People
A little piece of the world in Esbjerg
TotalEnergies EP Denmark has an extremely diverse workforce in Denmark, bringing many benefits. Training and employee engagement help to develop a strong culture and guide employees to identify and pursue career opportunities across the company.
From Indian to Italian and Nigerian to New Zealander, TotalEnergies EP Denmark operations are a multicultural mixture, with employees representing 48 nationalities.
It reflects the diversity of the organization, which benefits from a broader range of perspectives, an improved understanding of stakeholders and access to a much wider pool of talent for recruitment as a result.
“It’s a little piece of the world here on the harbor in Esbjerg,” says Michael Brandt Kristensen, Talent Development Manager. “Because we have so many backgrounds, it becomes a wonderful big melting pot of differences that are embraced.”
48
nationalities are employed by TotalEnergies EP Denmark.
19%
of women represented across the workforce.
>2,200
training programs available to all employees, covering a huge range of topics.
“There are so many positive aspects that come from having so many different backgrounds. There is a lot of cultural training, especially for new arrivals, and we focus on management style and how we interact with each other. It doesn’t hinder us – it absolutely enhances the way we work.”
– Jennifer Stien, Human Resources Manager
An absolute enhancement
While TotalEnergies EP Denmark has broad diversity in terms of nationalities and cultural backgrounds, progress is still needed in terms of gender balance, particularly for offshore positions, which have traditionally been male dominated. However, gender diversity numbers have started to improve.
In 2022, the first Danish female Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) was appointed in the Danish part of the North Sea, with Malene Birkemose Knudsen taking charge of the Halfdan field.
“There are so many positive aspects that come from having so many different backgrounds. There is a lot of cultural training, especially for new arrivals, and we focus on management style and how we interact with each other. It doesn’t hinder us – it absolutely enhances the way we work,” says Jennifer Stien, Human Resources Manager.
That is part of a far wider training program, which aims not only to help people in their current roles, but to prepare them for future opportunities in a global organization. All employees go through the VISA onboarding program, which expands their knowledge and prepares them for the company’s energy transition.
Then, there are more than 2,200 training programs available to all employees, covering a huge range of topics from gas, renewables and electricity to digital transformation, health and safety, or learning a new language. Employees can be nominated by a manager or select training themselves to learn new skills that can be useful in their current roles and for their future ambitions, and there are more than 40 different local training courses available for offshore workers in Denmark.
“The beauty of working for such a big company is that you have a lot of options. You can build your career here in Denmark. You also have the option to work elsewhere if that’s what you aspire – there’s something for everybody,” says Kristensen.
% of women in workforce
2022
19%
2021
16%
2020
15%
Number of nationalities
2022
48
2021
51
2020
50
Inspiring transition
The global VISA program was launched in 2022, focusing on the energy transition and TotalEnergies’ ambitions to become a multi-energy company. This training is for all employees and it featured local presenters in Denmark discussing climate change, wind and solar power and CCS as well as the role of oil and gas in the energy transition.
“Our people are excited about the energy transition and are engaged in it. We’re on the journey and they can see a future that wasn’t just oil and gas related – going from knowing everything about platforms and talking about barrels of oil equivalent to different forms of hydrogen and megawatts and joules,” says Stien.
Such training is an important element in employee engagement. A local survey identified clearer career opportunities in the company as it transitions as well as leadership style, given the sheer variety of cultural backgrounds, as areas for improvement. Results were strong on trust, as people enjoyed working together and looked out for each other.
“Everything can always be improved and it’s a work in progress,” Stien adds. “Locally, we see that our people find the transition inspiring but there’s always more we can do to help them in their development.”
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Next chapter – Care for the Environment