BP – “Big and slow, but if you can play the system, good careers can be had.”

Pros

It's big! It is a massive business, there are many different places to go, and the opportunities are very diverse. If you can stay there a long time, the pension is excellent..

Cons

Poor rewards for performance, huge pressure to cut costs is removing promotion prospects, and lower-than-average pay compared to industry peers.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote talent, not those who are most adept at playing the system of senior managment patronage. Set some strategic goals that are not exclusively concerned with cost-cutting, and think about customers instead of organisation!