I heard this from a reliable source in HR.
A massive purge of middle management is in its final stages now, expect many exec/re forced retirements and younger middle managers being "quiet fired" with demotions and "special assignments". Expect also external experienced hires for management positions.
Is management finally listening from us? I can't believe it.
It amazes me how these supervisors spend 100% of their time jockeying for exposure for themselves. Spout nonsense up the chain so the rest of the team have to fix.
In other companies, people get fired if they don’t do the work that they are assigned.
@3cfi+1kId9KT2 I just can't believe Annandale is still open. Why? Why is Annandale still open Darren? I thought you wanted to make as much money as possible for the investors. Shut that ho-e down now. Stop wasting the investors money. Nobody will notice. They do nothing but working from home.
I've been following this site for quite a while and if I can point to one topic where there's massive unanimous agreement on the need and urgency of a massive purge like this.
I don't know how representative of general employee sentiment this site is, but I can't find any colleague in my professional circles who wouldn't agree that a harder look at the ‘chosen ones’ is well overdue.
I do hope this is real and they purge the toxic fat for good.
3mpj , exactly, Annandale is a perfect example, PHD’s in department head roles, over paid in these roles as managers, when they should be working technical side, don’t need a PHD in a DH role, need to start this purge, ASAP in Annandale. Lots of management consolidation needed here, full of 🤡’s. This site is in real trouble….what new equipment is going in the dumpster this week?
....Safe DHs are those with PhD and MS...
Why?
Why having a Ph.D. makes a more desirable manager? I would argue that is quite the opposite, particularly if such Ph.D. degree is engineering or the hard sciences. Ph.D's are trained to work individually and with a narrow focus.
Nevertheless, welcome The Purge.
Some DH jobs will be eliminated, others will be combined to one position. ExxonMobil proved that ICs can do the work of multiple ICs so they figure that DHs can do the work of…er have the title of multiple DHs.
I can confirm this is not a rumor. Purge will occur in the 4th quarter of this year. Demand for oil and derivatives will level off at the end of 2023, then start declining in 2024. Exxon will get ahead of their competitors in reducing headcount to reduce cost, people are just expenses. There will be some DH shuffling in the second and third quarter, those who are still DHs in the fourth quarter will be gone. It’s like a game of musical chairs. Safe DHs are those with PhD and MS. Smart DHs without at least a MS will be looking for jobs at other companies.
They should scrutinize those who were in supervisory roles from 2019 to 2022. Totally botched the performance process and epic failure to retain good people. If they don’t have any other skills then demote them. Why keep them in positions to do even more damage?
They aren't going to fire managers, by definition they are high ranked. They will fire senior technical folks to make room for the demoted managers. Just wanting for someone to decide that lifelong technical employees can be fired and ki-l two birds with one stone - lower headcount and eliminate pension liability.
Sponsored Management id--ts are protected by their sponsors.
Only middle management that can be targeted for PIP are the ones whose Sponsor recently retired.
Management needs to look hard at the ‘chosen ones.’ Some should have never been chosen, and some have been promoted past their level of competence.
They also need to look at the skill sets of raising talent. They shouldn’t leave topped-out people to spin their wheels and clog the pipeline, if there are more adept and knowledgeable folks below them that are ready to raise.
Not advocating PIP for most these folks. Just a graceful exit or non-management assignments to get them out of the way and to unclog a too-management-heavy organization. A graceful exit is more than our coworkers got in the previous years.
The truth is that the talented people who are held back from management opportunities will probably leave at some point. This is especially true when they look up the management chain and see less-competent, less-qualified people sitting in positions due to tenure and luck.
If you respect your manager and see in them skills you don’t yet possess, then you work happily for them….learning all you can. If you question how your manager EVER landed that role because they know very little and have awful people skills, you wonder what hope there is for your career. Then you start thinking about whether you need to leave.
Can we replace #cubepic with #purge2023? Asking for a friend.
This makes sense. For the past couple of years, many have moved to and promoted to management, even the new hires. The real workerbees are either contractors or emps overseas. And we are not yet close to the target PIP% assumed in 2020. I say the upper management and the contractors remain after the purge. The purge!
There will be no purge, just reshuffling. Just like in the mafia, once you’re a “made” man you’re untouchable (unless you turn against “the family”).
This is not good news because there are no good news in a company where people are subjectively separated into working class cattle and “chosen” ones. Actual lower to mid management positions are indeed being reduced, but the “chosen” ones are just shuffled around, not eliminated, and they will always have special status compared to their “regular” colleagues, who have to do their work as well. The system that EM uses precludes any positive changes.
Can anyone confirm this? Or is just a rumor?
Wonder what the $ value of time wasted for "We are EM" for any of the middle management that will be affected by this?
It is a fact that managers keep the competent qualified people under the radar so they are not given opportunities. Managers colluding with other managers to manipulate work to benefit themselves and line up favorites. Recently there is a trend of managers moving from “supervisory” roles and into “technical advisor” roles. This is even though they have almost zero competencies in the area. Scams and frauds.
Scope and knee pad stock.
If this is true. Knee pad sales will skyrocket. Good stock to buy in 2023.
@1gud although you do make alot of sense, I don't like the idea of people loosing thier jobs. I mean ...I do need my trash taken out and my neighborhood desks wiped down regularly.
@OP, This almost sounds like removing positions but just shuffling managers into roles they are not qualified for and thus directly competing against people who actually have skills.
And that’s the problem. Most if not all middle management have no employable job skills outside of the ExxonMobil toxic framework and forced ranking. This is why they fight so hard to stay in their positions and why they’ll do anything to survive. This dead weight needs to get a massive layoff not a massive reposting.
This would be amazing. For posterity and because I don’t want to perpetrate the d-mbness of PIP, I hope the ‘okay’ ones are offered real assignments.
There is no shame in moving from a management role to an independent contributor or team member role. In fact, that is where the real work is done (and needs to be done.). I wish we’d all let go of the stigma of managers being moved to real “worker bee” assignments. And personally, I would hope some managers aspire to this in their final role. I cannot think of anything better than having a nice big CL-escalated salary, and being asked to do real work. That should be an NRE dream.
This would be a wish come true. But, it is still just a wish.
Ha ha. Good one
Man please start at brcp then the brrf!
OP, this can't be true. It is just too good to be true. Getting rid of managers and executives would be a dream come true. Finally we'll be able to work.
@1zmb+1kId9KT2 Is Annandale still open? I can't believe it. Darren, what are you waiting for man? A major headcount reduction right there.
Start this purge in Annandale, lots to choose from, been hanging on for years, good place to start is in PA, JA should be first to go , next DO. Absolutely could combine areas, to reduce. Karma is real.
It was quiet announced that there will be a reduction in DHs of 50% through NSI. All DHs receiving NSI will be advised to take the PIL as they won’t pass the PIP. XOM purged too many worker bees and still need to reduce overhead. The safe DHs will be those with PhD and MS degrees, those with BS degrees will be gone by September.
@eeu+1kId9KT2 too bad they didn’t start by purging worthless managers and supervisors (especially DH and SLS that have like 1 employee). Instead they kept rewarding these people while the actual contributors suffered until they found new jobs.
Too little, too late at this point
Darth Gunnlaugsson, after getting all the middle management suck-ups to PIP the worker bees: "I am altering the deal. Pray I do not alter it further."
Not going to happen, only because it’d make sense.
@ OP, it isn't April Fools day. Stop setting everyone up for disappointment.
Wishful thinking, I'll be very surprised to see that even remotely happening.
It was about time!