Shell Recruitment Day Graduate Briefing Pack, Nigeria
Contents
Introduction About the Shell Recruitment Day
Shell careers Background A walk through the Shell Recruitment Day What happens next? Appendices
1.
Travel and local information
2.
Expenses
3.
SRD venue
4.
Key contacts
5.
On the day
6.
SRD exercises
7.
Technical presentation
8.
Technical interview
9.
After the SRD
About the Shell Recruitment Day
Congratulations on being invited to join a Shell Recruitment Day (SRD), and thank you for agreeing to take the time to find out more about what Shell can offer you. As one of the routes into Shell, our Recruitment Days give us a chance to see you in action, assessing you across a variety of different work scenarios and observing how well you demonstrate the key competencies we’re looking for. The day gives you the opportunity to show us your potential and will help you decide if Shell is the right company for you. During the SRD, you will participate in a range of activities. The day includes exercises, interviews and a group discussion – enabling you to find out how well you cope in different business scenarios and assess your potential for business or technical leadership. It is a chance for us to observe you in action.
Before the Shell Recruitment Day Travel and expenses We will reimburse you for the cost of any reasonable or predefined expenses as long as you can provide receipts.
Please see appendix 1 for information on making your travel arrangements, appendix 2 for information on the reimbursement of expenses, and appendix 3 for information on the SRD venue. Accommodation It is likely that your hotel accommodation will already have been booked by Shell, covering the cost of your room and breakfast only. All other charges such as telephone calls will be charged to your own account, which you will need to settle when checking out. In some circumstances, you may need to book your own accommodation and receive reimbursement for the cost from Shell.
Upon a successful performance at the SRD, we will endeavour to find a suitable graduate opportunity for you within the Shell Group, and determine whether we will be able to make you a formal offer of employment.
To check what arrangements you need to make for your accommodation, please see appendix 4.
We look forward to meeting you and wish you every success in your journey with Shell.
To find out if an event is scheduled prior to your SRD, and for more details, see appendix 5.
Pack contents
Dress code Smart/business dress is recommended for the SRD (no jeans, t-shirts, trainers or sportswear).
This pack provides you with an overview of the event, its purpose and more information about the people who will be involved during the day. It contains: •
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An overview of the event Information on who you will meet on the day and the different exercises you will take part in Information and preparation forms for the technical presentation and technical interview – if you have applied for a technical role you will need to complete a technical presentation OR technical interview. Both require preparation before the SRD. Travel information and directions
Please read through this pack carefully to ensure you complete all the necessary paperwork before attending the SRD.
Pre-Shell Recruitment Day events Events may be scheduled for the afternoon/evening before your SRD.
Safety information At Shell we care about your safety and are committed to ensuring that Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) features as a key element of our recruitment and learning events. With this in mind, we have produced some safety advice to help you stay safe during your visit. Please be sure to read our safety guidance. Queries If you have any queries please telephone or email your Candidate Co-ordinator listed in appendix 6. Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer If you require an accommodation, any reasonable adjustments or special assistance for the Shell Recruitment Day, please contact your Candidate Co-ordinator.
About the Shell Recruitment Day
Shell careers
A career with Shell is not your average day job – it’s your chance to join a company that tackles real world problems, like how we will meet the world’s energy demands over the next half century. The world will need vast amounts of extra energy in the coming decades to reduce poverty and to meet growing global demand. How that energy is delivered will matter to all of us, to our children and our grandchildren. Energy will need to be produced in environmentally and socially responsible ways, including dealing with greenhouse gas emissions.
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Achievement: We’ll expect plenty of enthusiasm, resilience and confidence – you’ll be someone who can always get things done Relationship skills: You should have the character and ability to work effectively with others in a diverse team
We will also want to assess your technical abilities, if you’re interested in a technical career with us: •
Technical skills: Understanding and approaching technical issues coupled with an enthusiasm for technical challenge.
