Thread regarding Noble Energy Inc. layoffs

Don't care what other companies have done, I don't work for them. This company is where I work, so I'd like to see some rational behavior from management to counter a turbulent market. Not seeing it though. Poor choices being made over and over again. Doubling down on shale and Falklands are just two examples. Both expensive mistakes at a time when cost control is vital. Don't kid your self, this company has cut deep into it's talent pool and it will cut further. It's easy to talk boldly about finding something else, but let's be realistic, the petroleum job market is stagnant, very few opportunities. We're in survival mode now, job security is an issue for every employee. It would help if management acted responsibly for a change. Sadly, with this bunch that's too much to expect.

Generally I have found Noble managers and team leads to be lacking of integrity and character. Not ALL... but many of them. They have so badly rushed the process of promoting young people who are not ready on an emotional and intellectual basis... nor do they have enough industry knowledge to be effective managers.

The management team has failed everyone, on any company you pick on here. We also haven't let nearly the amount of people go, that others have. I have never had a job I felt safe at. Because we're all expendable. If I'm let go I'll find something else. I'm smart to save money, if that day ever precipitates. I don't live like most my age. For now I still enjoy my time here. Not saying I will never come to feel the way people post here. That day ever comes, I'll pack and move on.

Let's be honest. Noble blows. We all know it.

You're happy to have a job yet how long will it last? Being oblivious to what's going on doesn't make you safer. You may not see it yet but there are serious problems here caused by inept leadership. When mistakes happen strong leaders own up and correct them. These managers never will. To use GAP speak: they have "Files". The biggest one is that self interest takes precedence over fiduciary responsibility. That leads them to double down on their mistakes and waste more cash, cash needed to keep this company going in a volatile market. So your job is at risk. It didn't have to be this way. Management could have admitted their mistakes, cut their losses and saved $100s of millions, perhaps billions. Cash that would position the company to survive. Instead management is "lost in the weeds".

I have to admit my immediate manager is a great person and so is his manager. Now the next up the line, I have my reserves. The next 2 above are great also. I truly do like it here and have nothing bad to say. I'm not sure this is lack of time here or lack of not having to deal with things I've read here. I'm happy to have a good paying job too. So I find beauty in negative places. It's the best place I've ever worked before. Happens to be only the 3rd place too. I don't jump around.

What a classic Noble mis-management line: "Look in the mirror". It's a comment cynically designed to deflect legitimate criticism of management's failures and point the blame back at the staff. On the contrary, the staff makes every effort to do the right thing. They work hard to provide sound research and concise analysis so that management is properly informed and equipped with the best information to make sound decisions. Unfortunately the leadership of this company brushes it all aside and pursues a different agenda, an agenda driven by personal biases, ego and self interest. The evidence of this is clearly visible in the management directed and overly inflated resource and risk estimates, the resulting dry holes, New Venture failures, poorly timed acquisitions, equity dilutions and much more. To be truthful the mirror analogy should be directed back at management. They are the ones who need to take a good look at themselves and acknowledge what they've done. It's their arrogance, greed and incompetence that is wrecking what was formerly a great company. Will they accept responsibility? Never. Instead they'll point the finger elsewhere and continue milking the company for everything they can get.

Not only is there NO "breakthrough thinking" going on at Noble Energy... it is one of the most backward places I have ever worked.

Yes, Godspeed finding some good leaders at Noble...so many to choose from, where to begin??

Every company has people that feel lime this. Some people enjoy just having a job, some feel they deserve more, some feel they don't like the direction, some feel like everything is against them, some feel like they know more than everyone, and so on and so on... Welcome to Noble and I hope you have a solid leader and support group that looks after you. For those that are not as happy with their situation, look in the mirror and identify what you can do to make Noble a better place to work. Also identify leaders and groups that can support your efforts.

Yes GAP is suppose to create "breakthrough thinking". Especially at the manager level. I can assure you it is not working! There is NO "breakthrough thinking" going on with Noble management. First line managers are busying covering their asses. Upper management? ... "lets lay-off more people". That is some brilliant "breakthrough thinking". If it were working so well why is Noble's corporate performance at the bottom of their peer group? GAP is a scam. Noble is a house of cards.

That's the reason for the hate. The GAP seminars and bogus methodology. I've never had to attended any of these. I seen on NeoPortal or one of the email blast. To take an online course in Breakthrough Thinking. Of course I never did. Just didn't see it fit to my job.

I've been in this industry for over 30 years. I have never been involved in anything more useless than a GAP seminar. Three wasted days. GAP supposedly teaches you to "think outside of the box". Then Noble sends you right back to your "inside the box" job where you do the same thing every single day.... And as an everyday employee you are not allowed to "think outside of the box". I brought a new idea to my manager and his response was "we've never done it that way before". Unbelievable!

Good grief! I thought GAP was GAPP as in financial terms. Loosing my ability to free and critical think, isn't something I can go along with. Thanks for the insight. I'll read up on this GAP stuff. I guess I can see where all the disdain comes from then.

