It seems the oversea workers are not trained properly to do their job. One example is the poor to non-existence services in the area of HR. We follow instructions on their (XOM) website, to request for employment verification. We contacted the phone twice and email the request numerous times, in the last few weeks, yet we have received no feedback nor responses from them. In the past, pre-outsourcing mode, issues like this would be resolved within a couple of days at the most.
10 replies (most recent on top)
"There is no discretion in what gets outsourced. Half of what gets outsourced isn’t even value-added work....so we let outsourced employees churn it out and no one uses it. Then, the harder work that has real cost implications is too complex to be done effective in the current outsourced structure. As soon as there are issues, the work gets sent back to the base business....usually in a long confusing chain of emails."
This could not be more true. I remember working with some colleagues a while back and we were trying to remove some steps in a business process that we felt were unnecessary and did not add value. We re-mapped the process with the non-value stuff removed and presented it to management for endorsement. The management team liked the idea but they did not want to go up higher for approval because it would take someone from the controls organization to sign off on it. So they said we should just carve out those steps for the offshore business centers to save the US workers the headache. "Get someone from Malaysia to do it" was the answer. Knowing the downstream effects of this would play out exactly as you described we sc-apped the entire idea and just kept things the same.
One I realize I get stuck with an outsourced IT help desk, I try to get off the phone as quickly as possible. It’s their fault....but it’s a guaranteed 1-hour wasted time with no solution....even on super simple fixes for which you provide them extremely explicit instructions.
Here’s how the conversations go:
Me: I need admin rights to...
Them: Have you restarted your computer?
Me: Yes. Furthermore, I know exactly what you need to do. I just need admin rights to...
Them: Let me consult my manual. Have you restarted your computer twice?
😂😂😂
For EMIT management offshoring is like crack. Shut down a group and move it again and again to cheaper and cheaper locations reducing costs each time and get a benefit of reduced costs. Of course, service declines and the offshore groups become more and more detached from the business e.g. Curitiba, Bangkok, Budapest.
The option would be to operate more efficiently and reengineer our inefficient processes and ancient systems. However, that takes skill and knowledge.
Here-in lies the whole problem. The outsourcing jobs don’t work....and to be clear, the is ExxonMobil management’s problem.
There is no discretion in what gets outsourced. Half of what gets outsourced isn’t even value-added work....so we let outsourced employees churn it out and no one uses it. Then, the harder work that has real cost implications is too complex to be done effective in the current outsourced structure. As soon as there are issues, the work gets sent back to the base business....usually in a long confusing chain of emails. So congratulations: you end-up with other people’s problems, that take 2x as long to solve because they have already been severely messed up, and when you tell the supervisor of LTA support it gets hidden. Then when you tell your boss of LTA support, it gets hidden.
Outsourcing is one big ‘dog and pony show’ to upper management. And the people who sell it to our execs are like ‘used car sales men.’ There is a lot of hiding of information and fake stewardships in-between.
ExxonMobil needs to smarten up: 1) eliminate the work that is not necessary (and there is a lot of it). 2) Stop letting the outsourcing salesmen (most within the company) make up stories about effectiveness and 3) Axe the structure at these support centers. Any outsourced employees needs to receive work direction directly from the person they support AND receive performance feedback directly from the person they support. If they are not adding value, as an outsourced employee, they need to go. And finally 4) Give these outsourced employees something to make them stay. ....so you remove their excessive management layers and keep them in their home country-that’s awful for them. Well, what about giving them a really cool work environment with snacks, ping-pong table, TVs etc. Make it a fun place to work. Let them get to know the team they are supporting, and let them feel confident that they are doing a good job....because they are in regular touch with that team, receiving feedback, receiving training, etc.
So there....honest feedback. Every early and middle career person knows this, because we’ve had to ‘grow up’ with this disfunction. But we have to wait what? Another 20 years in our career before we can really be in a position to change this? Bogus!
You can get an automated employment verification with salary. Why do you need HR? Are you for real?
Overseas jobs are revolving doors.
There was a definitely a step change for the worse in service when basic functions like payroll, accounting, travel, etc were outsourced to low cost countries. Now they are treating the technical knowledge base like that. So far this is more than just a step change, The only thing I can surmise is that the Company doesn't really want to own its technology any more. Just lowest cost for something that works from any contractor will do for the near term. Operations and SHE will figure it later with a hotline they can call.
Service quality is not a priority for senior HR management. Their only objective is move work to low cost countries as quickly as possible. Service quality is irrelevant.
If you think it is bad now, wait until the upcoming 35% layoff in U.S. HR is complete. Couple that with the 7-8% who just left via the NSI category and that is a 42-43% workforce reduction. Wow.
Lots of HR people will be seeking jobs soon. Many of those that remain will have to slide down to the newly vacant NI/NSI categories next summer. And round and round it goes...
My background check for an employment offer I received has been delayed because the ineptitude and frankly irresponsible way the company chooses to handle the process.
It has bounced back between the benefits phone line to an unresponsive fax (who uses fax?!) to two email services both in Argentina.
It’s widely known we are an inward-focused, process-oriented, highly compartmented, dysfunctional organization, but this is utterly ridiculous.
I can’t even imagine what hurdles others have to jump for more complex benefits.
I may add, the employment verification request is just for a simple home mortgage application, and is not at all complex !