Throwing one or two 30+ in each big batch of laid off workers 45+ is not fooling anyone. Yes you might protect you from litigation but the message for us left is clear. The Blue is targeting senior employees with seniority, knowledge and higher pay to replace them with fresh cheap youngsters. It tells a lot about the company's cultural shift.
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Blueprint for SLB -- destroying the company's generations of technical excellence and commitment. When I started I tried to recruit everyone I knew, when I left I wanted no one to come.
Ah the Transformation... The thing that Paal's presented to the board as his Blueprint for SLB next gen when applying for the CEO job... Problem is he got stuck with it and had to set it in motion. What a misery... Money pit and an army of contractors paid by the hour, stretching timeline and with it budgets. How many millions to date? Yes customizing SAP workflows was a top priority! Well done PK! Transformation program is ruining SLB. The last SLB employees part of the program are trying relentlessly to correct or re-do the work of the contractors to make things work. I guess they will be the next to go. Sad!
When the industry picks back up, lack of experience is going to bite them hard.
think about all the money those consultants are getting paid for designing the "transformation" and digitizing all the workflows.........i had one who took 3 days to write out a simple workflow we would have done in a few hours on our own but we were forced to go with the consultant
Remember Sema acquisition?
It is ludicrous to think that InTouch, data mining, digital transformation blah blah is going to replace experience. It is true that SLB has a great internal knowledge sharing system, but there is a huge gulf between the quality, accessibility and relevance of the online resources and a guy with years of real experience. Look at how active the drlling bb is for example - why aren't those people finding answers automatically?
The only thing more exasperating is that senior management have fallen for the 'data over experience' story. The setting up of STIC in Palo Alto is a vain attempt to follow a trend that fits more with Silicon Valley startups than a solid engineering company.
Trust me, there is a great deal NOT documented on InTouch. Who has time when you are doing the work of three people, plus covering for your manager who always seems to have something more important to do than her job.
Mc-Schlumberger-- Agreed....a whole bunch of cheap kids with big titles. Should be some screw-ups with the learning curve there...
I was training a college graduate who had to google "how To read a tape measure". Thank God for the Internet.
The funny thing is, all those old timers that Slb has booted has been starting and managing all of the competition that Slb is now trying to keep up with. If you check the management of most of the successful new companies out there, they are operated by these former "old timers"
That's why the big blue is also called SLUMBOT.
Allí the experience is documented in workflows within intouch and in the digital world we don't need experienced hands - it's called the digital revolution and it's happening everywhere - you can't stop progress
I'm laughing at those 20-somethings and 30-somethings who claim that internet access and fixed-step training are all that is needed to be successful in this industry. Unfortunately the c-suite also believes the same things, and this is why SLB has been faltering for years. The young engineers cannot solve problems from first principles - when given a task the first thing they ask for is a template, then they send out a message like "How do I set a kickoff plug?" to as many bb's as they can, and then cobble together a poorly-constructed powerpoint presentation that completely fails to impress the client. Meanwhile, the experienced old fart from the competition listens to the client, gets the correct information, and before leaving the office has told the client what can be done. Job sold, while the inexperienced twit is still putting together a 30-slide presentation that takes a week to put together, in utter ignorance of the fact that the client needed a proposal and procedure in just a few hours because the rig was waiting on orders.
The Blue was something different in the industry. It has now transformed into something just like the competition and keep on morphing to become nothing special at all. Just another service provider. The transformation goes on towards standard and in some segment mediocrity but a more profitable one for Wall Street. Life goes on.
Well said.
The truth is, we are all susceptible to growing older. It is a very hard notion to grasp when someone is in their twenties. However, it is a fact no one can run from. Respect and appreciate those that have put their time in. You don't know their stories, how much or how hard they have worked, and the sacrifices they have made. Yes, you may be more computer savvy, but in time your skills will also be replaced by newer more advanced skills, and a new batch of recruits. In the end (which all of us will succumb to), it is about how you lived as a human, and the impact you made on this earth. It's not about how many apps you have, or software programs you have mastered because your parents (those Old Timers), worked extremely hard so you could have access to the latest electronics and provided you the opportunity to earn a good degree. Learn from those older than you, that have actually had to do the work, instead of being on autopilot in front of a computer.
