Manufacturing sites and Spring are literally bleeding engineers. Saw an invite for this manufacturing panel in Baytown to talk about convincing people to stay long term with Exxon, just kinda looks pathetic and I actually feel bad for managers who are powerless with how executives are running the company. Cutting benefits, no raises or promotions, culture gone to sh-t, people working overtime and burnt out with no recognition or end in sight, of course you’ll see people leave. Return some of these and pay people more perhaps you see an improvement. It’s a simple solution really. unless they actually want to see the attrition (which I suspect might be true), then don’t call it a concern.
44 replies (most recent on top)
From my experience in Baytown, site management threw too many folks under a bus with false PIPs last year and it spooked the up and coming engineers. Several of the younger engineers were shocked to see loyal, experienced, technical leaders (NOT managers) kicked to the side. Couple that with forced layoffs of good senior engineers in training (aka CEITs) and now the up and commers are left to question why stay? TMTS appears to be an attempt to separate the technical and management rank groups as one way to remedy the bleed, but it's really just a carrot being dangled out of distraction. Really shameful. After twenty years of experience, I'm glad I walked away when I did. Good luck to everyone!
KL and BTC has attrition just as bad as Houston and any of the sites. Who wants a sh---y wage with cr---y working hours and no clear career progression? The idea that there is plenty of low cost employees in that part of the world is just plain ignorance of what the company is doing.
Who would have thought that with globalization that high quality employees in that area are also paid similarly to people stateside? Exxonmobil has stopped trying to hire the best and brightest because that is expensive and has resorted to throw bodies at the problem. No, there are plenty of very intelligent people in India, Malaysia and they see through our low balling bu-----t. Somehow, our current strategy is very reminiscent of 18th century colonialism. Only our d-mb leadership seem to think that offshoring labor to developing countries is a sound strategy.
Leaderships attempt to outsourcing labor is another high cost failed initiative on their part. At some point, the house of cards are going to come crumbling down and this company will sink faster than the Titanic.
EM is clearly in a controlled shrink strategy. Capital budget points to a Guyana/Permian driven Company, previous stock buybacks driven by the need to match outstanding shares to declining volumes while maintaining dividend. Staff reductions are just the outcome of that strategy along with the move to low cost center areas for nearly all of the Company expertise. The future has already come and what happened to IT and HR is now happening to Engineering and Projects. There is no reason to keep your First World whiny a-s happy when there is a 1000 low cost third world resources happy and able to fill the vacancy upon your departure.
Let me tell you something about specialist / technical career ladder. Around 2008/2009, they had a lunch event at the old training center on Buffalo speedway and they brought in a bunch of upstream STCs and chiefs as examples of technical executive career paths. I spoke with everyone of them. Without a single exception, all of them (!) had been managers previously. It was totally ridiculous.
Fully agree. We need more specialists and fewer generalists. But I have yet to see a specialist be appreciated through to retirement. In fact, I saw a whole bunch dumped through NSI....after a death spiral of organization not listening to them, them becoming jaded, organization listening less, becoming more jaded...on and on.
Topic for another thread. In other companies, specialists can become executives with no direct reports. They continue their jobs, but people stop and listen when they speak. Heck, Chemicals is even leaps and bounds closer to this than Refining. Their specialists have last say in meetings. They don’t get questioned by a bunch of managers who have no depth in the topic, and then sent on an endless loop of recycle and study. I don’t even think Refining can accurately identify their Specialists. The people I see as subject-matter-experts are completely overlooked.
How can ExxonMobil ever pitch a specialist career track when there are years and years of history showing it doesn’t pan out? I even remember the last specialist campaign, where everyone signing up for Technical got a CL bump. How did that work out?
Yes, way overstaff in management ladders.. So layoff mgement staffs and bring back technical contributors to do real productive work. This will help reduce cost by cutting unproductive / high pay management staffs and solve the lack of real workhorse.
I volunteer as tribute - for NSI 🙋🏻♀️
Um...you’re all stupid and deserve NSI. Bad boys is a song from inner circle (ca. 1987) that was used as the theme song for the reality television show, “COPS”.
That song and theme song was referenced in the much later movie, “Bad Boys”. Go back to school and learn how to use the internet.
@pul+1aO56cXV I saw it before they locked it down. The only thing noteworthy is that it confirms a lot of what people on here have been saying. Of course in the spirit of the pareto principle 80% of the content on this site is garbage
You must be from BTC. Doesn’t even know his cultural references.
How does it feel to be a low cost piece of sh-t?
Lol it’s actually not from a TV show. You’re thinking of bad boys the movie you clown. Expect a NSI in August if you already didn’t get the door first thing last year smh sigh
No you stupid fu-k. It's in reference to a TV show you mo--n.
Did you just assume my gender?!?!