This is the energy challenge and Shell is committed to playing its part in building a responsible energy future. We are looking for creative, motivated individuals who can be positive about the benefits of energy and apply creative, persistent, problem solving to meet this challenge.
Please note: You will need to speak conversational English to take part in the SRD, but your use of English is not one of the selection criteria. If you are not a native English speaker you will be given more time to prepare where appropriate, and are welcome to bring a dictionary.
Background
Who will be involved? You will meet the following people during your SRD:
Why do we hold a Shell Recruitment Day?
Attending a Shell Recruitment Day gives us a chance to see you in action, assessing how you handle a variety of different work scenarios, observing how well you demonstrate the key competencies we’re seeking. It’s a two-way process, because it’s also your opportunity to find out about Shell and see if we are a good fit for your career aspirations and ambitio ns. What are we looking for? While your academic record was one of the reasons we invited you to attend an SRD, our experience has shown that excellent qualifications alone are rarely sufficient to be successful within a company as challenging, diverse and global as Shell.
We’ve identified the qualities that we believe are critical to high performance in Shell and we’ll assess you against our CAR(T) criteria: •
Capacity: You’ll need to bring the intellectual, analytical and creative ability to learn quickly, identify issues, make judgements and propose solutions
Participants – Usually, there are between four and eight candidates at each SRD. It is important to remember that you are being assessed as individuals. It is possible for everyone to be successful. Candidate Co-ordinator – The Candidate Coordinator is responsible for the logistics of the SRD, ensuring it runs in a smooth, timely fashion. The Candidate Co-ordinator is your first point of call should you have any questions during the day. Assessors – The Assessor team is made up of business leaders who make recruitment decisions for their business. Assessors are often also the line managers for recruits’ initial assignments. The role of the Assessor is to help you demonstrate your CAR(T) qualities. Usually there are four Assessors at each SRD. SRD Facilitator – The Recruitment Manager, who is responsible for managing your application will host the day. The facilitator is an expert on the running of the SRD and assists the Assessors in following best practice.
About the Shell Recruitment Day
A walk through the Shell Recruitment Day
In some circumstances, a social event will be held the day before the SRD. To see what provision, if any, has been made, please see appendix 5. The day itself Please note, you may wish to bring along reading/study material in case of any waiting time in between exercises.
The day generally comprises of three exercises: 1) case study 2) group discussion 3) business scenario interview or a technical presentation or a technical interview* * If you are applying for a technical role in any of our businesses you will undertake either a technical presentation or a technical interview depending on your level of study. If this applies to you, it will be stated in your covering letter, and you will need to prepare in advance of the SRD. Candidates for all other businesses will complete the business scenario interview, which requires no preparation.
The three exercises (with the exception of the technical presentation/interview) are based around the types of problems and challenges typically tackled by professionals within Shell. By using a variety of different situations, we give you numerous opportunities to demonstrate your personal strengths, skills and abilities in relation to the criteria of Capacity, Achievement, Relationships and Technical. With the exception of the technical presentation and technical interview, no preparation is required for these exercises. If you have expressed a preference for a career in Trading, you may also be asked to take a numerical test. Where this is the case, it will be mentioned in your covering letter and your Candidate Co-ordinator will send you background information and example questions by email.
To find out more about what will happen on the day, see appendix 5. For detailed information about the exercises you will be taking part in, see appendix 8. See appendix 7 for preparation notes for the technical presentation. See appendix 8 for the preparation form for the technical interview. What happens next?
At the end of the day the Assessors meet to review your performance and the extent to which you demonstrated the Capacity, Achievement, Relationship and Technical qualities throughout the day. This review is then used to make a decision on whether you successfully completed the SRD. If you were successful at the SRD, we will review your qualifications against our available job openings and determine whether we will be able to make you a formal offer of employment. You will then be advised of our decision. For detailed information on what happens after the SRD has taken place, go to appendix 11. Joining Shell means getting more out of your working life than you thought possible. We hope that you find the SRD a valuable, rewarding and ultimately enjoyable experience, and use it as an opportunity to find out if we fit your career aspirations and ambitions. We hope that you enjoy the SRD and look forward to meeting you.
