In pursuit of our vision to be the Place to Work, we are committed to providing diverse opportunities for employee growth, the highest level of employee safety on the job, and a full range of resources to help employees keep ethics and integrity at the forefront of everything they do.
Learning and Development
We recognize the importance of employee and career development. To help meet these needs, our Learning and Development programs provide a variety of opportunities designed to enhance individual capabilities and improve El Paso’s overall organizational leadership.
Leadership Development
In 2010, we continued to build our leadership development programs and provide an efficient and effective approach to making leadership a competitive advantage for El Paso. Leadership competencies, customized assessment tools, coaching, and training and development were designed to clearly define what it means to be an El Paso leader. These competencies focus on all aspects of leadership and are integrated into our performance management, succession planning, and selection processes.
In addition, various levels of leaders participated in a competency review, which includes a 360° assessment and coaching based on individual development plans.
In early 2011, a new Frontline Development Program, Leading the Way on the Frontlines, was introduced to build the capacity of our frontline supervisors and managers by providing best-in-class development opportunities, as well as resources and tools to balance competing demands and build teams. This training was designed based on direct feedback received from our 2010 all-employee engagement survey.
Professional Development
We recognize the advantages of a robust core and elective learning curriculum to develop employees and leaders in professional, behavioral, and leadership skills. El Paso’s Learning and Development Group invested approximately $1.5 million for leadership and staff development during 2010, which is equivalent to the investment made in 2009.
In 2010, employees received a total of 21,757 training hours and a total of 6,049 computer-based training hours. More than 4,500 participants received classroom training. Courses were focused around execution, process improvement, and personal accountability.
Employee Tuition Assistance Program
To support development, all employees are eligible for tuition assistance of up to $5,250 each year for a degree or certification program related to their work responsibilities. In 2010, El Paso invested more than $500,000 in tuition assistance for employees, which is a slight decrease from 2009 when we invested more than $550,000 in tuition assistance.
Career Development
Our career development programs provide team members, whether new hires or current employees, with opportunities to expand their capabilities and enhance their skill sets. Our development programs focus on job rotations and hands-on training.
- Field employees with our Pipeline Group have a career development program that encourages them to increase their technical flexibility and value to the organization as cross-functional technicians. The program provides hands-on training in a variety of technical areas, including instrumentation and controls, telecommunications, corrosion, measurement, compressor plant and pipeline operation, and maintenance. Employees’ skills are tested and validated through a formal qualification process, which can provide opportunities for career advancement.
- Entry-level professionals in engineering, land management, and the geosciences can qualify for a rotational development program when they join our E&P Company. Participants rotate through multiple practical assignments in our operating divisions and develop an understanding of the entire organization. Within each discipline, program participants learn through a combination of hands-on and classroom training, as well as one-on-one mentoring. When they have completed their rotation, employees have a well-rounded perspective that will help them understand their opportunities within the E&P Company and shape their long-term career goals.
- Our Rotation, Exposure, Development, and Interaction Program (REDI) focuses on entry-level new hire engineers in our Pipeline Group. REDI gives these engineers a comprehensive education on what El Paso does and how we do it, while providing them the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the daily business of a host department. REDI participants rotate through three host departments, with each rotation lasting three to six months. Our Engineering groups in Birmingham, Colorado Springs, and Houston, as well as our Operation Services group, serve as host departments. During each tour, the employee works closely with a sponsor within a host department. The employee is given ongoing assignments in addition to a wide variety of work assignments at various groups within the host department and in other departments.
- The Loan Star Job Rotation Program is an employee development platform for professionals in our Finance and Accounting (F&A) organization. The program, which is available to all analyst-, senior-, and principal-level employees in F&A, promotes individual development and job enrichment by offering short rotations across our finance organization. By increasing employees’ knowledge, expanding their network within the company, and letting them experience work life in a variety of jobs, the program enhances participants’ performance in their current jobs and prepares them for their next roles.
- In 2009, the F&A organization piloted a mentoring program, which was formally launched during spring of 2010. Facilitated by a mentoring team, the program uses skill sheets and competencies to match mentors and mentees. Each participant is asked to make a commitment of at least one hour per month. A feedback survey is used to evaluate the benefits of the program and allow participants to renew or realign the relationships.
