Pros

Great when Oil is on the upswing. In some instance you can make your own way through the company.

Cons

It's the good-ol-boy network in spades. It's not what you know it's who you know. Also, if you get a little on the old side they want to shove you out the door.

Advice to Senior Management

Figure out how to make money while having morals at the same time. I know it's difficult because the stock holders have you by the nuts but at least pretend to be decent.

Pros

Excellent pay and management is understanding of the need for time off on most occasions. Very little micromanaging in some groups.

Cons

The communication is terrible between groups. There is no "email discipline" at all....you will find a chain a mile long, and the people commenting at the top of the chain and issuing orders have no idea and do not read the start of the chain to understand the issue. At least 50% of my time is spent explaining something to an executive or internal customer because he "heard" a rumor about something....very frustrating.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire competent people, set their high level goals, and then get out of the way and let them do their job. If they can't handle that, then find someone who can.

Pros

Laid back work environment with a very casual office dress code attire. Its like its always Friday over here.

Definite no. 1 position in the market. The contracts just keep on coming in even when the oil price is low.

Highly advanced technology applied in their products.

Job stability and security. Impact of the global recession hasn't been as bad as the other service companies.

Cons

The money is next to nothing.

Organization is so big, its more "business first" then "people first"

Has a crazy rule of business travelling can only be in coach. Imagine a 12 hour flight in coach.

Need to cut throat back stab 20+ people just to get a promotion. Even sometimes it really is just up to the boss about who gets promoted without any particular measure of merit.

Not really an equal opportunity employer.

Turnover is high. Young talented engineers just come and go...

Advice to Senior Management

Should really try to be more people oriented instead of business oriented.

Pros

Halliburton is great when the oil is flowing, but when oil production slows, you better start lookin for another job.

Cons

Too much uncertainty on a day to day basis as to whether or not you would be there at the end of the month.

Advice to Senior Management

Some of the management at Halliburton were definitely not qualified for the positions of which they held, also too much grandfathering took place.

Pros

Lots of good projects to work on and great colleagues to work with. Compensation is OK and benefits are pretty good. Great place for minorities and women to work since they will be given preference for promotions.

Cons

Management is on the war path to outsource all IT work to India and this is putting all IT jobs in jeopardy including positions working with SAP which had previously been safe. Not a great place for non-minorities and non-women to work at since minorities and women will be given preference for promotions. Job security at Halliburton is non-existent and there are no exceptions. Even top managers and VP's get pushed out at the whim of executive management whenever they get a bug up their arse.

Advice to Senior Management

Get rid of the CIO who doesn't care about lower-level employees. Stop the rush to outsource all IT functions to India. Step back and select the most appropriate functions to be moved to India.

Pros

Middle managers and teams work hard to make the company work as well as they can. Support and communication is pretty good at that level and the people there are competent.

Cons

Sadly, middle management is where the communication and real concern for the employees stops. Most things are done "because we said so" or "because we always have" rather than "because it is the best way". Teams are chronicly understaffed to the point that much gets delayed or not done and no help is in sight. Also, IT is not interested in working with the business to make the company work. IT makes their decisions and everyone else can just deal. This is leading to a major rift between IT and the rest of the business which is going to cause MAJOR problems... as it has in the past.

Advice to Senior Management

Top management needs to work on communication with their middle managers and kill the siloing that is happening. IT is supposed to serve the business, not dictate how the business works.

Pros

Easy going, flexible, low pressure

Cons

No career path, lack of concern or help with careers. lack of forward visibility with the company and its people.
Not interested in keeping/maintaining motivation of its workforce

Advice to Senior Management

Get better career paths set-up for the people. Use your people wisely and efficiently. Consolidate all the overlapping groups in to more efficient teams. TOO many special groups, trim middle to upper management roles. Streamline the company and its processes.

Pros

Money, adventure. You get the chance to move around and see the country and even the world. It has great potential for earnings.

Cons

Management did not care about my personal life. They were not helpful with my training, equipment, supplies, travel arrangements, relocation, reimbursements. It is a lonely job.

Advice to Senior Management

A straight-out-of-college student cannot afford to move across the country, find a place to live with no help in a town with no apartments, and drive around to oil rigs hundreds of miles away without money. It took 3 weeks to get relocation expenses processed and I was expected to wait 2 months for my first travel expense reimbursement. Students don't have $10,000 in the bank to just spend.

Pros

It's a job when times are hard. Big ,stable company that is financially sound which is alot in this day.

Cons

It's Halliburton. Need I say more. You read the news, the blogs ; it has a powerful underbelly that is above ethics.

Advice to Senior Management

Evaluate your personal value system, apply some ethics , practice some humility and have a conscience.

Pros

Decent fortune 500 corporation, it's ok if you are inexperienced, entry level. It's ok if you know how to maximize your white advantage. It's ok if you have a relative in the upper ranks.

Cons

If you are a non-white minority, you are possibly going nowhere in the long run. Run by good ol' boy network at the top. Succession is reserved for executive offsprings.

Advice to Senior Management

Be transparent.