Thread regarding Saudi Aramco layoffs

Fear based corporate culture

Here is the portrait of the "ideal" Aramco manager according to what I saw. This manager communicates expectations, usually from higher up who in turn took their orders from Riyadh. However, first he increases them, so if it was supposed to be done in a week, it is due tomorrow, etc. He does not question the higher authority about the assignment in any way, just passed it along. His main role is not make sure the assignment is carried out. This is usually done through yelling and threatening. His goal is to make sure that if the task doesn't get done, then he has made the persons life as miserable as possible. It doesn't matter why.

If you have ever been in the military, then I am sure you will have encountered this kind of drill Sargent leadership. Being too soft is the surest way for a local to ruin his career. Even if he drives people out, a drill sergeant is still considered a good manager.

Not every local managed like this, but more and more, the ones that behaved like this got promoted. I think this is because Aramco no longer wants to keep people. The goal is to get the most out of them while they are there. It didn't used to be like this, but things changed. If you are ok working in an environment like that, by all means, come.

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| 5812 views | | 10 replies (last February 1, 2023) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kUeceQf

10 replies (most recent on top)

@3hyi+1kUeceQf

Wow!!!! That bad?

I didn't make it to year 6 by 3 months in 2020 when I was laid off and my severance was was way (I mean way!) above those numbers.
Seems things are getting worse by the minute.

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Post ID: @4hoa+1kUeceQf

Thanks for the intel.
I left a nice job with a decent pension for Aramco recently. Yes the take home is much more than back home which more than offsets pension loss. But, at what cost really. Wasting years here and becoming ever more unemployable each year.
I don’t consider myself a dullard or desperate for a job but something in my brain clearly misfired to come to the Pit.

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Post ID: @3rkx+1kUeceQf

The severance is indeed very poor, back in the day people used to use this as a form of “pension” payment, but it’s now SO back loaded. This means Aramco can (and will) “fire” you at say year 4 or 9 and you lose a ton. It’s not worth the risk if you have options.

Given many in decent jobs in the west will have employers paying a guaranteed 10% of their annual salary into a pension EVERY YEAR, this makes the Aramco offer even worse.

Here’s an example of global as is:

Up to 2 years = sweet FA
2 years = 5k
3 years = 10k
4 years = 14k
5 years = 35k
6 years = 55k
8 years = 70k
10 years = 170k
15 years = 300k
20 years = 360k

Aramco will continue to attract expats.

It just won’t be those at the top of their game, or those working for competitors, or anyone remotely competent.

It will be dullards/ low wage economy personnel/ desperates who need any job.

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Post ID: @3hyi+1kUeceQf

Agree. It’s punitive with several non working things holding a threat of impact on $. Everything is siloed and a lot of whispering and politics.
The global severance is zero during first 2 years and then pithy even at 5. It doesn’t add any incentive to stay which I think is the point.

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Post ID: @2fqd+1kUeceQf

The key thing is that Aramco no longer looks at Expats as long term hires. The company EXPECTS you to leave after two years. Just look at the long term retention bonus for Global. It has been cut to the point where it basically doesn't exist.

This is indeed the Amazon model. Hire as cheap as you can from where ever you can, use fear and manipulation to get the most out of the hire in a short period of time, kick him out as soon as he realizes what is going on. There are plenty of jobs like this in most places around the world. I don't see why anyone would move half way around the world for this kind of arrangement.

My guess is that Aramco will soon move to two year contracts for Expats like many other companies in Saudi already use. That way, they can time when an Expat will leave and plan for his replacement. The only reason that this hasn't already happened is that Aramco is living off the relatively good reputation as an employer that it previously built. As soon as it goes to contracts, everybody will instantly know the deal and decide to come (or not) with the understanding that the job has an expiration date. Right now Aramco gets the best of both worlds, its just that the poor new hire thinks he can last until retirement when he probably can not.

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Post ID: @2dyq+1kUeceQf

Wow! What an insightful post from Oldtimer. I will opine that the change occurred slowly at first and then suddenly. Seriously though, with the retirement of Jummah and the death of King Abdullah.

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Post ID: @1idf+1kUeceQf

Definitely fear based. Everything from misplacing your pass to failing a phishing test, it’s is about punishment and punitive sanctions. These do not apply to those in charge of course, double standards are everywhere.

Nobody ever gets encouragement to collaborate or act as a team. It’s just a very selfish, narrow, do as I say, not as I do business culture. A greedy, secretive, self-absorbed, nasty place to work.

Management are obsessed with pointless “KPIs”, attending d-mb events (LEAP anyone!!) and cutting ribbons. That’s about it. Glossy marketing is everywhere…

My management are scared what their bosses say and they have every right to be. Speaking up is career ending.
So they never question, ask why or propose better solutions (though that’s mainly because they are brain dead rather than actually having any ideas!).

Ask, how many in senior management are women? How many in senior management have had a real job outside Aramco? ZERO. It’s all just nepotism.

In the medium term the company is doomed for oblivion, anyone with a brain can see this. Maybe even MBS and his McKinsey clowns have predicted this hence the shakedowns and scramble to IPO.

It’s just not sustainable, anyone can see this.

Milk it why you can.

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Post ID: @1vtm+1kUeceQf

It started when the new king (and his son) took over. Aramco is just a cash cow now. Milked to pay for Neom, ect.

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Post ID: @1tsq+1kUeceQf

“It didn't used to be like this, but things changed.”

This is a sentiment I’ve heard many times. When did this change take place?

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Post ID: @1znp+1kUeceQf

Reminds me of Amazon who purposely burn through people in 2 years. Bezos is on record as saying people get lazy after a while.

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Post ID: @xrh+1kUeceQf

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