Exxon Mobil Reviews in Houston, TX Area

Pros

As most profitable public company in the world, it is an extremely stable company. If you do your job well, you don't have to worry about losing it. This company is not going to go out of business. The compensation is very fair starting out and raises typically are greater than inflation and the market. The full benefits package is excellent, as ExxonMobil is one of the few companies still giving a pension. As a huge company, you can do many different jobs in many different places in the world without changing employers (i.e. maintain your seniority, vesting, vacation, etc.).

Cons

There is no job posting system. You have some input into what kind of job you would like to do next, however, management frequently decides for you what your next assignment will be.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more open about personnel moves.

Pros

Stability, stability, stability. Great place to be in this economy. We're a dinosaur and move slowly but steadily. These days, that is a real bonus! Great coworkers - cohesive group of bright people. Makes for a good workday.

Cons

Only place that can hire 10 Nobel Laureates and fire 2 by the end of 10 years or so the story goes . . . it is tough to compete and deal with the rating and ranking system in some regards. Most employees have never been "average" before and that can be quite tough. Also, XOM is "one size fits all" - if you don't fit in, leave quickly.

Advice to Senior Management

Get over yourselves, you aren't god and need to follow the same rules everyone else does.
Listen to the little people, they have ideas too.

Pros

Great career opportunties and benefits package (has company paid pension and great 401k match(100%+). Very bright co workers, who push you hard with their high achievcement and performance levels. Senior mangement is outstanding. Has consistently held long term values, ethics, career orientation, etc that do not change over time. Does not blow in the wind or chase the lastest fads as many companies do. Stands by its principles when others adjust to political pressures or the fad of the month. Bases investment decisions on long term not short term radical ups and downs in price of crude or product. Over my career, had work in engineering, finance, real estate, IT, HR, Procurment so they move you to different areas like no one else. Outstanding ethics and process orientation and conservative values like little debt that keep this company on top of decades not merely years as most manage to stay on top. High technology work despite what some assume about this industry. Great pride in having a career here.

Cons

Lean staffing means all work hard and somewhat long hours but that is why they can afford the benefits they pay, lean staffing in good times and bad. Hard charging leaders with high expectations along with high achieving employees means you work hard to get on top, but the satisfaction is there. Even lower performers work hard out of pride in their work and a carry over from top grades in school. So they are able to get critical jobs done with lean staff. Key challenge is demographics as for all oil companies, limited hirin in the 80's when oil did not offer good career prospects as now.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep it up, dont bend to pressure or politics when staying the course to maintain success. More communication with employees would be useful, it got much better post merger with Mobil, but more could be used to instill pride and understanding of company wide successes/strategies.

Pros

Compensation and benefits are probably the best reasons to work for Exxon. It is a company that takes things in a very process-oriented fashion, slow and steady, and you are encouraged to do your homework before pursuing an idea.

Cons

Beauracracy - too much paperwork, hoops, etc. Maybe this is expected from most big companies, but sometimes it seems that it impedes your ability to work.

Advice to Senior Management

Push decision-making lower in the chain to give technical people more authority to make decisions.

Pros

Stable, well compensated career. High caliber of coworkers. Incredible training and profesional development opportunities. Size of the investments / decisions even new employees are involved in shaping.

Cons

Too many levels of management approval needed to move forward. Very slow paced decision making. Checklist for everything. Not inovative.

Advice to Senior Management

Streamline procedures. Encourage risk taking and inovative thought.

Pros

This is a good stable company that takes time to make the decisions count. Hear so much criticism about oil companies, but I see other companies that are far worse and so much less progressive, yes even compared to ExxonMobil. I can say that I am not proud of the past reputation of the company but the strategy looking forward is what truly counts now. The community partnerships are valuable and get so little recognition. I have to say that there are some truly great things that Exxon is involved in that do not get the recognition it deserves.

Cons

Very easy to get lost in the shuffle of such a large company and you really have to prove your mettle to get advances and promotions due to the competition.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep looking to the future!

Pros

Great opportunities, both international and domestic. It is truly a global organization; no matter what your interests or abilities, there will be some place in the organization that is a fit. Because of the global scope of activities, there is an opportunity to gain exposure to an incredibly wide range of technologies and operations. Oh, and the compensation and benefits are outstanding.

Cons

The internal processes and controls can sometimes become overwhelming/frustrating (however, there are usually good reasons for most of them!). Because the organization is so very large, it can be difficult to identify who the right individuals are to address an issue or problem. And there is no internal "job postings" board; moves are worked between the employee and their supervisor.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep the focus on the fundamentals, but don't forget to reward and recognize individuals for a job well done - and be careful not to overload the staff.

Pros

Great benefits package. Cost of living in Houston is low, but Exxon pay is quite competitive compare to other major cities. Some opportunities for international assigment as Exxon is truely a global company (unlike Cisco, ATT, ...who merly sub-contraced the local vendor to perform the work on the behalf of the companies. Top 10% -performer-rank group's raises are quite significant compare to the rest of the rank group.

Flexible with worklife balance ... (not as flexible as other tech companies with programs like telecomuting, friday earned day off, flex schedule). Take good care of employees during disaster (before Ike ... released employees early Wednesday morning so they can attend to emergency preparation/needs..., then after Ike ....interest free loan, excused time with pay to deal with insurance companies, offer limited use of company's car ...etc....)

Cons

Very conservative company. Lots and lots of politics. Process oriented. No innovation / little creativity. Technology adapters, not inventors. Forced ranking. No bonus (rarely - very insignificant) in IT organization. Heavy on security and control.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to replace the aging workforce (including management) with younger leaders that will inspire the younger workforce. Invest more into R&D of alternative engery...

Pros

Corporate training center is on our campus which presents the opportunity to learn as much as you want to. The work environment is very university-like, taking time to think, read, research is encouraged.

Cons

The corporate culture is stiff, not very warm and fuzzy. Exxon prides itself on being very methodical with a long time frame for success. This can be frustrating for those who like a more dynamic environment. Technical staff, the lab workers, do the heavy lifting but are not on the radar screen as far as management is concerned.

Advice to Senior Management

We are a research center with many labs and very talented scientists. Management should pay more attention to the people who are doing the work and stop worrying about themselves and the "shareholders". Shareholders aren't staying late every night keeping up with the workload.

Pros

the long term strategy for exxon has provided continual growth opportunities for employees. The benefits package is the best I have ever seen and the pay is incredible. This is a company that has posted record profit and has taken care of its employees accordingly. The cost of living in texas is very cheap. There are international opportunities to work abroad and they even give you a massive bonus (sometimes) if you're going to a remote region in the world.

Cons

very conservative company that lacks innovation. The company is very top heavy with many employees being there 25+ years already.

Advice to Senior Management

keep on truckin