Appendices
1.
Travel and local information
2.
Expenses
3.
SRD venue
4.
Key contacts
5.
On the day
6.
SRD exercises
7.
Technical presentation
8.
Technical interview
9.
After the SRD
Appendix 1: Travel and local information
Travel arrangements
You will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements to and from Venue. Travel expenses
We will reimburse you for the cost of your return economy travel and accommodation venue at Shell rates. Your destination:
You should arrive no later than 5:00pm on the first day and plan your departure for the second day. By bus
There are direct buses to venue from all major cities in Nigeria.
By car
Please consider alternatives to driving to the SRD, public transport is preferred. If this if your preferred mode of transport, please read more information on vehicle safety in our HSSE guidelines . Personal Insurance
It is your responsibility to arrange any appropriate travel insurance. Shell is unable to accept liabi lity for loss or damage to any items of luggage. It is advisable to take out appropriate cover with your travel agent but you will need to cover the cost for this yourself.
Appendix 2: Expenses
To reclaim any expenses, you will need to complete an expense claim form and either hand it to us on the day, or send it to your Candidate Co-ordinator by post after the event. Do not forget to include all receipts and your bank details so that we can pay the expenses directly into your bank account. Expenses can also be reimbursed by cheque or cash. What you can claim:
Visa
TBC
Taxi
Candidates residing in the same location of SRD will receive a taxi allowance. Rate as fixed by Shell.
Mileage
N/A
Rail fare
N/A
Air fare
Your economy return ticket will be reimbursed.
Bus fare
You will be reimbursed at the Shell rate if you travel by road from an outside location.
Car parking
TBC
Accommodation
You will be responsible for your own accommodation.
What you cannot claim:
Any expenses outside the above-mentioned will not be reimbursed.
LAGOS VENUE: Shell Petroleum Development Company
21/22 Marina Lagos
WARRI VENUE
Shell Learning Village Block W Flat 3 Edjeba Warri
PORT HACOURT VENUE
Shell Recruitment Gate 3 (Contractors Gate) Shell Industrial Area Rumubiakani Port Harcourt
Appendix 4: Key contacts
Candidate Co-ordinator is available to help you wit h any questions you may have leading up to your SRD. Name: Address:
Nkoyo Itegboje and Eyitayo Ajao The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria
Telephone:
08033458194 or 08070322126
Email:
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Appendix 5: On the day
A typical example of a Shell Recruitment Day: 7.00am
Registration and coffee
7.15am
Candidate Briefing
9.15am
Interviews
12.30pm
LUNCH
13.15pm
Interviews
16.30pm
Close
NB: Exercises and times are subject to change depending on the number of candidates and allocated preparation time.
Appendix 6: SRD exercises
1) Case study
This exercise is completed individually. You will be assigned a role within a fictitious company in an imaginary country and given one hour (one hour and 20 minutes if English is not your first language) to analyse approximately 20 to 25 documents related to the company’s activities, performance and environment. You will be given some background information about the company, including the various divisions and the country in which it operates, before the SRD. This information will form the basis for the Case Study and the Group Exercise. Information about your specific task will be given to you at the SRD.
read through the given information before you meet other committee members and choose which investment proposals to put forward. Your group will then meet as the Review Board with the other committees to agree the allocation of funds. The exercise is split into four parts: •
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After you have completed the preparation, you will be required to informally brief two assessors on: •
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Issues facing the company and the key actions you propose to take Potential implications for the company’s short, medium and long-term strategy and direction.
