Chevron Phillips Chemical Reviews

Pros

Lots of oportunity, interesting work, great safety culture

Cons

The company expects above average performance from engineers but strives to pay average.

Pros

Houston area location, moderate cost of living

Cons

Poor work life balance, no telecommuting, unde budgeted departments, over extended staff, antiquated processes, insular minded people

Advice to Senior Management

Bring in new people, expand the diversity of thought leadership, update policies to compete w leading companies. Do what it takes to do what you say you want to become

Pros

Specific to Company overall:
- Making significant profits and is rapidly growing
- Values their new incoming engineers, especially Chemical engineers
- Tons of career advancement opportunities
- Have access to some of the best in the industry
- Well supported by parent companies (Chevron + Phillips 66)

Cons

Specific to Pasadena plant:
- Unions force the company to retain incompetent and highly unmotivated employees
- Site management is a mix of a few good managers with very terrible ones

Pros

Just two years ago with the past plant Manager things were very positive. As a current employee not any "Pros" to report

Cons

In and out management.
No conitnuity.
Promoting experienced employees is very limited.
All about the 'Degree"
Company policies such as "No Harassment from Management' is allowed at the Pasadena plant!

Advice to Senior Management

The Pasadena Plant has many employees that would bend over backwards for the Plant. When employees with many years of experience are passed up for promotion and a engineer with no experience is hired right out of school to take a leadership role, problems soon arise." Remember", there once was a time when an employee could work their way up to a plant manager based on experience, knowledge and work ethics. "Remember" these plants were the foundation for what we have today!! Imagine a CEO without experience hired and employees with experience not promoted? Yeah you would have problems too!!

Pros

hours on the job !

Cons

management needs work on everything

Pros

Great location in Woodlands
Stable company with good pay and benefits, bonus, pension, 9/80 schedule
Small enough company where you get noticed and get opportunities to try different things

Cons

No defined career path or coaching, almost no advancement opportunities
Very lean and understaffed as a result if somone slacks off things fall through the cracks because there is no back up
Many workers over 55 y.o. who are not motivated, don't learn and just waiting to retire. Since the company is so lean, this puts a lot of burden on the remaining employees
Not very good at training or defining operations procedures, everybody fends for themselves
Can be very cheap when it comes to extra spending on employees or making the workplace comfortable or efficient
Management is very old school when it comes to work schedule. Apart from 9/80 there is no flexibility in work hours or working from home parttime. Everyone is expected to be in the office 8 hours a day and not a minute less which is very hard for women with chilldren and that leads to attrition.

Advice to Senior Management

Offer retirement package so that non-motivated older employees can retire and provide some space for more productive workers.
Spend a little bit more on the office to make employees feel welcome, it is dilapidated.
Put more structure around how the work is done.
Think about how to give employees more opportunities to advance.
Also need more opportunities for felixible work arrangements.

Pros

Great products, great rank and file workers, excellent financial management and use of assets

Cons

Still the good old boys club. Short sighted when it comes to invesstng in growth opportunities

Advice to Senior Management

Need to understand the customer's businesses a little better

Pros

9/80 schedule and good location

Cons

No career path defined at all

Pros

Flexible 9/80 work schedule
Small enough company it's possible to have visibility with Senior Management early on
Big enough company jobs are secure
Multiple locations in the Houston area

Cons

Number of "managed moves" limit advancement opportunities for other job - seeking employees
Some manufacturing sites have Union - management relationship issues

Advice to Senior Management

Move out mid level managers who are ineffective, don't just move them up! To the CEO- continue open communication with employees and maintain safety as #1 focus!

Pros

Strong CEO - open communication to employees and walks the talk
Consistent pay/benefits
Potential for mobility
Safe work environment - heavy focus on safe practices at work and home

Cons

Mobility potential is a carrot, but size of company may limit mobility, especially for those who are unable to relocate

Recent graduates have on-boarding program, but more experienced professionals will have to make a name for and network themselves

Business growth in the middle east, meaning some opportunities for women are limited

Advice to Senior Management

Choose strong candidates to fill jobs, educate them, and then stand back a little. Trust that lessons can be learned from small mistakes and that every detail does not need to be evaluated.