My supervisor has ZERO technical knowledge, whenever I share any problem answer is big long monologue with no solution and that one slide People + technology BS.
Worst decision to join this company. Fed up already.
I know you are reading 😁
18 replies (most recent on top)
I’ve seen the same thing with many supervisors. I don’t expect them to have the answer or know everything about everything, but I do expect them to have some basic technical knowledge and be able to understand a basic technical explanation and not even seeing that. Unfortunately this is the result when I&D is the priority over technical knowledge in a technical industry.
You fail to understand the role of supervisors OP. If you have a technical question talk to the people on the technical ladder not the managerial ladder. Different skills. That is why we have chief engineers. Their job is to field technical questions.
Technical knowledge among supervisors was never a requirement in EM because the staff was supposed to be experts and we were supposed to have work processes that were vetted.
With the thinning of experience (partially because it became abundantly clear that it is not appreciated) and the erosion of work processes that seems to have started after the merger and accelerated after 2015 or so, now we are an empty cell of clueless supervisors.
In fact, in many areas we introduced even more supervisory roles. Management positions proliferate.
@1pwf+1epGgfmH This statement is so true!
My S&OP manager is worse! She’s terrible!
Some technical leads and Principal Engineers are not necessarily experts in their fields. Some truly talented technical people are moved around to fill vacancies or fill needs. The difficulty is finding them.
The whole hiring, promotion, and ranking process is broken. Antiquated that does not meet the need of improving performance and business results.
Agree with earlier post that current recruiting process needs overhaul. It’s costly, expensive, and more often than not saddles the company with unqualified employees.
Candidates are not vetted properly. Jobs are not posted internally. Cronyism prevails.
@1nra+1epGgfmH I am not surprised, I’m familiar with many of the supervisors and frankly don’t understand how they were selected to be in those positions. It appears this is nothing more than a supervisor training camp for many.
@1nra+1epGgfmH Yes...
Made me think of an EMIT CES manager.
OP, Are you at BTC?
@OP You can thank the equally incompetent women in HR for hiring people of their ilk instead of qualified candidates.
The hiring/recruiting process for the private sector is long overdue for a complete revision. It’s costly, expensive, and more often than not saddles the company with unqualified employees.
He’s the supervisor and understand the big picture. You’re the technical person…do your job and quit complaining.
Supervisors are rare elsewhere. I’ve done the Exxodus a while ago and the companies in the tech industry don’t even have the supervisor figure. Analysts report to managers directly and it works better - no need to spend time with the middle man to get things done. I’ve had good supervisors at XOM but the majority were horrible. I agree a supervisor shouldn’t have a technical knowledge as an analyst but they should understand how the work their team does get done and what could hinder them as well. The only reason to explain the figure of a supervisor is that Exxon does not expect people to self manage and resolve things on their own. They expect you to put your head down and do as you’re told without thinking too much into it.
The least many of them could do is _try_ to learn more about the technical aspects of the work their teams do. Not all, but the majority of supervisors I've interacted with lean heavily upon the 'technical folks' in their organization, who are already overburdened with doing... well... actual meaningful work.
Sounds very familiar based on my experience as a recent grad
@sbp+1epGgfmH
“ I don’t expect supervisor to have technical knowledge in everything”
Somewhat true but it’s not that simple. Supervisors are HiPos who have already started being promoted and have been groomed from the beginning within the concept that their mission is to “network” (kiss a$$ and make connections), never to learn anything technical. Supposedly even HiPos have a few “technical” years before being promoted, but the direction given is clear - don’t waste any time on learning the technical stuff, put all your energy in brown nosing and pleasing people in power.
That’s a recipe for disaster, and the disaster has been unfolding for the last 7-8 years.
I don’t expect supervisor to have technical knowledge in everything. It’s impossible to become an expert in all fields. However, the best ones knows how to ask the right questions or can direct you to the right place to come up with the best solution. They should know enough that whatever technical solution you come up with won’t sink the ship.
Most supervisors in Exxon are not technical. They are mostly administrative. You have to go to the technical leads and Principal Engineers for technical advice.