Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

This is a fun risk matrix question....

What is the probability of being PIP'd, Laid-off, or fired? It's likely an A. 1/10 yr chance at this point

What is the consequence? Not having a money = death in America sooo consequence I or II...

for an A1,A2, B1 or B2 risk what rational person with XOM risk management training is standing idle.... Maybe using the risk matrix will help you SLS and DHs understand....what can you all do to move the chance or consequence of being fired down to a Cat 3 or Cat 4?? We all know Cat 1 and 2 risk require immediate action......

@euv+19Le3YSu

Great points. I expect many of the people who have spent their careers in the top tiers won’t react to being told they are now only very good or good and will be hitting the exit just as fast as the rest of us. Especially once they move onto the middle or lower tier salary curves and realize they aren’t going to be eligible for a raise ... well ... ever again.

Tell them they should let Chevron or someone buy us and all resign. That would make me consider staying.

Thread is blowing up

@vgt+19Le3YSu - that’s exactly the point, I think.
Their own system is about to bite them in the a–.
Ranking is going to caught up with them since they have “removed the bottom”, and the so-called “downward pressure” is about to drag a bunch of upper tier people down.
They will look even more like a hypocrites if they change the rules to continue to benefit, so instead they will try to get people to stay long enough to par the bottom.
Eff that, I’m out as soon as I get an offer.

Intelligent employees with homes, car payments, families, etc are capable of performing their own risk assessments and cost to benefit analysis and determine 4 months may not be enough time to replace their monthly income under worst case scenario and the return is insufficient compared to the risk. It appears the tacit assumption is we will linearly wait for the answer to take next steps.

Quickly becoming an #EpicThread

Think back over the past 10 he’ll 20 years. Name one employee benefit that is improved.

• health insurance? No. Far worse.
• 401k? Nope. Gone
• education reimbursement and training? Nope. Eliminated
• expat assignments and premium, benefits, etc? Nope. Very few opportunities and premiums and benefits cut significantly
• cost of living adjustments for those outside Houston? Eliminated.
• opportunities for promotion? Nope. Flattening of org reduces opportunities for promotions

I could go in and on. If you think the “vector” of ExxonMobil is up you are an id–t. We are definitely failing fast and need significant improvement.

I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t be looking to get out. I am in my 40’s and well ranked and paid. I am in a management position. I am actively applying elsewhere. If my direct reports can read between the lines I’m encouraging them to do the same.

Last one out please turn off the lights.

Notice to Employees: The beatings will stop when morale improves!

So many of my former co-workers are actively looking. I believe EM may have started a chain reaction they can't stop. The shear incompetence of management leading to a total mishandling of this situation is astounding, and it will surely turn into a case study for many business schools in the years to come.

For background, I was PIP'd, passed, but was then let go with the involuntary program. Looking back, in hindsight, this was without a doubt the best thing that could have happened to me. I look at it now as a gift for getting ahead of the curve on what will surely be a flood of skilled technical folks looking for something new so they can escape the raging dumpster fire known as ExxonMobil. I landed a new gig during the garden leave and started after my official time ended at EM.

As for OP's question, and as many of pointed out, there isn't anything you can do. The way they've handled this from the top is disgraceful, and has been noted by all both internally and externally. There is no going or taking it back. Trust, a foundational element to a thriving workforce and culture, has been broken. OP, my advice to you, even likely as a HiPo, is to begin looking elsewhere. While O&G will bounce back, and be around for some time, it's a declining industry. This is the chance to pivot to something else, something that's growing, something where you'll be more fulfilled and happier.

Pretty obvious there is less opportunity at ExxonMobil than at anytime in the recent past.

• shrinking company with fewer roles for advancement
• No investment in employee training
• Plans to reduce North American headcount by almost 50%
• clear and numerous examples of people giving everything to the company for decades only to be kicked out on their asses with no regard for past loyalty
• hostile public and government view of industry = will be targeted to limit profitability

This lack of care you are referring to is normally the behavior of senior management when planning for divestment and significant asset reductions. If that is not the case then the generation of fat, dumb and happy Exxon stars literally have no f n clue what they're are doing in their insulated offices. The stupidity level is truly alarming.

Excellent prior post on this thread. Questions everyone should be asking

“It's a set of simple questions. Do I think I will be fired? If I'm not fired will I have to work exponentially harder to stay in the same rank? Is it even possible for me to stay the same rank? If I stay here will I have marketable skills in 3 yrs if I do need to look for a new job?”

