Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

Nothing can be done. Advise employees to leave for better pastures. The good old days are gone and never coming back. All the positive messaging is just that - messaging. Only the execs (CL36 above) have it good.

Advocate for transparency about TMTS, HW3 and elimination of relative ranking in lieu of objective performance assessments. Have all subsequent layoffs be communicated as occurring to facilitate TMTS... I think being honest and objective about our challenges while also being respectful to those effected by offshoring is what we need.

Calm down.. breathe.. and say “we are ExxonMobil” 100 times before you commence your day.. and all your problems will be resolved.

Yes, as simple as that..

I believe in tooth fairies too

Remember the much awaited update of the assessment process? It was basically a big f-I to the workforce. They took away the only protection of a single year ranking meaning you were done. Be careful not to piss the wrong person off or you will be done. Everyone is now one ranking away from being fired.

So true

I don't need a focus group to tell me it's the stark culture contrast from 2019. I know that and there's nothing I can do about it.

@jmt+19Le3YSu

My fear is getting to where you are and not making it the final ten years. I’ve seen it happen over and over and not just recently with new downturn. Many people don’t make it to the day they have in mind and are forced to retire early.

I am too far invested to leave. I am doing what I can to contribute value for the company. I have less than 10 years until I am retirement eligible.

Company wants to blame on the employees.
They will say they gave the opportunity for the employees to speak out but a lot did not came out.
This is scam because if you say something won’t name will go to the pip list.
Watch out

Dear OP,
You have to decide if you want to be an authentic leader who treats their people (not just the Hi-Pos, btw) with respect and honesty, or if you want to toe the HR talking point line. Ultimately my decision to separate was after months of trying to change things in my role and for my team, but realizing that there was nothing I could do to make two lines of management above me care for me (or others) as a person. I also looked at the forward strategy and realized that I wouldn't be increasing my marketability or skill set for a number of years going forward. The decision your team has to make for themselves is a sum of a variety of things, many of which are beyond your control, but some are not. Regardless of what they choose, how do you want to be remembered as a leader?

What’s a hiPO now? Are there any hiPOs at all except for those identified by DW and his inner circle? Otherwise, who’s going to protect you?

It's honestly a sad situation for the site-level leadership and I feel bad for you because none of this is your fault, yet you are having to deal with the consequences. I was a HiPo, really enjoyed my job, coworkers, and site management. I was also pretty satisfied with my career development prospects, even if job changes slowed down for a bit.

But I was really harmed by the above-site decisions that were made. Between 401k and tuition reimbursement, my total compensation was cut by about 20%, while the executives and directors continued to pay themselves dividends. Multiple managers tried to get me some of that compensation back, but none of them had any ability to do so because site management doesn't have any autonomy. I realized that the company's sudden shift in strategy (combined with overall O&G industry trends) would severely limit my career/salary growth long-term, all while having to live/work in a less-than-ideal.

I felt really bad for my group leader and manager having to pick up the pieces, but they both understood and were supportive. Just a difficult situation all-around.

Honestly, it has been a long, long time since I have seen so many headhunter solicitations.

If management is clueless they have only themselves to blame. Inevitable result of rewarding those who only say yes and tell management what they want to hear while punishing those who don’t as not team players.

Same thing has been going on for years on project cost estimates. Here is the answer for cost of this project engineering. Then they act sir pry when it costs more like engineering told them it would originally. Oh well rebaseline. Look we are ahead of schedule and under budget again. Give management bonuses and promotions. Worked while price of oil hid the sins but no longer.

It’s definitely DW’s fault. 4 years in and you can’t solve the issues left behind by your predecessors, you are underperforming. Regular employees won’t last a year.

It’s due to this hypocrisy that we need to encourage reports to leave and vote with your feet. So we can see how structural changes can help with their performances.

Frankly, majority of the people i spoke with have or looking for backup plan.

DW has failed all of us, it may or may not be his fault, but the moment he paid himself $23.5M compensation in the midst of financial stress, layoff, and etc, we know we are screwed.....

I am a very positive person, but I couldnt come out with single reason to stay, except for monthly pay.

IMHO, i think you should not discourage people from leaving especially if they found greener pastures, your team will thank you down the road.

On the other hand, if your team miss the opportunity, and got PIP in the future, please prepare to answer to their family.

Here’s what’s sad/funny:
All the good engineers are employable.
Most of the mediocre engineers are employable.
Few of the poor engineers are employable.
Few of the managers above SLSs are employable.
Everyone 40 is probably looking, few over 40 are.
EM has yet to demote managers into worker bee roles.

• now extrapolate...

On a positive note, maybe PowerPoints fall by the wayside. There will be no more employees left to ‘PowerPoint.’ Culture change driven by going down to a skeleton crew.

All of this! Golden!

