Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

@ktl+1hSxClpK
Four clues that allow to recognize the stench of a manager’s post here:

1. “There is a lot of negativity on this board”
2. “The supervisor also got in NSI” - not happening, buddy
3. “Some people do actually perform such that an NSI is warranted and a PIP can be used to fix their performance”. Pure lie. Even in the old days, when it was targeting real under-performers, the PIP was about getting rid of them, not improving anything
4. this [the oversized, endless NSI] seems to be a genuine benefit that the old system did not have”. Yeah, boot li---r, the company is doing the big PIPs because it cares for us and wants us to be better. Sing this cr_ap to your own manager, not to us.

You have to read the clues from your supervisor. Are they encouraging you to take the pip? Are they saying you can pass it? Or, are they avoiding eye-contanct and giving vague, non-answers? That should give you your answer right there.

I did the pip last year ( I told them on the last day, at the last hour that i would take the pip not the pil. Make them sweat it out), and I passed. But, I had the encouragement of my supervisor that they wanted me to pass. Still, it was not an easy ordeal. It's a lot of extra work, it's humiliating, discouraging, etc. I'm still looking for my next job, here a year later. Good jobs are hard to come by.

Just remember to READ all the details your MLRP contact send you. We her has been clause that should you file for unemployment benefits, EM won’t protest. So if you need time, work the PIP, while searching for new gig and if you don’t pass collect unemployment asap. Or take the PIL and then collect unemployment if needed.
It is BETTER outside that environment. People actually laugh and have fun at work and mid year salary increase with NO PDS was nice!

Only one person in all of NA manufacturing sites didn’t pass the PIP last year. Not likely you’d be put there again next year, but even if they did, you’re still not out. You have to get NSI 3x in 5 yrs to get offed. You wont get a raise though… so here’s what I’d do:

1. Take PIP
2. Star looking for remote/flexible work to complement you for the next two years
3. Get “double” pay
4. Ride gravy train as long as possible
5. Always keep an eye out for a better job that’s permanent.

Yes, it CAN be doable but you need to have the backing of your direct management. Backing, not lip service.
I was NSI back in 2020 and took the PIP. I aced the PIP because the NSI was bu-----t and I had the backing of my management. The only think I did differently during my PIP was to record every interaction I had with other people and review it with someone every 2 weeks.
The real question is if you pass your PIP do you want to stay? I took the PIP to stay on long enough to get the package and retire.
I wasn't ready to stop working - but I was ready to stop working at ExxonMobil.

Volunteer to go to Midland or better yet Carlsbad. Can’t hurt and they are looking for people. Force a restart with a new group.

Is your group hiring? Ask your supervisor what the headcount targets are for next year vs current staffing. Realize that even if you pass the PIP you aren’t getting a raise or a promotion this year. That should be reason enough to look for a new job considering current inflation rate. Also very hard to convince managers to PIP someone else next year.

What exactly was in the Personalized PIP Plan they presented to you when they made the NSI announcement?

And believe it or not, 10 years at EM does not exclude you from consideration by other good companies. Despite the rumors to that effect.

If your boss has been given a hard target number of people to layoff, then no matter how well you perform, there is no way to pass.

If no hard layoff target number, can pass.

I was NSI and passed my PIP easily because my new Supervisor knew it was just a numbers game and not related to my work. He was not instructed from Senior Management to achieve a layoff target.

You may be able to pass the pip if your supervisor and or manager wants you to.the process is in exxon s favor because it is a very specific plan. Example there are ten things on your improvement plan you complete all of them. You thought you did but if the management says you did not complete fully one if the objectives you are gone. I have seen it before where an employee focuses on several improvements and the manager guides them. If one of the tasks is not completed to the company's satisfaction then you are gone. It is in writing that you will complete x number of improvements. Be careful with the pip.

@1mvn+1hSxClpK The tribe has spoken

@1pmg+1hSxClpK Not only your manager. Other managers have a say in his NSI raking results too. We can conclude his career is over and if he choose to stay, he can expect zero increment until he gives up and resign himself.

Everyone has a stake in how you ended up in such sorry state. However, let’s pray for him and hope better opportunities come.

