Theatrical, rotten culture full of burnout and greed - Commercial Trading Operator Shell Employee Review

1.0
6 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will be paid extremely well, but not *so* well when you take into account the sheer amount of mental anguish that you'll have to endure to "shine" with the other loyal worker bees who play their part in the humiliation ritual of buzz words like "accountability" "the right fit" and "adding value".

Cons

The company proudly displays DE&I posters and champions buzzwords about inclusion, but in practice, these values are performative at best. The trading floor remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, with women severely underrepresented in upper leadership—if present at all. The culture often feels more like a fraternity locker room than a professional corporate environment, and the conversations you'll hear on the floor will reflect this. This may seem like just a normal job, but you'll come to learn it is not. You’ll frequently hear phrases like “the right fit” tossed around in meetings and seminars. On the surface, it sounds harmless—but it's coded language, used to subtly signal who belongs and who doesn’t. Translation: if you don't fit the traditional macho legacy of oil & gas furniture employees, or challenge the status quo to ANYONE - you are unlikely to thrive. There is an unusually high rate of burnouts at T&S, particularly among women employees, and this is also ignored by leadership. The amount of burned out people has to be in the dozens and this is terrible for morale, because everyone knows WHY but no one dares talk about it. Traders—nearly all men—operate in a high-pressure, all-consuming environment where working until 8pmi is normal and you’re expected to adopt that same mindset whether it's explicitly explained to you or not. Renewables? Once considered a growth area, they’ve been deprioritized. Constant reorganizations signal instability, and any meaningful talk about sustainability is undermined by the relentless focus on profits. In reality, this is a casino cosplaying as a corporation, ever so playing the part of a future-forward company while clinging to a very outdated playbook.

Explore other reviews about Shell

5.0
8 Apr 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
30 Apr 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.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All