Safety is at the heart of everything BP does. We do this by engaging all employees in the part they play in sustaining a safe environment, and ensuring they can raise any concerns and know they will be heard. BP constantly works to instil and support a culture of prioritising safety above all else.
BP has created an environment that promotes continuous learning. Using a variety of approaches, from the classroom and virtual instructor-led training to online courses, individuals are given space to manage their learning. Some regions operate fortnightly ‘Growth Fridays’ where employees are encouraged to undertake online learning or learn new skills from their peers. Senior managers are encouraged to participate in activities and share their experiences so that learning and growth are constant and occurs at all levels.
BP’s new approach to talent management is workforce-led and focusses on opening new opportunities to employees.
"We need very different talent in the future than we’ve needed in the past. The next big idea could come from anywhere in the organisation."
Frances Howat, ACMA, CGMA, Head of Capability Development
The company’s capability strategy involves moving away from the linear career pathways typical of large organisations, in which individuals only progress once they have ticked off a set of experiences and job roles. The digital age is changing the way that teams and organisations are led. While people managers are still needed, some individuals become subject-matter experts and may not need to go through the traditional management route.
Within the upstream segment, moving to a single instance of enterprise resource planning system and standardising data formats are unlocking further opportunities for the business. An organisation-wide digital-skills framework has been developed to identify future skills in areas such as agile working, design thinking, data visualisation and big data.
Individuals identifying and addressing their own future needs largely drive digital upskilling. Employees have expressed a clear preference for digital visualisation, analysis and communication tools, all of which have seen a growth in use across the business as their value is recognised.
Having identified a need for data science skills, BP is looking to channel workforce enthusiasm for skills development by offering online Python coding courses. Finance employees can complete these courses over a three-month period before taking an assessment. Those who perform well are invited to a 3-week intensive data science bootcamp, using real-life cases and data.
The bootcamp helps employees to immediately start adding value to the wider business by contributing to internal projects to explore and develop their new skills. This experience then leads on to further development opportunities, helping to create a natural process of constant improvement.
“We’re building up to get to about 10–15% of our organisation having a good solid grounding in data science from one bootcamp programme, and then maybe 2 or 3% will become subject-matter experts.”
Graham Collins, FCMA, CGMA, VP of Digital Transformation