You can pass the PIP. Many groups don’t really want let people go given the attrition occurring. You need discussion what your PIP plan is with your boss.

Although you can pass the PIP, as many suggest you career is dead. You will always be NI or low good. 3 of 5 years in NI and you will be fired.

If you think you can get a job in 1-3months take the PIL. If you need 6-12 months or are really broke , then do the PIP and devote your time to finding a new career before next April.

Ask yourself if you are an average or basic contributor in your group. Have you been slipping or in the lower third of the rankings The NSI generally has some partial basis in your relative performance to peers If you have minimal demonstrated leadership skill or ability to communicate you should move on.

Politics has been more at play than in the past. Good Luck with your decision and next steps.

All the best.

NSI means your manager tagged you as the weakest link in your group. That's so demoralizing and even if you could pass it and prove your worth, you would be the laughing stock in the team. Of course the team will know no matter how much you hide it. I would take the PIL if offered and preserve a little bit of dignity left. There are plenty of jobs out there.

This was my first time NSI/PIPd in almost 10 years with the company. I’ve been miserable the last 2 years working where I’m at. Management didn’t care and so there’s no desire for me to pretend for 3 months and get out for my own mental health at this point. Their loss.

@ktl+1hSxClpK Europeans are more protected. Rest of the world, not so much.

There truly is a lot of negativity on this board. Below some perspectives that may be less common here. Though, important to realize this is from an European perspective where booting ppl is (much) harder and usually cannot be solely triggered by a PIP.

1. Some ppl do actually perform such that an NSI is warranted and a PIP can be used to fix their performance. Obviously, this means the supervisor did a poor job if it came to this point. But I've seen it happen (and the supervisor getting NSI as well!)
2. I've seen ppl with N(S)I getting very small raises, in particular when still relatively early in the career (and probably tied to moving up salary curves as a whole). This is outside of general increase raises which also seem to be more common in EU.
3. I've seen ppl recover back to very good (and excellent the year after) - again more likely when still in the earlier stages of the career. For all the issues with the assessment system, this seems to be a genuine benefit that the old system did not have. Assessment really focuses on performance of the last 12 Months. Also seen the reverse (where someone from Excellent dropped to NSI). With ranking you were much more locked in, particularly once you got to the bottom. It was just not visible since they kept everyone at 11%.

That being said. As mentioned by other, it depends on a lot of factors on whether or not it is worth sticking around. If your supervisor is not pushing for you to stay and/or if this result is not something that you can explain comparing yourself to peers - probably better to start looking at other options.

Does anyone know the headcount at the end of June 2022?

@njs+1hSxClpK , OP here. Then how would you describe the PIP passability and career after that? (Are you a Sup/Manager?)

Easy to pass the PIP. Just do it with enthusiasm as if you slowly think it can make a difference. Your supervisors ego will be over the moon. Just do it to buy time and GTFO.

Hi OP. Sorry the company is doing you dirty, but think of it as an opportunity to experience a different employer, different city, or a different life.

I got PIP’d, passed, then left. I’m so glad I did because…let’s be honest…Houston sucks.

As for the PIP. If you trust your supervisor and they give you a reasonable plan, then you absolutely can pass. I did. But if they have non-specific metrics or impossible to achieve tasks, then you are being told that you’ll fail and you should just resign.

If you can, please consider getting out of oil and gas, out of Texas and onto someplace better. I’m healthier, happier and am just so glad I got out of that terrible company.

There is life after the company. And it can be better than you can currently imagine. Do yourself a favor…

GET OUT!!!

If you need five years to retire then do it. But if you are 10 years in and in your 40 s forget it. If they pip me I will try but as soon as I can retire I will. I know the management does not look out for anyone except their favorites. They want people to leave period either by retirement or not passing the pip. Good luck with whatever you decide. I have seen some of the worst laziest workers not piped. It is amazing how exxon talks about trimming the bad apples and yet protects these bad apples. I have personally seen 7 workers who did not deserve the pip in the past five years get piped.

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OP I would not take career advice from a bunch of bitter losers on a layoff board.

The intent of NSI is to get you to resign, sure a few tokens will make it to ensure the whole scheme is “not legally a lay off” but make no mistake the company would much prefer those on NSI to leave.
Remember the overall XOM headcount is targeting a reduction….

