Hiring to a mobilization plan
Many contracts require key personnel, such as the project manager, construction manager, QA/QC lead and HSE manager, to be named and accepted by the client, sometimes with CVs submitted in the bid. The rest of the team follows in waves as the site progresses: civil engineers first, mechanical and piping for erection, electrical and instrumentation later, commissioning last. Raise a requisition for each wave, dated against the mobilization plan, so hiring starts early enough to absorb notice periods of 30 to 90 days.
The bench: ex-employees and referrals
The richest source for an EPC company is often its own past: engineers from the previous project who left at demobilization, or those who joined a competitor and may return for the right site. Keep in touch with them, and post new openings on the careers page with the site location and project type so they can apply directly. Referrals from current site engineers work well for discipline roles. Graduate and diploma engineer trainees come from campus hiring once a year and start at head office or a stable site.
Screening for certificates and site experience
Clients check credentials, so screen for them first. A welding inspector without a current qualification the client recognises, or an HSE officer without the required safety qualification, will be turned away at the gate. Ask for copies at screening and note validity dates. Then test discipline knowledge: give a piping engineer an isometric drawing to review, an electrical engineer a single-line diagram, a planning engineer a small schedule to critique. The resume match score ranks applicants on skills, experience, role fit and education, but credentials and the technical round decide.
- Certificates and their validity dates
- Similar plant or project experience
- Willingness to live in a camp and move sites
- A discipline-specific technical exercise
- References from previous project managers
Offers that say where, for how long and on what terms
EPC offers fall apart late when the terms were vague. State the first site, camp or accommodation terms, site and remote allowances, the home leave cycle, working days, and whether the role is permanent or fixed-term for the project. The Industrial Relations Code permits fixed-term employment, and a fixed-term hire is a full employee, not a contractor. The offer goes out with an online page where the candidate accepts or declines, and an acceptance moves straight into onboarding, so medicals and other pre-mobilization steps start at once.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Raise requisitions in Recruitment Hub for each mobilization wave, with the site, discipline and number of openings.
- Publish openings on the careers page with the project type and location, and share the link with ex-employees and site referrers.
- Shortlist with the resume match score, then record certificate details, validity dates and technical exercise results as screening notes.
- Offer interview slots that fit site managers' schedules, and move candidates through Screening, Interview and Offer on the pipeline board.
- Send offers that state the site, allowances, camp terms and employment type, and move accepted candidates into onboarding for pre-mobilization.
- Track open requisitions and pending offers against the mobilization date in recruitment analytics.
Read more about recruitment in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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How do EPC companies hire quickly after a contract award?
They plan before the award. Key personnel are often named in the bid, and a bench of ex-employees and referrals is kept warm. After award, requisitions go out in waves that match the mobilization plan, screening checks credentials first, and offers state site, allowances and duration clearly so acceptances come quickly.
What certificates do EPC QC and HSE staff need?
It depends on the discipline and the client. Welding and NDT inspectors usually need recognised inspection qualifications, and HSE officers need the safety qualifications the client or the state specifies. Check the contract's personnel requirements, collect copies at screening and record validity dates, since an expired certificate stops people at the gate.
Should EPC site staff be hired on fixed-term contracts?
Many EPC firms hire project-specific roles on fixed-term contracts tied to the project, while keeping a core team permanent. Under the Industrial Relations Code, fixed-term staff are full employees, and gratuity is paid pro rata without the five-year minimum. State the term and the project clearly in the offer.
What is a graduate engineer trainee in an EPC company?
A graduate engineer trainee, or GET, is a fresh engineering graduate hired for a structured first year, usually rotating through design, procurement and a site before a permanent posting. Diploma engineer trainees follow a similar path. Both are hired mainly through campus drives, with the training period set out in the appointment letter.