The role of HR as a strategic partner in industrial large-scale projects

I recently read an article regarding how HR should shift from understanding the business to delivering stakeholder value. I found this perspective especially compelling: Dave Ulrich, in his LinkedIn article “Is It Time for HR to Evolve ‘Know the Business’ to ‘Stakeholder Value’?” explains that HR must transcend compliance to drive value for customers, investors, and communities alike.

When people think about industrial megaprojects, for example shipyards, offshore platforms, data centers and power plants, the first images that usually come to mind are cranes, steel and engineering blueprints. Rarely do people picture HR professionals to this picture. But behind every large-scale project is a human project. 

The way we attract, engage and support people is often the difference between projects that succeed and projects that collapse under their own complexity. 

Large-scale Projects, where the stakes are higher

Industrial projects are not business as usual. They are defined by scale with thousands of workers across multiple disciplines. Complexity as there are multiple contractors, subcontractors and nationalities working under one umbrella. Time pressure, since every delay can cost millions and safety requirements, because one error in culture or training can have life-changing consequences. 

In this environment, HR can not be limited to payroll and compliance. HR must be at the decision-making table as a strategic partner, HR should know the business and projects where they are involved to add stakeholder value.

The old view of HR vs. the new role

Traditionally, HR in industrial settings was seen as a support function, hiring when needed, managing contracts and ensuring compliance. Necessary function, but mainly reactive. 

Today, forward-thinking companies recognize that HR in project-based work is about strategic foresight: 

• Workforce planning: anticipating skills needs months (or even years) in advance 
• Global recruitment: securing talent across borders while ensuring integration into local culture 
• Retention & engagement: reducing costly turnover in the middle of critical project phases 
• Change management from supervisory and management levels: guiding teams through uncertainty when project phases shift or ownership changes 

In short, HR is not just filling positions. HR is building the environment where the project can thrive. 

Our key expertise in large-scale projects

At Enersense International Oyj, Engineering Expert Services, we have provided Recruitment and HR Services for large-scale projects in Finland and abroad for over 20 years. We have delivered international talent to over 40 countries worldwide. One of our most demanding and high-stakes assignments has been supporting the Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Power Plant Project in Finland, a complex, multinational effort requiring precision, compliance and seamless coordination.

We provided resources and HR services directly to the Olkiluoto project, where engineers and other specialists were being flown in from across the world. The timelines were so tight that even small recruitment delays threatened the entire project schedule. 

The demand for skilled professionals was urgent and clients were under pressure to deliver on tight project schedules but lacked the workforce to do so. That is where we were able to support them.

We didn’t just fill positions, we provided full life cycle HR and recruitment services, stepping in to lead every phase of the employee journey: 

• We sourced and recruited qualified international talent 
• We redesigned the onboarding process with multilingual support 
• We aligned employment contracts with both local law and international expectations 
• We created mentoring pairs between local staff and international hires 
• We supported workforce integration, retention, and ongoing employee relations 

Thanks to our deep understanding of project dynamics and our ability to respond with speed, accuracy and cultural sensitivity, we became more than just a service provider, we became a strategic partner. Our work at Olkiluoto is a clear example of how comprehensive HR and recruitment expertise can directly impact the success of a large-scale project. When execution is critical and the stakes are high, Engineering Expert Services delivers. 

Why leaders would need to see HR as a strategic partner

In project work and also in HR, Every delay is a people problem first. Whether it is skills shortages, miscommunication or disengagement, projects fail or succeed on people. Without HR expertise, compliance risks, visa issues and cultural missteps can derail timelines. Losing an engineer mid-project costs far more than investing in engagement and support. Also needs to be remembered that safety is culture. You can not force it only with rules. People need to feel it and live it. In our experience, this is HR’s role in partnership with operations. 

The future of HR in large projects

The role of HR in large projects will only become more central, because the industry is moving towards Energy transition projects that require entirely new skills, data center and high-tech builds that blur the lines between IT and industrial construction and international project groups, where cross-cultural collaboration is the norm, not the exception. 

HR will need to be agile and deeply embedded in strategic planning.

In large-scale engineering projects, often involving international teams, complex regulations, and high financial stakes, HR must be more than a support function. It needs to be agile, proactive and deeply embedded in strategic planning. From workforce forecasting and global mobility to compliance and talent retention, HR plays a critical role in ensuring that technical execution is backed by the right people in the right roles at the right time. 

That is why I believe so strongly that HR needs to be involved from day one in large-scale projects. HR is a strategic partner, as critical as engineering, procurement or construction management.

Because in the end, cranes may lift the steel, but people lift the project.

Please don’t hesitate to contact:

Sanna Uronen
HR Coordinator
+358 40 176 5270
sanna.uronen@enersense.com

Expert Services – Enersense