Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

There are good and bad employees in every age group, but to get to retirement age, you had to survive a lot BS, misery, and layoffs over the years. Not everyone could take it or make it. These are the survivors.

Millennials bring some unique and valuable skills, but when it comes to all of the experience and knowledge needed to manage multi-billion dollar projects all around the world, there will soon come a day when these old geezers are sorely missed. You just can't replace hard earned experience with bravado and the attitude of "we can do it all, get rid of those old guys".

Even if an old geezer appears to be just sitting in his office all day, which some do, you might be surprised how often his phone rings or someone stops by asking for help with a problem they have never seen and don't know how to solve. And you won't find those answers in books or on the internet. The money they can save the company far far outweighs their salaries.

When I need a contractor onsite, I am always glad to see some gray hair.

How many of you think your parents and grandparents are worthless old fools because they are at or past retirement age? Want them treated at work like they too are worthless? Every hear people say that the older they get, the smarter my parents were?

Have some respect for your elders, even if you don't see them earning it. You have to make it a long time to walk in their shoes and chances are that most of you have no idea what an asset many of them are.

Many of the near and retirement eligible employees in positions requiring knowledge transfer ad training can easily (and should) justify their existence many times over. I would think its easier for them to do so compared to younger up and coming people (we're investing in a future payout), That would be an interesting metric on a PDS form, justified NPV of savings or improvements with documentation to back it up.

@1tww+17KVTsry

When XOM pays some Controllers 180k+ for updating Excel spreadsheets an intern can handle, 200k for what your friend does isn’t a stretch.

@upv+17KVTsry

There’s your problem: reading an accounting book when you need an SAP manual.

No degree is the way to go. Degrees are fake news and make you dumber. The only really smart people have no degrees, just ask them. It’s totally not anti-intellectualism and inferiority complexes that cause them to make these arguments.

upv+17KVTsry I don’t think any of these people have a clue to the complexity of the level you are taking about. I have a friend that learned it at that level and made over 200k a year programming it for manufacturing plants - no degree.

Fact based arguments are perceived as arrogance to people like you. Enjoy, your life is bliss.

Google taught me SAP

That right there again shows your arrogance! Good luck to you as you are going to need it!

Wow, you figured out SAP, one of the most widely used business programs worldwide. Do you want a cookie, a participation trophy, or both?

You don’t have an overinflated sense of self worth at all LOL

Show me a book that tells you how a unit really runs! Show me a book that tells you how SAP really works! Show me a book that explains how to write a work order, fix a piece of equipment, get a vendor paid! Not one book showed me this, but years of experience and knowledge learned first hand did! You can call me incompetent all you want, but I promise what I learned in accounting books did not teach me any of the above! Not arrogant just saying that not every employee with XOM has a degree, not does this make these less valuable. Age does not make someone less valuable! It those that spout off about all older are worthless and if you don’t have a degree you are worthless! That my friend is ARROGANCE!

This paradigm has always been in place. I might have wondered the same thing thirty years ago. There's a balance. I don't want to stay forever, but I also don't want to leave the newer folks without everything they need to know to be successful. We old timers will be gone soon enough.

“Books don’t teach you anything”. Spoken like someone who’s as arrogant as he is incompetent, regardless of age.

Sure is a lot of arrogance towards the older generation on this thread!!!! First of all not everyone has a degree makes 3 figures a year. Second, none of the younger have any idea on how the systems work...Don’t a thing from the moment when a piece of equipment breaks to the last actual is posted for that job! They have become full of themselves and think they are untouchable, my daddy is way up in Corp so I can throw a fit and not get in trouble.... just promote and moved up! Seen it first hand!!! This give them a trophy for participating mentality has done nothing for anyone, except make some think they are entitled to everything without learning practical working knowledge. Books don’t teach what is needed! Sad sad sad!!!!! I pray that those who belittle and take cheap shots at anyone NEVER have to experience what others going through now! Bless Your Hearts!

The main value that the experienced employees have over the younger is their relationships with senior management. The ability to bypass the young managers and go directly to a VP or even Dallas. Many of us older professionals mentored our current senior management and we survive layoffs because MANAGEMENT TRUSTS US. We delivered during the dark days of Valdez and we carried the load during past downturns and we survived many workforce reductions and reorganizations. I cannot tell you how many times I have been called directly to see if a manager gave the right explanation. The younger folks do not have the relationships ....yet. They will allow us to retire when WE WANT. Many of us give feedback to senior leadership on our own bosses.

@vgi+17KVTsry

Was I speaking for somebody else besides me? If you are old you know lots of old people across the company. As a whole...getting paid more and doing less than they did 10-15 years ago. It's not a damning indictment, it's just the circle of life.

Depends if you have a recognized college degree or not. Not all same.

LOL replace a senior engineer with 3-5 younger ones? Arm tired from patting yourself on the back so much?

Also, objectively how many engineers did the company have when you started as compared to now? Ohhhhh ... they had more then? Guess they haven’t been tripling in size with every retirement. What a stupid, self-serving, comment.

Over the years we have learned that we have to replace a highly experienced senior engineer with 3-5 less experienced younger engineers. Often, knowledge and experience are simply lost.

@mcg+17KVTsry Speak for yourself. Maybe that fits you. But it doesn't fit the description of the people I worked with over the years. I learned much of what I know about our business and operations from "older people".

In the short term, yes of course. In the long term however, people such as myself that over ten years with the company and if I retire at the same age this current retirement group does won’t be retiring for a other 33 years, their value drops. Unless the baby boomers plan to work until 90, cutting out the 30-45 age range folks right now will k–l the company. Who will take over when the Boomers leave? Maybe an army of people in Bangalore who never step foot at our plants or platforms. Bold strategy Cotton.

That seems highly unlikely. If by "benefit" you mean "value to the company". I'm old and I'd say the average older employee is a net loss, experience and perspective is beneficial but it's hard to justify getting paid that much and too many are on cruise control. I'd say the sweet spot is somewhere from 30-mid 40s. I don't know everyone in the company and no data to back my opinion.

Show your work.

Can you substantiate your claim?