Pearl Jam - Do the Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI
Comrades, I got the idea - in old days you needed older people as a mean of information transfer. Now in 21st century they have computers, internet, databases with data mining, AI, data science, even SPE paper databases, electronic report archives, fixed step trainings + new technology pops-up all the time - they do not need you, old schooler! Also there are Advisers and Fellows who can help in special cases ... Ideal efficient machine of Blue monster. You are just another brick in the wall. Do the evolution - free the place for new bricks.
Sonny
Computer kills alone don't make a company successful. It takes skilled and experienced labor to produce a product or provide a service that others want to pay for. That's what pays your wages. And pays for your computer.
you are too young to know what you need or not need, have you realized that all combatting soldiers are in their early twenties?
We dont need older guys who are experienced in the old ways from industrial times. Younger guys are more in the know with technology and IT which is what we use to run the company now. Sorry but it's true. We don't need expensive experience any more as the young guys have it covered including Paal one of the youngest CEOs around
Exactly, the level of SLB has changed from Elite mix of strong technical and soft skills selection (which is rare) to McDonalds churn (ok technical skills with prevailing sales skills at best). This is the result of growth and acquisitions. You can observe the same trend in other industries. What we can do about it? For example, spread the information (not on this website only), do not let kids to be hooked by the Blue monster.
"20-30 years of irrelevant experience too" someone is too dumb or too young to understand the word experience:) Nothing is free in this world unless or you do is kissing up to survive!
Mid 50s Guy, c'mon you could drive a bmw, you just value your financial security more. I'm in the same boat here, but lot older, 56:) Nothing better than putting your feet up in the morning, smell the coffee, and do whatever, or do nothing, if that fits you. Admittedly I was once a workaholic until big blue ruined my youthful enthusiasm.
Some wise advice here, don't listen the arrogant kids of course.
Save your money and live a modest lifestyle. I am retired at 54 without a pension, just off my savings and investments. It would have been nice to drive a BMW or Porsche, but I am pretty happy with my financial security and my bare bones pick up.
Not sure why all the youngsters still working for slb. The 50+ joined the company when individuals were genuinely respected, technical excellence was sought after, and benefits were good (pension, profit sharing, time off, etc.) They're probably could not go anywhere else?
all the companies are ditching the older workforce, this is the cover needed to reset the workforce. i direct my kids away from careers in engineering or oil n gas, if they make that decision any assistance will be limited.
You old folks could, like, take a wage reduction and maybe keep working. Stop submitting 20 page resumes detailing 20-30 years of irrelevant experience too!
I hear yeah, you should look at touching up your education with some HR Relations a local college. Seems to be hot career right now and for the next 5 years. Seems like every major company you look at on LinkedIn has 28 different job titled HR people. I've never seen anything like it. How did this happen?
The only retirement one will get to in this new age we're in is what you can save up over the course of your working career. Base your purchases off of "do I need or do I want" and it can be possible. Depending on a company for years of pay checks is in the past.
When you get past 40, try to upgrade your skills or get some training on something different on your own time while doing some more aggressive networking. I made the mistake of putting all my eggs in the Oil Sector, laid off at 46 last month and now mowing 4 lawns on my street to help out while I figure out what's next in my life.
I'm telling my kids to point towards a career in HR or Logistics. Everything else is on the downward spin after watching this slaughter of employees.
Yes, most companies are ousting the 40+ and recruiting the young at cheap salaries. Isn't just SLB. It burns now, but in due time this will come back around and bite them hard.
Education and training will never replace experience. There is a reason those old guys are payed more.
While this is good news for the young generation, they won't enjoy it 20 years from now when they are forced out too. Save all you can while you can. There are no more careers. Shareholders only want profits. Don't plan on retiring with one company. In fact, don't plan on retiring at all. If you are lucky enough to do so one day, all the better.
say thanks to your lovely capitalism (crazy competition - and as a part of it - young takes place of old), my dear american comrades
It's time to get them old workers out and hire us youngsters.
If you check the "latest posts" at the top of the page, you will discover that every company is doing exactly that. Going for cheaper labor. It is going to be lean times for the 50+ people.