POWER June 2015 - 37

WORKFORCE
Table 1. Skill set matrix. This abbreviated
example identifies skills that candidates
were required to have (1) and additional skills
that an ideal candidate would have (2). Source:
IEM Energy Consultants
Skill
Alignment (1)
Balancing (2)
Bearings-Journal (1)
Bearings-Roller (1)
Bearings-Sleeve (1)
Cathodic protection
(1)
Continuous emissions
monitoring
system (2)
Distributed
control system-
Troubleshooting (1)
Doble testing (1)
Environmental (2)
Gas turbine
control system-
Programming (2)
Gas turbine
control system-
Troubleshooting (1)
High-voltage
breakers (2)
High-voltage
transformers (2)
Hot stick (1)
Load commutating
inverter (2)
Lube oil (1)
Millwright (1)
Nondestructive
evaluation (2)
Personal computers
(2)
Pipefitting (1)
Pump repair/
overhaul (1)
Rigging and lifting
(1)
Total turns ratio (1)
Vibration analysis (2)
Welding-Code (2)
Welding-Gas (1)
Welding-Stick (1)
and small-both by IEM's clients as well as
by me when I was a plant superintendent at
an F-class combined cycle power plant.
It's All in the Hiring-or Is It?
It would be nice to say that it is all in the hirJune
2015 | POWER
ing process, but it is hard to see a candidate's
potential for success 10 years, five years, or
even two years down the road. But hiring the
right people naturally has a lot to do with it.
IEM was tasked several years ago with
helping staff two F-class combined cycle
power plants. One consisted of two 2 x 1
power blocks and the other consisted of one
3 x 1 power block. This was in the early days
of the F technology, and the client, who had
been hearing all of the horror stories related
to " infant mortality, " was very risk averse.
That client insisted that all operators and
maintenance technicians have a minimum of
10 to 15 years experience with F technology
to even get across the threshold.
Recognize that this was during the bubble,
when there were companies that were
hiring operations and maintenance (O&M)
technicians not for one plant, but for multiple
plants at a time. It often seemed as if the
only qualification required was the ability
to spell " gas turbine, " so hiring competition
was fierce. The question that IEM posed to
our client was: " How do you find candidates
with that level of experience in a segment of
the industry that is only five years old? "
IEM convinced this particular client
that what we really needed to do was focus
primarily on appropriate skill sets, rather
than on experience. Additionally, we
looked for personnel who could " play well
in the sandbox together. " If we found personnel
who could who could be made into
a " squad, " so to speak, they could lean on
each other based upon the skills that each
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possessed, which would serve the power
plant well. One manager at a large coalfired
power plant in the South put it this
way, " We look for people who reflect our
culture-with the right aptitude; after that,
we can train them. "
Based upon this philosophy, a skills matrix
(Table 1) was developed, identifying the specific
skill sets (not experience) that the client
identified as critical to the success of the
facility. In certain cases, duplicate skill sets
were identified, such as having multiple personnel
with electrical or mechanical skills,
for example.
Using the matrix, O&M technician job
descriptions were developed, and interviews
were conducted. During the interview process,
a great deal of concentration was given
to personality traits, hobbies, pastimes, and
interpersonal discussions, looking for people
who were comfortable in their skin.
Although we touched on skill sets, we
were often able to ascertain those more easily
though reference checks. It must be recognized
that reference checks, and the information
that is available, have changed over the
years. Now, there is an ever-present threat of
litigation from angry ex-employees who feel
they may have been slandered, so this option
may not be as useful as it once was.
If candidates came with true experience,
that was considered an added advantage.
However, it has also been our experience that
in certain cases, it is easier to form individuals
into a cohesive squad when they come
with no ingrained bad habits. In that case, we
37
Tech 1 Tech 2 Tech...
2. Understanding the proper technique to use when completing a task
is important in all occupations. In this photo, a primary marksmanship instructor and
a range coach teach a recruit the fundamentals of marksmanship. Courtesy: U.S. Marine Corps/
Cpl. Jericho W. Crutcher
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POWER June 2015

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