Chevron's welcome mat is out for ex-employees
A summary of the article featured in the Houston Chronicle Feb. 11, 2010

Jay Swearingen loves to fish.

So when he retired from Chevron Corp. two years ago after spending 36 years in offshore production and operations in the United States, South America, Asia and Africa, Swearingen was ready to put up his feet and relax.  Hurricane Ike disrupted those plans when it destroyed his cottage at Crystal Beach.

“There's nothing left,” he said. “Not a board or a shingle.”

Figuring it would take a while to rebuild, Swearingen began thinking of going back to work. Other companies were calling with offers, but something better landed in his lap — a job opportunity from an old boss at Chevron.  Like many companies, Chevron has an online alumni network to keep up with its former employees and, for those who are interested, to provide an opportunity to come back as contract workers. Three weeks after he signed up, Swearingen got a call that Chevron was forming a team in upstream capability and needed an operations consultant.

“I thought it would be easier coming back,” he said. “I knew operations. I knew people. At some point I worked with just about everyone.”

Bringing them back

That familiarity also appealed to Chevron as it's trying to lure its former employees back into the fold through a program called Alumni Bridges.

“The value they bring back and the knowledge they bring back is what we're really interested in,” said D'Renda Syzdek, human resources counselor and former Alumni Bridges program manager. They know the culture and the people, and they are a known quantity.

“We know they're good performers,” Syzdek said.
 
Bringing back former employees is also cost-effective. Chevron contracts for them through agencies that agree to lower their fees in exchange for not having to recruit, saving Chevron 25 percent to 60 percent, Syzdek said.
 
Bringing former employees back also sends the message to its current employees that it values work-life balance, said Cathy Clonts, president of Alumni Web Services, which designs alumni networks for corporate clients, including Chevron's. It shows the company is flexible, Clonts said, which is an important message to send to employees, whether they're caring for young children or aging parents or just want less demanding schedules.

When it took off

Chevron's program was launched initially about 10 years ago but didn't really go anywhere, Syzdek said. Not many ex-employees came back as contractors.

But when Bridges was linked to the online alumni program two years ago, the effort took off. Its membership has grown from 30 former employees to about 475, mostly through word of mouth.  It's like an applicant tracking system, including resumes and performance reviews. Applicants can specify the kinds of jobs they're interested in, whether they want full- or part-time work and where they're willing to work.  To be eligible for consideration, ex-employees must have left the company in good standing and received good performance reviews, and must have kept up with the industry through professional associations or work. Depending on their pay grade, former employees must wait 12 to 24 months before returning.

Syzdek wouldn't disclose the exact number of ex-employees coming back as contractors, but she said positions filled include project managers, procurement and human resources specialists, earth scientists, facilities engineers, information technologists, and health and safety professionals, as well as operations and business administration positions.

Money saved

The next step is to encourage managers to use the program, said Jessica Hulen, Bridges manager. She said she's sending out a memo soon to let them know it's available and how it works.  “We'll be talking about the significant cost savings,” she said. “That gets the attention of upper management.”

Meanwhile, Swearingen lives in Kingwood while working on plans for a new beach cottage. He is committed to three days a week at Chevron, a flexibility he enjoys.  “I never miss a tee time or a fishing trip,” he said. “It's a nice way to work in retirement.”