How to Mobilise a Gas Project Team Quickly

Winning a gas project is only the start. Often the programme is fixed, the start date is close, and you need a full team on site: engineers, supervisors, technicians and operatives, all with the right tickets and competence for the client's assets.

Here's how to mobilise a gas project team quickly without cutting corners.

1. Define the team before you recruit

Start with the programme and work backwards. For each phase, set out:

• The roles you need and how many of each.
• When each role needs to start and how long it's needed for.
• The qualifications and client authorisations each role requires.
• Which roles are critical to starting on time, and which can follow.

A clear team structure lets your recruitment partner work on the right roles in the right order.

2. Fill the critical roles first

Some roles hold up everything else. On most gas projects, that means the project or construction manager, the site manager, supervisors with the right authorisations, and any specialist such as commissioning or EC&I engineers.

Secure these people first. They can often help identify and assess the rest of the team.

3. Be clear about the client's requirements

Every network operator and principal contractor has its own requirements for tickets, competence evidence, inductions and approvals. Get these in writing at the start, so every candidate is checked against the same list.

Common requirements include SHEA Gas, CSCS, NRSWA, CCNSG, CompEx for EC&I roles, and evidence of work on similar assets. Our guide to gas industry qualifications explains the main ones.

4. Use a mix of contract and permanent staff

Many project teams combine a permanent core with contractors brought in for peaks or specialist phases. Contractors can often start sooner, and a good agency will know who's finishing a contract and available.

5. Check competence properly

Moving fast is no excuse for weak checks. Before anyone starts:

• Verify certificates and cards, not just copies on a CV.
• Take references from people who've seen the candidate work on similar assets.
• Confirm right to work.
• Check any client-specific authorisations are in place or planned.

Our article on competence in HAZCON explains why this matters so much in gas.

6. Plan onboarding and inductions

Inductions, client approvals, PPE, vehicles and accommodation can all delay a start date. Plan them in parallel with recruitment, not after it.

7. Think about team fit

A project team has to work well together under pressure. Where you can, bring in people who've worked together before, and make sure supervisors are involved in selecting their teams.

How our Team Placement service works

Our Team Placement service is built for this situation. We start with a consultation to understand your project and define the team structure, then use our network to find people with the right skills, tickets and experience. We check competence and keep you updated throughout.

If you've got a project coming up, register a vacancy and we'll talk through the team you need.