I know I am employable, and have left fear in the rear-view-mirror years ago....so I have been trying to engage Managers in these culture discussions. They act like I am telling them something new.

Here’s the summary: Gee, I didn’t know the culture has so bad. I didn’t know people feel so under appreciated. I didn’t know that your work group doesn’t feel respected, or valued. He/she left for family reasons. He/she decided they wanted to live in another location. He/she wanted a complete change in career. (As in....they had such a bad experience at EM that they no longer want to be engineers?)

Attrition will get much worse. Then, eventually there will be some correction and a catch-up....but it doesn’t feel like it is coming for another year. The first step is management understanding they have a problem, and I don’t think they do.

@ymp+19Le3YSu The person who last said that (of course albeit slightly differently) became Two-Face in The Dark Knight. Go figure.

Some were borne to sweet delight.
Some were born to endless night.

That's from an old coalmine ditty.

My supervisor said it was going to get darker before the dawn in a 1-on-1. My response was what if there is no dawn and the new norm is constant night.

The 12 hour days are reason I am looking to quit. And my boss has the audacity to stop by my office and say why are you here so late and working so much. Gee I wonder. What a joke.

@cia+19Le3YSu - The VP of HR is much more a cause of the current state of affairs than a potential solution.

I haven’t heard of anyone struggling to find reasons to quit. All I have heard are people who haven’t manage to find new jobs or have exciting new offers. Once the offers come in, they will bolt out of the door.

For those struggling with this decision of quitting. Think not only of the immediate impact in salary but five tem fifteen years from now. Get into a growing industry and company. While you may initially be paid less consider how quickly you can pass your current trajectory at a company with opportunities, raises, promotions and growth.

It was fun while it lasted. Nothing lasts forever.

Get another job.

Why are we surprised that people are leaving when the company is treating them worse than wh–es.

At least you pay for wh–es.

Now the company is not even willing to pay a proper severance pay and just using PIP to ask people to f— off. Real classy.

#weWEREexxonmobil

Now we are just another sh–ty company that is out of the Dow, and can’t even win Chevron. Even Warren Buffet buys Chevron and not us.

So please put the facts to the young ones on what’s the risks of hoping that EM will treat you well.

I know I have, and therefore, discharge my duties as a supervisor well.

25 years ago, my previous company in the Chemicals industry was faced with similar serious attrition scenarios and consequences. Being a smaller, nimbler company they addressed the problem head on and offered key (and many) personnel contracts of bonus pay in exchange for meeting longevity milestones. It worked great and fulfilled the employment risk mitigation employees were looking for. I would never expect arrogant EM management to consider such a program, but, it will get them out if the upcoming bind they'll get in.

As a supervisor I can confirm there is no career management for anyone other than the HiPos. For everyone else it is more like wack a mole. Oh sh– someone quit again. Who can we send there to backfill.

F-it. Time to Exx-it.

I have zero idea why you'd not be getting your exit plan ready at this point. Love the risk analysis example, it demonstrates EXACTLY why you should not be sitting idle hoping that things work out. Take the driver seat. Screw the bs that EM has brainwashed you into believing that they will manage your career for you and to trust them (I have no idea at this point how anyone could still believe that besides the worthless mgmt / execs). Zero trust going forward. And, can confirm there are plenty of high paying jobs outside of EM.

@zok+19Le3YSu

Don’t be so sure. Most people don’t know about it. They don’t announce it to everyone. Look on management calendars if they have them visible in Outlook. They are doing interviews and sessions to discuss with select invitees. Was going on last week at many locations.

I am a first line supervisor and I told my entire group last week if they are looking for a job elsewhere I totally understand.

Yep. It is all a question of do you want to find a job while you are in a position to negotiate and only accept an offer that is a better situation or wait to be blindsided as they cut headcount to reach their move all jobs to India targets and have to desperately accept whatever is available.

Pretty obvious why so many people are applying and then find out we aren’t overpaid or treated well when you consider the long hours toxic culture etc. what is your health and sanity worth?

Have been using the 1-1s with my reports to tell them what’s happening and that they should make the best moves for their careers

No such thing as an attrition stand down at my site. Which means we are not losing enough people I guess.

@sty+19Le3YSu

Love the risk matrix analogy. Don’t forget to mark you post proprietary. You know because our risk matrix is so unique and secret.

How about using your 1-1s with your employees and actually telling them the truth.

No one is stupid and your employees already know what is going on with this Company and the industry.

Maybe they will respect you more for being honourable in this swamp filled with lying animals called ExxonMobil supervisors.

Maybe you will also respect yourself more for doing the right thing, and for once not towing the line of management blindly, a skill which you would have mastered to to land you the SLS position to begin with.

OP it isn’t just your site. Happening everywhere. Company is about to overshoot their targets for headcount reduction. People are p-ss-d and it doesn’t take the best and brightest to do the math and realize the juice is no longer worth the squeeze here.