OREANDA-NEWS. The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information regarding the Company's human resources policy.

It was noted that the Gazprom's highly professional staff was an outstanding competitive advantage of the Company on its way towards becoming a global energy market leader.

As of December 31, 2012 Gazprom Group employed a total of 431.2 thousand people. Gazprom's staff is characterized by high stability. For instance, last year the staff turnover in subsidiary companies engaged in gas production, transportation, processing and storage was only about 2 per cent.

Gazprom makes comprehensive efforts for developing the Company's talent pool.

Continuous development of the personnel incentive system is an important part of the HR policy. This system is necessary for maintaining the Company's ability to compete in the labor market, attracting and retaining qualified employees as well as enhancing their interest in the operating results.

Gazprom created its own HR web portal – Gazprom Vacancies – in order to recruit skilled personnel from the open market. 552 people were employed by the Company with the use of this web portal. On the average there were 140 people for one vacation. Moreover, subsidiary companies annually employ 1.2 thousand graduates from 200 educational institutions.

Substantial attention is paid to the consistent development of the Gazprom team's professional skills. There is a system of continuous education in the Company. The system aims at employee development, taking into account growing requirements for production and labor quality, new technologies and an increasing number of the regions where the Company is present. Every year about 120 thousand employees complete training courses as part of the system.

The sound social policy makes Gazprom a considerably more attractive employer. In particular, the policy stipulates granting benefits, guarantees and compensations to employees, creating comfortable and safe labor conditions, implementing housing programs as well as paying out supplementary pensions.

The Management Committee was assigned to further pursue Gazprom's human resources policy.