Bureaucracy, mediocrity, but for many provides a comfortable life in exchange for little work - Project Services Manager Shell Employee Review

2.0
Sep 12, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The Shell brand is a well-recognised name. It is a very large organisation so it is easy to find a new job or a comfortable niche without ever leaving. There are plenty of places to shelter from economic winds of change. Benefits are very generous, especially if you stay there a long time - which is easy to do since job security is very high. There are opportunities for travel.

Cons

Many, many, far too many people "making pretend work" to justify themselves. There are many areas where people repeat the same tasks, passing small changes back and forth to each other endlessly to pass the time, but they do no constructive work. There is little or no performance-reward connection. There is huge inequity between people who have been employed at Shell for several years, and those employed more recently in terms of the pay levels, job security, and work conditions. There are a lot of "contractors" who have been working in the same office and role for up to 10 years but receive contractor pay rates because nobody is responsible for their budget. There are far too many "expatriates" employed with special treatment, but expatriation is used excessively - some "expatriate assignments" are between neighboring countries and others are concocted by people arranging (unnecessary) meetings for themselves in other offices. The focus of the "safety culture" is on rules not principles, so it is not effective and just creates excessive bureaucracy, particularly if you work in an office.

Explore other reviews about Shell

5.0
Apr 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Worked here part-time while going to college. Good co-workers and environment.

Cons

Not much flexibility in schedule

2.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are many diverse roles and opportunities within the company, which can make it easier to explore different career paths and avoid feeling stuck or bored.

Cons

Company lacks clear direction and has significant internal disorganization. Employees are often expected to take on multiple roles without appropriate compensation or support. Despite consistently being a high performer, I left feeling undervalued — after covering two roles, there wasn’t even a simple thank you upon departure. To make matters worse, eight months after leaving, they are now claiming I owe over $5,000 in PTO that had previously been considered settled at the time of my exit. Overall, the experience left a very negative impression and highlighted serious internal process issues.

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