Did you hear? In November we’ll be voting for a new President of the United States. And of all the election-related things we’re hearing about in the news on a daily basis, we’re constantly barraged with “oil this” and “gas that.” Seriously, I don’t think one day goes by without hearing about something related to energy. Just this morning I read that House Democrats have embraced a plan to allow for more offshore drilling. It’s a significant issue!

But what does all of this mean for employers in the energy arena?

It’s no secret that oil and gas companies are making lots of money. They’re also hiring lots of entry-level talent, especially in the back-to-school timeframe. Over the past few years we’ve even found that the key industry players have started their recruiting processes earlier and earlier in the fall season, as hiring for geoscience majors has become extremely competitive. We’ve also found that many of these companies have augmented their programs to include Gen Y-friendly hiring and retention initiatives. But are their programs working?

It certainly seems so. The top five oil and gas companies in the Experience Network had an average of 13 applies per job with a 5 percent conversion rate (from job search results to apply). And no surprise – the largest of the bunch, ExxonMobil, led the pack in search activity. The second runner up, ConocoPhillips, interestingly is the smallest company in our list in terms of annual revenue. Following ConocoPhillips in the Gen Y search activity rankings are Chevron, BP and Royal Dutch Shell, respectively.

Whether they’re seeking drilling engineers, equipment operators, field office managers, electronic technicians or any number of specific entry-level positions, oil and gas companies – to remain competitive and relevant in the eyes of candidates – must consider more than the compensation package and embrace innovative tactics to attract and retain Gen Y talent. These initiatives can include using internships as extended interviews, providing clear career growth paths (whether managerial or technical) and leveraging green initiatives and other socially-focused programs.

On an interesting and related side note, late last year Experience polled Gen Y job seekers on issues related to the 2008 elections. In the survey, we found that candidates put more emphasis on social issues than their worries about obtaining a full-time job. Of the issues identified, energy consumption was a top concern.