Hiring Woes Plague Williston Public Works

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — The public works director in the steadily growing North Dakota oil patch hub of Williston says he needs help finding workers.

David Tuan is asking the city to allow him to create a human resources manager position. He says there currently are 30 open positions in the department, including an operations manager. That's the No. 2 position in the department.

Tuan says the skill set needed for public works jobs is similar to the skill set needed for a wide range of oilfield jobs, and he needs help finding workers.

The Williston Herald reports City Auditor John Kautzman said Fargo doesn't use its human resources manager to help with hiring, but more for policy management. Mayor Howard Klug scoffed at the comparison, saying, "We're a different dog than Fargo."