Shell

The overview

Shell is a global oil and gas group that produces and sells fuels and petrochemicals in more than 90 countries worldwide. Based in the Netherlands, it is among the largest companies in the world, with turnover of $470,171m in 2011.

Its UK business is based in London; its offices, known as the Shell Centre, also serve as the global headquarters for the overall downstream business (ie refining, sales and distributing activities). Outside the capital, the company currently operates a research centre near Chester, which focuses on developing new industry technologies, although the lab-based roles here are due to be transferred to Hamburg.

Business lines

The company is divided into three main business lines:

• Upstream: this division comprises exploration and production activity related to oil and natural gas reserves.
• Downstream: by far the biggest unit, contributing 91.2% of 2010 turnover, this covers the refining, distribution and sale of oil and gas products (including the ubiquitous Shell petrol stations).
• Project and technology: this supplies technology and technical services for the other two units. It also comprises contracting and safety operations.

Growth opportunities

Not surprisingly, given its close ties with the automotive industry, one of the company’s main areas of focus is reducing vehicle emissions and improving fuel economy. It is also investigating a number of new technologies such as carbon capture and storage, ‘gas to liquids’ technology, and biofuels, so there is a lot of scope for future expansion into new areas.

Shell started life as a venture selling seashells in 1833.

There is also a lot of potential in the areas with which it is already familiar: petrochemicals are becoming increasingly lucrative, and oil and gas production continue to expand. For example, the company recently signed a £11 billion deal with Iraq to capture flared gas from three fields in Basra province, where 700 million cubic feet of gas are currently burned off per day.

Shell's target is to have production capacity of 3.7m ‘barrels of oil equivalent’ (an industry term relating to the amount of energy that fuel would potentially release) per day in 2014, an increase of 12 per cent compared with 2010. It plans to invest $30b in new oil and gas projects in 2012, to help meet this aim.

Rankings and awards

• Constituent of the FTSE 100.
• Number 2 in the 2011 Fortune Global 500 (which ranks companies by revenue).
• Ranked 8 in 2011 FT Global 500 (the Financial Times’s snapshot of the world’s largest companies).
• Ranked 11 in the 2011 Centre for Brand Analysis ‘Business Superbrands Top 500’.
• Number 30 in the 2011 BrandFinance Global 500 (which attempts to assess the ‘value’ of global brands).
• Ranked 33 in the 2011 Interbrand list of ‘Best Global Green Brands’.

Facts and figures

• Shell started life as a seashell venture in 1833, when antique dealer Marcus Samuel began selling Far Eastern seashells at his shop in London, hence the name.
• It has close ties with motorsports, having technical partnerships with both Ferrari and Ducati.
• It is currently working on building the first ever floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility in Australia.
• Its fame even reaches into cinema: Tony Curtis’ character claimed to own it in order to impress Marilyn Monroe in the classic film Some Like it Hot.
• It sponsors the climate-focused ‘Atmosphere’ gallery and the interactive ‘Launchpad’ exhibit at the Science Museum in London.
• It runs several initiatives and competitions to help support young engineers and entrepreneurs, including the Eco-marathon and LiveWIRE.

Salary and benefits

Graduate salaries vary according to the role and location. Shell doesn’t provide a ‘typical’ figure but graduate production technology positions, for example, are advertised at £32,500 to £37,000.

Intern salary

Again, the company doesn’t give away the salary that it pays its interns. However, reports suggest it is around £18,000 to £20,000, depending on location.

Other perks

• ‘Competitive’ annual holiday entitlement
• Performance-based bonuses
• Defined contribution pension plan
• Healthcare cover
• Sharesave scheme (this allows employees to save money over a set period of time, after which they can withdraw the funds or invest them in company shares)
• Flexible working options such as remote working and flexitime
• Options for career breaks and sabbaticals
• Sports and social clubs (these vary by location but can include scuba diving and tennis)
• Gym facilities
• Employee networks such as the Women’s Network and the Disability Network.

Culture and values

Most office-based staff work typical office hours, but some technical roles on operational sites involve shift patterns due to the 24-hour nature of the work.

Current employees say that working hours are generally quite flexible, and that they can manage their own time as long as the work gets done, so working late one day can be balanced out by leaving early the next.

Employee networks

On the social side, there are various different clubs and networks that employees can join. These include:

• African network
• Disability network
• Energie (for recent graduates)
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) network
• Sports club
• Women’s network.

Employee survey

The company carries out an annual survey of its employees, and their attitudes towards Shell. One of the key measures is the average index score, which in 2010 was found to be 71% positive towards the company.

Diversity

In terms of gender diversity, it is still a male-dominated company but has been working to address the disparity in recent years. Initiatives such as flexible working and mentoring for female employees have been introduced, as well as a policy whereby at least one woman must be shortlisted for internal vacancies in the UK, the US and the Netherlands.

While the overall proportion of women in its workforce is not disclosed, the company says that women accounted for 15.3% of senior leadership positions in 2010. It aims to increase this figure to 20%.

Gets ‘two-ticks’ from the Jobcentre in terms of staff with disabilities.

Being an international company, Shell has a correspondingly diverse workforce: it reportedly employs representatives from over 100 different nationalities worldwide. It also aims to ensure that the top jobs in the countries where it operates go to people from that country. It was successful in 36% of cases in 2010.

It is also:

• A member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champion’s programme, meaning that it works with Stonewall to develop a workplace that is lesbian, gay and bisexual friendly .
• A ‘two ticks’ employer (a scheme run by Jobcentre Plus that highlights employers who meet certain commitments towards recruiting people with disabilities and encouraging their career progression).
• Included in the 2011 The Times Top 50 Employers for Women list.