Agility is the key in appealing to young professionals during pandemic, says DNV

Founded over 150 years ago, the modern version of DNV came into being in 2013 when DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and GL Germanischer Lloyd of Germany merged to form a world leader in risk management and quality assurance.

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.

Though that purpose has remained constant, the world has changed a lot over the years and DNV understands 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 organizations 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 to be difficult and slow, but as prospective employers, they moved quickly to stay ahead of the curve. This hands-on approach to continuous improvement paid off handsomely.

Digitalization 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.

Providing the "why" to potential applicants

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 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 competencies 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.