like hourly wages and overtime are just the start. The indirect costs such as benefits, taxes, and workers’ compensation can quickly add up to be 20-25% incremental to the base compensation. This doesn’t include
the additional overhead costs of recruiting teams, leasing office space, internet, IT equipment, etc., which are often overlooked when evaluating the total cost of employees.
To solve this problem and reduce the labor costs for our clients, PetroHire spent a considerable amount of time finding pockets of skilled workers in LATAM (Latin America) who not only had more experience than U.S.-based candidates but were also at 20-30% of the cost of their American counterparts. The individuals not only have college degrees and above average industry experience, but they are also bilingual, which helps accommodate the growing population of Spanish speaking drivers working in the oilfield. This staffing augmentation model helped our clients reduce their direct and indirect labor costs by 30-40%, and in some cases eliminated their need for an HR/recruiting team altogether.
All-Inclusive Pricing & Flexibility
Traditional recruiting typically requires upfront fees and recruitment costs. When working with potential clients, it was clear that a common frustration is being charged “hidden fees”. Our pricing model is very simple: one monthly price to cover everything including all wages, IT equipment, and internet redundancy. There are no hiring costs and the first payment isn’t due until the employee has been onboarded.
Once we are engaged by potential clients, we immediately get to work and handle the sourcing, vetting, and offer process. Our clients are so busy keeping their 24/7 operations running that they rarely have time to do dozens of interviews to find the right hire. We take that headache off their hands.
Additionally, that monthly price has no strings attached. We don’t require a long-term contract. The volatility in O&G activity is stressful enough for the small business clients we partner with; the last thing they need to worry about is handcuffing themselves with long-term contracts. All we require is 60-days notice.
Remote LATAM Workers Can Drive Success
As we searched for pre-eminent talent, we quickly identified very skilled and qualified labor pockets in a handful of LATAM countries. Hiring logistics talent in Latin America is an advantageous move. Filled with ambitious, well-educated, loyal, English-speaking logistics talent, LATAM offers skilled professionals ready to support O&G companies starting from day one.
Having remote workers does not come without some pain points, such as internet connectivity. Enter Elon Musk and his Starlink satellite solution. We worked with our candidates to ensure that they have not just one internet option- with the Starlink system they now have three readily available options for internet.
Summary
PetroHire is transforming how small businesses in the oil and gas industry approach staffing. By providing flexible, cost-effective solutions, we empower companies to focus on growth and operations rather than the complexities of hiring. Our commitment to transparency, quality, and adaptability ensures that our clients have the skilled professionals they need to thrive in an ever-changing industry. Whether it’s reducing overhead or ensuring seamless remote work, PetroHire is more than a staffing solution—it’s a partner in your success.