If you don't know what GAP is and you confuse YM with YP you either aren't paying attention or you don't work for Noble. Assuming you work for the company, get yourself informed. Search on GAP International and review their marketing materials with an analytical eye. You'll see several testimonials from people you should recognize. Listen carefully to the GAP sales pitch, basically lofty aspirations but essentially empty fluff. Look at their client list. See any other oil companies? Read the GAP International negative reviews on sites like Glassdoor. If you're honest with yourself you'll quickly see that GAP is a two-bit executive consulting firm that sells overpriced, warped and intrusive leadership training. They inject themselves like a parasite into the inner workings of the organization and manipulate the company into buying more overpriced and useless services. They repackage established concepts like "the power of positive thinking" and "take the initiative" with their own proprietary verbiage. By themselves these concepts are reasonable, but under GAP they are mindlessly twisted and implemented into a warped perspective that ignores events in the real world. That's because they emphasize ideas like "there is no reality". In short: the training is "est" like brain washing. You said "I will only do what I feel is right", they will twist that around because in GAP world there is no "right". It fosters an absence of critical thought, because facts aren't facts. This makes it easy for management to rationalize chasing crap prospects, build expensive empty office towers, over pay for acquisitions, etc, etc. As long as this mindset permeates management the organization and it's stake holders are at risk. It's not that we wish ill on the company or the employees, the opposite is the case. However, this GAP nonsense cripples the companies ability to survive in the current market. That makes more layoffs inevitable.

I'll second what Gph7vuT-neg wrote. Plus, look carefully at the exploration track record. At first blush seems pretty good. But as the previous writer pointed out there's been an extensive string of costly failures. Billions wasted project after project. The Falklands? Really? When will that ever be profitable? Even the so called successes are questionable. Billions more have been wasted there. Haven't heard much about the Carla or Diega discoveries lately have you? Well over a billion dollars has been burned on those efforts so far. Why haven't they been developed? Because the value isn't there. Tamar? Ok, it's producing, to a limited market. Time will tell about Leviathan. Lots of delays, promises made and still politically risky and subject to Israeli restrictions. Has to compete with ENI which controls the high ground. Issues like that play havoc with profitability, the time value of the investment and all of that. Not Good. Marcellus? Not Good. Niobrara? A lucky extra on existing acreage, doesn't have much value at these prices. Rosetta? Expensive acquisition in a down market, stretched existing cash and diluted stockholder value, again not much value at these prices. In all these cases the risk issues were obvious and discussed before decisions were made. The senior VP and cohorts swept aside the concerns because GAP "BreakThrough Thinking" would find an answer. It didn't. Problem all along has been arrogant leadership blinded by their own inflated egos. If you are in your early 30's you probably haven't been around long enough to see competent managers and a well run oil company. These managers and this company don't qualify. These are tough times and having incompetent managers at the helm places every employee's job at risk, including yours.

All I can add is this... I joined Noble in 2008. I was a great company at that time. I was proud to employed at Noble at that time. The Noble Energy of today is nowhere close to the company I joined back in 2008. In fact most of my co-workers are looking for new jobs. Once things improve they WILL leave. In Denver Noble is considered bottom of the barrel. No one wants to work for Noble. A place to work until you can find someplace better.

There is a huge buffer of people between i and the VP. Plus to only have been here 2ish years, I've really haven't seen or heard anything bad. I'm not a YM by any means. I will only do what I feel is right. What exactly is this Gap stuff everyone is talking about? I see the VP is the main person for the lash over it. But what's the deal with it, and or her using it?

I assume you are one of the YP’s. I’ll promise that you will see and smell the sh…before long if Noble still exists. The main cause of Noble failure is a lady SR VP with her boys under her who know nothing except say “yes mam, yes mam”. Believe it or not, she does not care about Noble or employees. The only thing that matters to her is full-filling her Egos and her status. Open your eyes my friend! See what is happening with the company in the last 2-3 years. Bad decision after bad decision, wasting time and money in the wrong area such as Nicaragua, Cameroon, India, France, Falklands and recently in Gabon. I hope the BOD get rid of her and her boys before it is too late.

Nothing personal but if you don't see/smell the sh-- then you don't know jack sh-- about how a proper oil company should be run. A geographer as a SR VP and a band of yes men beneath her who will do what SHE wants NOT what is right or proper geoscience. Bad decisions based on GAP think, blindly pushing in Nicaragua, Gabon, Cameroon, India, France, and the Falklands. Look at ENI and how they are working their side of the Med gas find. One director at Noble claimed that all the gas in the Med had been found. What has the NOventures group brought that has given any new life to the exploration game, and how many expensive dry holes including Madison in the Gulf of Mexico. Sorry but you don't see what is wrong 'cause you don't see. I give Noble 5 years before their gone.

I'm in my early 30's. I'm treated well, truly I am. There's nit picking stuff that annoys me, but not major grief like I've read here. As with any job, there will be some annoying aspect. I just don't see why everyone hates it that bad. Could it be your division/ department?

All I can say if you are over 40 watch out. No matter how much time you put in or how good you are in your job, you will be let go to make sure you are in the "Gap" tradition. You said it right, you haven't been here long enough if you don't see anything wrong with the way Noble treats its employees.