Toxic Work Environment with No Real Growth - Project Engineer ExxonMobil Employee Review

1.0
Aug 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Only salary is good. Work life balance is ok but subjective.

Cons

Work culture deterioration: The overall work environment has been on a severe decline, especially after changes at supervisory levels. Leadership often lacks objectivity, and team morale consistently suffers as a result. Poor treatment of experienced hires: The company does not provide meaningful opportunities for experienced hires. There is little to no structured plan to utilize external talent effectively, particularly on major capital projects where expertise should matter most. Limited career growth: Real growth is reserved only for those who engage in sycophancy or align politically with certain managers. Genuine performance and technical competence are often sidelined. Flawed performance management system: The notorious NI/NSI grading system is demotivating, inconsistent, and forces employees into a perpetual “prove yourself every year” cycle — akin to reapplying for your own job annually. This culture of constant fear creates unnecessary stress rather than driving true performance. Focus on presentation over substance: Decisions and career progression overly depend on how well you can impress with flashy PowerPoint slides rather than actual technical ability, execution, or project results. Lack of genuine innovation: Despite being an energy giant, the company resists innovation and avoids meaningful investments into cleaner, future-ready solutions. Employee suggestions are often ignored unless they fit management’s narrow agenda. Bureaucratic and hierarchical: Decision-making is painfully slow, bogged down by layers of approvals and politics. Good ideas are often lost in bureaucracy. Toxic internal competition: Colleagues are often pitted against one another due to ranking systems, fostering a hostile rather than collaborative work environment. Manipulative appraisal processes: Ratings are frequently subjective, manager-driven, and used as tools of control rather than fair measures of performance.

Explore other reviews about ExxonMobil

5.0
Mar 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and culture - Everyone is nice and wants to do good work.

Cons

Lots of security and locked down tech and hard to find what's available.

2.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good opportunities for networking and travel.

Cons

A significant HR issue between interns occurred during my internship and was handled very poorly. Once the matter came to HR’s and leadership’s attention, it was not officially resolved until months after the internship had ended. The VP privately apologized for the situation, but the overall response was inadequate and felt as though the situation was being swept under the rug. The lack of timely communication and follow-up created a very uncomfortable environment for a young intern and significantly impacted what was otherwise a positive internship experience.

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