Once you had been NSI, you are an easy candidate to be NSI again or if there is any retrenchment exercise (it is easy to justify). Documented record of a poor performer.

Even if you keep passing PIP. (You won’t as the letter you signed will state that if you get it again, you are out), zero increment for years will be another issue. You have to be fair to your love ones and put in the effort to move out of EM.

I am sorry for your situation. All the best.

OP, too bad, 5 more years and you would have secured a retirement.

EM ought to do a regular layoff and just get it done. The current process seems very damaging to personnel.

Now that you are trained you should hopefully be able to find work without a problem.

Take your power back; never stop looking for the next job.

Good luck to you. Peace.

Like everyone else said, the PIP can be doable but the clock is ticking. Your sup, manager, their boss, whomever threw you under the bus and will do it again. They cannot be trusted and you should only play the game enough to pretend like you really want to salvage your career to keep all options open.

Good managers do not do this kind of thing and you probably know XOM has no good managers. Just a bunch of self serving, parasites.

Managers are supposed to put you in a position to succeed. This scumbag put you and if you have a family at risk. Even if you pass the PIP, you are marked. If management realizes how much damage they have done already, and went to a real layoff, pretty sure, HR would use the rankings to pick those that would be cut. At least a real layoff is honest but the ranking was just from a spineless tw-t that can not be honest with you.

Tell your sup what you think they want to hear. Take the max time to pick. If it’s 5 days, that is tough. If it’s 3 weeks, take the full 3 weeks. Hopefully, your resume is up to date and start getting it out there.

If you have no hits during this pick your poison time, take the pip and keep applying. Hopefully something will come through.

Work the pip and hopefully you pass. I think you then know you have ~12 months to find something else.

If you can time things right, find a new job during or before PIP, and you take it, switch or pick PIL and tell them nothing. Start the new gig, get doubled paid, do not update LI and get a couple months of two paychecks…. And then, sometime in December, you get that last check for vacation… Put a little away for taxes because the IRS always gets theirs….

It sucks. I have been there and after a year removed from when my section head told me, I am doing much better today than anytime at XOM. It was not easy. Had 4 other people to take care of in the process.

But…. I play the long game. Always have, always will. That section head will get what is coming to them.

Good luck. Hope this works out in your favor and I hope others that read this, sitting in E, VG, G, NI realize that they all could be next.

Given your experience level, you are prime material for a company switch (knowledgeable and all trained up). Would suggest leaving would make you much happier and fulfilled.

XOM is a directionless company, with no clear strategies, or future. Not desirable for a long term career.

Painful, sorry they're still pushing this agenda. Given your age and years service I agree, best to plan to leave unfortunately.

The post before me is good. A few points:

• PIP is doable, pending your sup
• you’ll get no raise in Jan (tough in high inflation)
• you can’t be expat’s until you get a new assessment

Sorry to hear this OP. It is not unexpected since DW just wants to get rid of people no matter what. Remember, this is not a strategic headcount reduction, this is a brutal layoff to hit a number of an excel spreadsheet. That's it. Now, the PIP is doable yes, but it all depends on your supervisor. What does your supervisor think of you? Is your supervisor supportive of your work? If the supervisor wants to keep you, your PIP will be painful but doable. You will survive. But, if your supervisor doesn't care about you, you are done. I'd say talk with your supervisor and try to get a feeling for the reaction. The tone of voice, the body language say a lot. And make a decision PIP or PIL. In any case, @teu+1hSxClpK is right. Your career at XOM is finished. You've been marked forever. You will not get a promotion ever, you are a very good candidate to be NSIed next year when DW starts his fifth round of layoffs, of course you will not get a raise or it will be insignificant, etc. Your future at XOM is not good. Make your decision and good luck to you.

A PIP is doable but the writing is already on the wall. You are as good as gone. I’d bail, take the severance pay and find another job.

@teu+1hSxClpK when you say career at EM has ended: is it, HR+Sup will deliberately force me into another NSI next cycle or is it too steep to come out of this ditch?

It is. But you career in EM has ended. Even if you pass, make some effort to get a secure job elsewhere for your family.