DNV : agility is key in appealing to young professionals during pandemic

Key Points:

• Agility vital when deciding how to continue with recruitment in a changing landscape
• Creative use of technology kept employees on board
• No shortcuts when building a solid, attractive employer brand

DNV (Det Norske Veritas) was established in Norway in 1864, GL (Germanischer Lloyd) in Germany in 1867 – they merged in 2013. Effective from 1 March 2021, the company changed its name from DNV GL to DNV. DNV's business operations cover a broad range of sectors, from oil and gas and the maritime industry to electric grids and renewable energy. Their purpose today is the same as it was in 1864 – to safeguard life, property and the environment.

The importance of a sustainable brand

Though that purpose has remained constant, the world has changed a lot over the years and DNV understand the importance of building a brand that is sustainable over time when it comes to attracting the young professionals that are so sought-after on the market.

Never was this more important than during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when organisations were forced to adapt quickly – and that included their continued efforts to attract new talent. Companies with a history and tradition as long as DNV's can often find change difficult and slow, but as a prospective employer they moved quickly to stay ahead of the curve. This hands-on approach to continuous improvement paid off handsomely.

The annual Young Professional Attraction Index (YPAI) for 2020 found that building a rock-sold brand as an employer keeps companies relevant when tomorrow’s workforce is eyeing up potential places to start their careers.

Almost 80 percent of the Norwegian respondents in YPAI 2020 said that having nice colleagues and good work environment was important to them when it came to choosing an employer, and that was one of the big challenges faced by every company in the past year.

Digitalisation may have made it easier to keep in touch with prospective and new recruits, but again there are no shortcuts when it comes to onboarding new staff and ensuring that they were both happy and productive as they worked from home.

“As an example, 17 recent graduates started with us in August 2020, and naturally they got a somewhat different onboarding,” Håkon explains. “Luckily, we have a lot of very good managers who have ensured that they make sure the little things have worked – informal meetings during the working day, morning coffees, a low bar when it comes to calling each other. We might not be able to meet physically, so we have to do the best we can to recreate the great social atmosphere that DNV is well known for,” he adds.

Environment and sustainability are important for young professionals

Another clear trend among young professionals is their strong desire to work for an employer who makes a difference in areas like climate change and sustainability. All of this painstaking work adds value to the DNV employer brand and gives them the flexibility to act quickly and flexibly when they need to acquire new talent.

“We supplement our reputation with campaigns in relevant media and social media, and we try to explain why it makes sense to work with us. We try to convey information about what we do and what competences we need,” says Kristina.

Over 150 years of experience has taught them a lot about the kind of people they are looking for.

“An important point is that we let the target group come to the conclusion themselves – that we are an employer that they want to have on their radar,” says Kristina.

An Academic Work reflection

A challenge that many employers have faced for the first time in the past year is introducing new employees without physically meeting them. There is a lot to be gained from establishing a comprehensive digital onboarding process, company culture and working environment. It’s not just about getting through a pandemic – it's about making the most of the new experiences we have in the past year to develop our organizations and improve our employer offer in the long term. Those who manage to develop their digital offering and remote leadership create the conditions for recruiting competence from all over the world, without being dependent on a person moving to a certain place. In turn, this reduces the need for long and often unnecessary journeys for employees. Young professionals see this as a positive development – in YPAI 2020 they have told us that they value flexibility and engagement in the climate issue more than ever before.