August 30, 2011
Summer student savvy - Kelli Green (left) and Yassen Horanszky (centre) interview Trevor Dorey (right) for
this story on summer student impressions of Nexen’s culture.
Reflecting on their time at Nexen, two summer students – Kelli Green from the Integrity and Compliance group and Yassen Horanszky – from the Technical & Operational Solutions (TOS) department, were curious about what students will take away from Nexen’s culture of integrity and social responsibility.
Is their time at Nexen just like any other corporate summer job, or is it something more? Having conducted 15 interviews, the two students are happy to report their positive findings.
“When I thought of coming to work for an oil company,” says Trevor Dorey, a student who spent his summer with the Canadian Oil and Gas (COG) Environment Group, “I thought of it as selling out, or going to the dark side, but the truth is, it’s not like that. From what I’ve seen in COG, we put in the effort to try and grow value in a responsible manner.”
Yassen Horanszky talked to students who got involved in Nexen’s ReachOut program which encompasses giving, matching and helping in the communities where we operate. The program, which demonstrates the heavy emphasis Nexen places on employee engagement in the community, was a highlight for some students.
“During my stay at Nexen,” says one emotionally charged student, “I volunteered at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and learned so much about the way [blind or partially sighted individuals] live and why [the CNIB] needs volunteers like me. I want to thank the ReachOut Employee Volunteer Program for providing me with the opportunity to get out there and help somebody in need.”
ReachOut is more than just volunteering. Nexen encourages employees to participate in their communities and give back what they can. Some, like NE B.C. Shale Gas student Jackson Dakin, even go so far as to give a part of themselves. Never having given blood before, his experience with the Calgary Corporate Blood Donor Challenge held at Nexen, led to him promise to “continue to donate blood whether or not I work for Nexen.”
Kelli Green talked to students about integrity and learned they were surprised integrity is featured so prominently in Nexen’s corporate culture. Many students commented that Nexen doesn’t just talk about policies and guidelines, like the ones in How We Work: Our Integrity Guide but actively applies them.
“Nexen was the first to get a drilling permit for wildcat exploration in the Gulf of Mexico following the BP incident. I think that really reflects our commitment to integrity and safe practices,” says Jason Rogers, a Global Finance Services student.
The Integrity Workshop, part of Nexen’s on-boarding program, was frequently mentioned in the interviews. Many of the students applauded Nexen for this practice – claiming this was their first time taking part in integrity training. They thought it was an excellent way to introduce core values and business practices to those new to the company.
When asked if working with Nexen has altered her view of integrity, Lisa Sills, Corporate Communications student, proudly replied, “It hasn’t altered my views, it just made them stronger.”
More than simply recognizing Nexen’s culture, these interviews show that students have embraced how we work and see the value it brings as they take this experience with them as they head out into the world.