It's not a problem you can fix by talking.

@pmx+19Le3YSu

Yep. Me too. I am actively applying for the reasons you stated.

@lbo+19Le3YSu

Nail on the head. I delete every survey I receive because I know all too well nothing will ever change.

For 20 years I’ve been hearing the same things. Have to do less business with ourselves. Have to quit doing so much PowerPoint. On and on and on. They never stop to ask what is driving the culture and why people feel the need to spend days on a PowerPoint. It is them. If you have a typo or the color of the graph isn’t just right they will PIP you. I hate giving presentations to VPs because it can hurt your career but never helps. Only downside possible no upside.

Didn’t DW say whomever doesn’t like should quit?
Didn’t they include “fitness” as criteria for the lay-off, and then proceeded to ax people who anyone would qualify as true believers?
Didn’t they make clear that we’re still over staffed, that cost cutting will continue, and that future is bleak?

There is no loyalty after they they refused to take pay cuts or even responsibility for their awful decisions. Shows you there is no hope.

Anyone who can leave will leave. I’ve applied and interviewed since they announced the “involuntary program” and I’m confident I’ll land a great job soon.

I expect no changes until they are personally impacted with some of the pain the masses have been feeling. Have they been held to account for the poor performance? No. So why would they change. Just like every reorg I’ve seen it is all about how can I benefit from this and what can I do to build my kingdom.

Hahaha. That’s hilarious.
Typical Exxon, clueless managers pretending to care and expecting people would be forthcoming after the trust is lost.
In a decade working upstream have i seen anything positive coming out of our feedback.

They don’t want to change the ranking system because they have been successful in it. They don’t want to change compensation system because again they have been successful in it. They don’t want to change the culture because it is the culture they have thrived in. The incentives are 100% aligned for them to make zero changes. Expecting changes? Don’t hold your breath.

When the VP of your org says he has no idea when the 401k is returning or what the PIP percentage will be you start to wonder who exactly is making the decisions.

Are you a Tech SLS or operations SLS? I think it depends but will basically amount to you better start looking for a job too. If there is no one to supervise then no need for SLSs....

I think the assumption is: If people have jobs then they should be happy and stay. Unfortunately, smart people know it can take >6 months to find a job especially 1-6 yr people. Instead of waiting for a layoff many people are taking things into their own hands and finding new jobs.

I bet if management promises people in writing that their job is safe and if they are laid off within the next 3 yrs they will be given XYZ dollars many may stay.

It's a set of simple questions. Do I think I will be fired? If I'm not fired will I have to work exponentially harder to stay in the same rank? Is it even possible for me to stay the same rank? If I stay here will I have marketable skills in 3 yrs if I do need to look for a new job?

It's not a problem you can fix by talking.

I'll flip the question on you Mr/Ms SLS What is making you stay at XOM? In theory you are a HiPo, probably interview well, ect why haven't you left? Have you tried to leave? What will make you want to leave?

The sad thing is they are spending time and money doing this but will make no changes and do nothing. Welcome to the ExxonMobil echo chamber.

To improve morale I suggest starting resume workshops and job search assistance. People will be much happier once they leave the sh-tshow that is ExxonMobil. They are so out of touch it is really quite pathetic.

https://nypost.com/2021/03/06/psychologist-jordan-peterson-reveals-how-to-be-happy-at-work/amp/

Dallas is really f—ing up the company. No vision for the future and keeping the corporation in suspense leading to horrible prolonged morale.

Almost all majors (aside from us) has reinstated 401k and are still hiring new talent. Here we are with our thumb up our a–, getting rid of good experienced technical employees and zero transparency on what leadership is doing! More employees to be let go with this next "performance assessments" that Dallas refuses to be transparent about, why keep waiting on the 3%+ NSI (likely 8% again) that we all know means "layoff without severance/benefits". Hell, they even doubled down that it wasn't a "headcount reduction tool" in spelling it out on the layoff faq. How out of touch can these mo–ns be?

It's funny, attrition stand down when we are about to pick and choose who is going to be let go versus staying with "ranking"? Yeah.. F— that. The people making those decisions only want their employees to leave on THEIR terms, not the employees. If our leadership seriously cannot see what the problem is with attrition and chalks it up to business teams needing to improve morale, there is a serious lapse in management. Seriously, how out of touch can these people be? Zero empathy and lack of awareness to figure it out on their own.

Sorry, there is nothing you can do SLS, all of this is out of your hands.

Nope, nothing you can do. It’s all in Dallas. You’re welcome.