What is this, the great depression? Get out of here with your stupid nonsense. The economy may not be fantastic, but it is not bad either. Many here can pretty easily leave and find employment elsewhere. Those worried about attrition want the company to do well and worried about the loss of talent.
Be happy you have a job. Stop blaming managers for your entitled parent problems, its a business, not a daycare.
Bad boy, bad boy, whacha gonna do when EM comes for you?
@tjy+1aO56cXV The culture team must have gotten wise since that file is on a private SharePoint site. Anything particularly noteworthy in that slide deck?
Pareto principle is simply a non-uniform or unequal relationship between 2 parameters of the same general subject matter. Usually stated in terms of cause and effect, but not a requirement.
Perfectly acceptable to say 20% of employees do 80% of the work. Same as 20% of criminals commit 80% of crimes. Both are legitimate examples of Pareto.
60% of the time it works everytime.
@gtj+1aO56cXV
Actually, the Pareto Principle (commonly known as the “80/20 Rule”) states that 80% of consequences come from 20% of the possible causes. It has applications across huge variety of disciplines.
Perhaps you’re the one who needs to go back to school? Or just learn how to Google something before you make a pathetic attempt to condescend to someone?
The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your SALES come from 20% of your customers. Not 80% of work is done by 20% of people. Go back to school.
There’s no severe attrition, only appreciated departures since it helps us to hit the 3B savings which we had promised shareholders!
A young person’s perspective on the company’s present situation:
- Oil and gas industry will be consolidating at an increased rate
- Company is selling assets, opportunities will be limited, more cuts likely
- Limited raises
- No 401k match
- Forced rankings
- Work in a process driven environment with very little authority or responsibility
Keep telling yourself we don’t have options manager. We do and we will continue to leave if you don’t make changes.
Honestly the “big leak” on the intranet of employee retention information is just the same stuff being talked about on here for the last year and a half. There is nothing new or revealing, and I also feel like none of the people involved can do a whole lot about it. The main point here is that employee trust is gone. Not diminished, gone. They’re just starting to realize they can’t sustain the business without employees.
@ici+1aO56cXV In your wildest dream son. Go get some sleep.
Most recent messaging has been that 1) everyone needs to work towards cultural change, 2) there is lots of change in the organization right now, 3) things that haven’t changed are great career opportunities and competitive compensation. That would be miss, hit, miss on messaging.
DW’s wants to speak with action? Here’s my script: “Hello employees. Our financial situation is better right now, so we plan to resume 401k match and salary treatments. In addition, employees in the top 4 performance buckets will receive RSUs equivalent to or exceeding the amount of 401k match that was withheld in 2020/2021. These shares will vest in 5 years. I am taking a pay cut to help fund this, even if this move is mostly symbolic in nature. Furthermore, I am immediately reducing middle-management roles by 20%. Management performance will now be measured on ability to build a competent team, not manage upward. Now that we are vaccinated, I plan to start interacting with employees again through monthly lunches at various operating and headquarter facilities. I expect my direct report to do the same. We want to get to know you better, and hear your ideas. In return, we need your help building the right culture too. Hold us accountable for change. It is a team effort.”
Salary/Promotions are not coming back anytime soon because attrition is not an issue.
Mgt knows for a fact that those who are marketable have already left, while those who remain have no better options. Thats the reality they see. And those who stay will continue to deliver and slog....because what choice do you have ? :)
@tjy thank you but it was a poor decision on your part to post that here.
Not just Baytown. Singapore site is having young people leaving in groups.
Not a concern. We are okay even if half of you resign. 80-20 rule, 80% of the work done by 20% of the employees.
EMIT has been lowering CL ranges for many positions to increase the number of eligible people. For example, one manager that recently resigned was in a 28-29 role, and the need is now for a 26-27.
Thanks for sharing. The direct link doesn’t work but would encourage all to just type “NA Refining Employee Retention” on intranet search. Save a local copy of the ppt in case it gets taken down publicly - I honestly didn’t believe why this was made public anyway some of the responses from management are appalling but answer a lot of questions.
Long story short, US sites see retention as an extremely significant issue that’s not sustainable, and our current business isn’t doing anything great to support it. Some sh-t talking on executives, love it.
Nope
@bbd. Did anyone see the management committee take a cut to share in the necessity and urgency you mention?
Okay then don’t fu----g complain about higher than expected attrition, and why everyone hates it here with all the bu-----t tricks and schemes they are pulling.
Exxonmobil doesnt need this many overhead resources. Make the gas, make the olefin, run the unit. At least 50% of overhead are finding work items to do that are low value.
It’s about integrity and the company culture.
You’re totally missing the point, and I’m not going to explain it to you. It’s not about the 401K or salaries 🤦♂️
Are you aware that we are over staffed? We will need more attrition, or else the NSI percentage will have to be increased