A group of 44 Qatari employees at the country’s largest offshore oil producer Maersk Oil have begun an extensive career planning exercise as part of its leadership programme.

Maersk Oil’s Qatari Leadership Talent Pool met recently as a first step towards developing personalised career plans for high-performing employees.

Along with schemes like the Qatari Development Programme, which assists employees early in their careers, the Qatari Leadership Talent Pool (QLTP) is a key pillar of Maersk Oil’s revitalised Qatarization Strategy.

Sheikh Jassim Al-Thani, Maersk Oil’s head of Qatarization, said the nationalisation is a core business priority for Maersk Oil Qatar.

"We have doubled the number of Qatari employees in the past five years and increased those with a Bachelor’s degree but we are committed to attracting, retaining and developing even more Qataris in the future. By 2017 we aim to quadruple the number of Qataris in leadership or senior specialist positions at Maersk Oil Qatar," he remarked.

"The Qatari Leadership Talent Pool assists employees to fulfil their potential through coaching and mentoring and helps define a clear, performance-driven path for those who consistently show potential for career progression," stated Sheikh Jassim.

Qatari employees are selected for the QLTP based on a track record of successful performance and an in-depth assessment of their leadership potential.

Two consultants from Percepti – a HR consultancy firm – led the two-day QLTP workshops in Doha.

Anna-Elise Oosterhuis, a senior consultant at Percepti, said: "I was impressed by how the group responded during the workshops. We discussed the values of Maersk Oil Qatar as a company and its expectations of leaders."

"We focused on how they can take personal responsibility for their development through skills such as giving and receiving feedback. It was pleasing to see the group’s positive response," she added.-TradeArabia News Service