We foster a collaborative and supportive culture, and maintain people practices that focus on individual growth.

Attracting & Retaining Top Talent

Nexen is a knowledge-rich company where the talent, commitment and expertise of our employees provide a competitive advantage. That's why we offer challenging, interesting careers with competitive rewards that attract a skilled and engaged workforce. At the end of 2012, we had approximately 3,200 regular employees worldwide (including regular, rotational and expatriate employees).

Measuring Engagement

One of the tools Nexen has used since 1999 is a best employers study. The feedback we receive from this survey is shared with management who use the information to improve our human resource practices, including programs aimed at strengthening individual performance, career opportunities and recognition. The survey also provides feedback on communications effectiveness and the process improvements we can implement to make our company more efficient.

Employee participation in our 2012 engagement survey was at record high of 75% indicating our employees are playing an active role in making Nexen an even better place to work. Results show we’ve made gains over last year’s survey in 15 out of 21 engagement drivers including employee health and well-being and manager effectiveness. Our top scores are in the areas of corporate social responsibility, providing a safe and secure work environment and employees valuing their interactions with co-workers.

In response to employee input, we’ve taken action on a number of fronts:

  • We continue to enhance the performance management process by providing consistent tools and education in order to build line of sight for all employees between their individual goals and overall company objectives. New training was introduced in 2012 to ensure managers are able to have more effective performance conversations with their employees. In addition, Nexen's Leadership Traits have also been incorporated into the performance management process for 2013 to further drive high performance through how we work.
  • We're creating more structured career management and leadership development programs, which include our Technical Talent Framework – a technical assessment process aimed at accelerating the development and success for technical staff. We've also implemented three programs for all managers at every level of the organization to enhance leadership skills through a partnership with the globally renowned Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
  • We continue to drive improved communications through channels including Nexen’s Way, which clarifies our company’s purpose, values, goals and strategies.
  • In terms of work processes, we restructured our recruiting process and revised the approval process in order to speed up our ability to hire talented individuals.

Supporting Communities though Employment

Nexen is committed to providing meaningful employment opportunities to Canada’s Aboriginal people. This includes striving to build a workforce more reflective of the Aboriginal population in the communities where we operate as well as ensuring Aboriginal people are hired at all levels of the organization.

To do this, we utilize targeted recruitment strategies such as Nexen's summer student employment program, as well as participation in campus career fairs and Indspire’s Soaring Career Fairs. Nexen assists Aboriginal communities with building capacity for educational success through an Aboriginal scholarship initiative and funding for various university-based scholarships. Nexen also actively supports educational programs such as Sunchild E-Learning, the Martin Aboriginal Educational Initiative, and the Ch’nook Aboriginal Management Program at the University of British Columbia. At Nexen, engaging with the students and celebrating their successes is important, which we do through activities such as graduation ceremonies. The organizations and Aboriginal communities they serve benefit from our involvement, as does Nexen. We not only contribute to strengthening the Aboriginal workforce but also enhance our understanding of diverse Aboriginal cultures across Western Canada.