Companies that launch or maintain projects in oil & gas, energy and construction solve the same problem with different tools: find people, employ them legally, get them to site and keep them there. Each of those tasks has its own format. Below are the six services FIRCaspian has delivered in Kazakhstan for over 25 years, with a note on when each format fits and what exactly we take on.
Contents
- Oil & gas recruitment
- Outstaffing and employer of record
- Work permits for foreign employees
- Rotational crews and manpower supply
- Executive search
- Payroll and mobilisation
- FAQ
Oil & gas recruitment
Oil & gas recruitment is the search and vetting of engineers, supervisors, inspectors, rotational specialists and skilled trades for a specific site and a specific start date. It differs from general recruitment in one way: a candidate has to match not just the CV but the certificates, site passes and project history, or they will not get through the gate.
How FIRCaspian runs it. Our recruiters sit in Atyrau, Aktau and Aksai, next to the sites and next to the people who have already worked on them. After the brief we build a shortlist from our own database and targeted search, run first interviews and check documents: certificates, licences, medical clearance, references from previous projects. The client receives candidates ready for mobilisation, not a pile of CVs. For volume roles such as welders, fitters and operators we close requests in batches, with the same checks for every person.
What is included: position profile agreed with the client, database and market search, interviews and document checks, medicals and HSE induction, replacement during the guarantee period if a candidate fails probation.
Who it is for: operators and contractors who need specialists on payroll or for a fixed-term project, and companies entering the region without a candidate base of their own.
Open positions are published under vacancies. Requests for recruitment go through the for business page.
Outstaffing and employer of record
Outstaffing means your people work on your site and under your management while FIRCaspian is their legal employer: contracts, HR records, payroll and taxes are on us. Internationally the same model is called employer of record (EOR). It fits when headcount cannot grow, when a company operates in a region without a branch, or when local content requirements must be met without setting up a legal entity.
We employ staff under the Labour Code of Kazakhstan, keep timesheets, leave, sick pay and reporting, and arrange visas and permits for foreign employees. How outstaffing works, how it differs from outsourcing and what the fee covers is explained in a separate article: outstaffing in Kazakhstan.
Request a quote on the for business page.
Work permits for foreign employees
A foreign labour permit is what an employer needs to hire a foreign national in Kazakhstan legally. Without it the company cannot sign an employment contract with the expat, and the employee cannot get a work visa. Permits are issued by the regional authority where the job is located, within an annual quota, and the conditions depend on the position category, from senior managers to qualified workers.
How FIRCaspian runs the process. We start by assessing the position: whether it falls under the quota, which category applies, what local content requirements must be met. Then we assemble the document package from both employer and employee, file the application, follow it through review and collect the permit. After that come the work visa, registration at the place of stay, and re-issue on renewal or change of position. If the employee is going to an operator's site, we prepare the site access documents in parallel.
What is included: position and category assessment, local content calculation, document preparation and filing, support until the permit is issued, visa support and registration, renewal tracking.
Who it is for: contractors mobilising foreign specialists to oil & gas projects and companies without an in-house immigration function. For projects with fixed mobilisation dates we begin the assessment before the employee's contract is signed so that permit timelines do not push the start date.
Rules and timelines change with legislation, so we verify current requirements before every case. Requests go through the for business page.
Rotational crews and manpower supply
Rotational crews are complete teams supplied for a project: welders, fitters, operators, inspectors and engineering staff working 28/28, 45/15 or a custom rotation agreed with the client. Manpower supply differs from plain recruitment in that the client receives a working unit with logistics, accommodation and back-to-back replacements, not a set of individuals.
How FIRCaspian runs it. We assemble the crew by trade and grade, verify each person's documents and clearances, arrange medicals and HSE induction, and issue PPE. Then we handle travel to site, accommodation in the camp or a hotel, and time recording against the client's timesheet. The second half of the crew arrives on rotation so the site never waits. If someone drops out through illness or resignation, a replacement comes from the reserve.
What is included: crewing by trade and grade, document and clearance checks, medicals and HSE induction, transport to and from site, accommodation, rotation replacements, HR records and payroll when the crew is employed by us.
Who it is for: contractors on construction, maintenance and turnaround projects that need people for the duration and cannot afford to keep them on payroll between projects. Candidates looking for rotation work should go to vacancies.
Crew requests go through the for business page.
Executive search
Executive search is the confidential recruitment of leaders who are not on the open job market. Production directors, project managers, HSE managers and finance heads rarely answer job ads; they are found through market mapping and direct approach. The format differs from standard recruitment in depth of assessment and in discretion: neither competitors nor the candidate's current team learn about the search.
How FIRCaspian runs it. Together with the client we define the role and what success looks like in the first year, map the companies and roles where the right people are, and approach them directly. We run structured interviews, check references and track records, and present a shortlist with detailed reports. We support offer negotiations and onboarding, and the placement is covered by a replacement guarantee.
What is included: role profile, market map, direct search, assessment and reference checks, candidate reports, offer support, guarantee period.
Who it is for: companies filling first- and second-line leadership roles in oil & gas, energy and industry in Kazakhstan, and those looking for a leader with experience on a specific type of project.
Executive search requests go through the for business page.
Payroll and mobilisation
Payroll is outsourced salary calculation and HR administration: accruals, taxes and mandatory contributions under Kazakh law, reporting, leave and sick pay. Mobilisation is the other half: getting an employee to site with every document in order. Together they cover everything that happens to a person between signing the contract and the first day on site, and then every month after that.
How FIRCaspian runs it. The payroll team calculates against your timesheets and internal rules, prepares payslips and statutory reports, and answers employees' pay questions. The mobilisation team handles visas and permits, tickets and transfers, accommodation, medicals, site passes and clearances, and PPE. For foreign contractors without a Kazakh entity, payroll is combined with outstaffing: employees are on our books and work on your site.
What is included: salary and contribution calculation, HR record-keeping, statutory reporting, employee support, visa support, travel and accommodation, medicals and site access, PPE.
Who it is for: companies with project headcount that is uneconomical to run through their own accounting and HR, and foreign contractors who need a local employer and a clear mobilisation process.
Requests go through the for business page.
FAQ
How is outstaffing different from outsourcing? With outstaffing, employees work under your management on your site but are employed by the provider. With outsourcing, you hand over a whole function and the provider manages the people and owns the result. If you need people inside your team without growing headcount, that is outstaffing.
How long does a foreign labour permit take? It depends on the position category, quota availability and the completeness of documents. We give a timeline after assessing the position and track it at every step. For projects with a fixed mobilisation date we start the assessment before the employee's contract is signed.
Which rotations do you supply? Standard 28/28 and 45/15, plus rotations built around the client's and the site's requirements. Replacements within the rotation and a reserve for drop-outs are part of the service.
Do you work outside Atyrau? Yes. FIRCaspian has offices in Atyrau, Aktau, Aksai, Almaty and Astana and supplies personnel to sites across Kazakhstan.
Can services be combined, for example permits, outstaffing and payroll? Yes. For foreign contractors this is the usual package: we obtain the permits, employ the staff, run payroll, and the mobilisation team gets people to site.
What do you need to prepare a quote? Trades and headcount, site and dates, required clearances, and the preferred format. Send a request through the for business page or contacts; we reply the same working day.
About FIRCaspian
FIRCaspian is a recruitment and staffing company headquartered in Atyrau with offices in Aktau, Aksai, Almaty and Astana. For over 25 years we have recruited and supplied personnel for oil & gas, energy and industrial projects across Kazakhstan, from rotational crews to senior managers. We operate with 100 % Kazakhstani content, hold ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certification, and our own HSE team prepares people for site access.