This five-minute informal presentation is followed by a 20-minute discussion around the issues identified and your proposed actions. You will be expected to outline the rationale for your proposals and be able to discuss the topic in a broader context, however, detailed technical knowledge is not required. During this exercise we will be observing the elements of Capacity, Achievement and Relationships. 2) Group discussion
The group discussion is completed in small teams. The scenario for the exercise is around social performance and sustainable development. Shell gives a proportion of its profits for investment in social projects. A Review Board made up of representatives from different committees agrees how to allocate the funds and make a recommendation to Shell. You will be asked to imagine that you are a community representative for one of the committees. You will first receive five minutes to
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You will first be given five minutes to read the information individually During the second part, you will take part in a 15-minute preliminary meeting with other members of your committee to decide which investment proposals you want to put forward to the Review Board for consideration. During the third part of the exercise, you will take part in a 25-30 minute Review Board meeting. Your task is to decide how to allocate the social investment funds and make recommendations to a Shell representative. In the final part of the exercise, you will take part in a press conference in which ‘journalists’ will ask you questions about your recommendations.
The exercise is observed by assessors who will be interested in finding out how your team works together, and how you manage the meetings in order to meet the desired objective. Even though you are working as a team you will be assessed individually. 3) Business scenario interview, technical presentation or technical interview a) Business scenario interview
There are two sections to this exercise, both of which last 20 minutes. In the first section, you will be given a list of business relevant problems from which you must choose one to analyse and think about potential solutions. You will have 15 minutes of preparation time, after which you will meet with two assessors who will ask you questions about your analysis. You are not expected to be an expert in the subject area. The assessors will be interested in your ideas on how you would manage the topic, your purpose,
actions and your ability to support your plan. You will not be required to deliver a formal presentation.
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The objectives of the work
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Your analysis of the main issues
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In the second section, you will be asked to provide examples of situations in which you have worked as a team and also how you have learnt or developed a new skill. b) Technical presentation
If you are applying for a technical role and have experience of conducting independent and original research or technical project work (for example PhD or MSc thesis work, or internship experience), you will need to give a technical presentation. If you are applying for a technical role and do not have this experience, you will complete a technical interview instead. If in doubt, please contact your Candidate Co-ordinator. You will need to create your technical presentation in advance of the Shell Recruitment Day.
You should prepare a 15-minute presentation on a technically relevant aspect of your academic research or work experience. The objective is for you to demonstrate both your research skills and creative technical abilities t hat are relevant to the role you are applying for. We will still be observing the elements of Capacity, Achievement and Relationships as well as your technical skills during this exercise. You are advised to look beyond the academic application of your project and expand the rationale behind your research and the wider consequences. Wherever possible, Assessors with expertise in your area will attend your presentation. Please follow the rules and guidelines below when preparing and conducting your presentation: 1)
Your presentation should focus on a relevant aspect of the area of your work which you feel best meets the overall objective
2)
The presentation should cover (as appropriate):
Your action plan, and who was involved in executing this plan in addition to you
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Your principal findings and conclusions
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Measurable results
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Your recommendations for further work (by you or by others) The implications of the work in its widest context
You will be given a maximum of 15 minutes to deliver your presentation, during which time the assessors will only stop you to seek clarificatio n. You are welcome to use PowerPoint slides/overheads but are limited to a maximum of 12 for your presentation. A projector/beamer will be available at the time of your presentation. Please note that you will be assessed on the content of your presentation and the subsequent discussions, not the ‘gloss’ of your delivery and view graphs, so it is important to use your preparation time to think about your content. Please do not spend a long time preparing overheads/slides - if they are written neatly, this is fine. After the presentation, you and the Assessors will engage in a discussion that may last for a further 30 minutes. Be prepared to talk about the content of your presentation and to discuss in a larger context beyond the academic level to possibly cover implications, solutions or impact. Please send your Candidate Co-ordinator the title of your presentation and a short summary (half an A4 page Word document) at least two weeks prior to attending the Shell Recruitment Day. A laptop with Microsoft PowerPoint, and a projector/beamer will be available on the day. We cannot guarantee the most recent version of Microsoft PowerPoint on our laptops, so we advise you to bring your presentation in a version compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, or your own laptop. Please be cautious with any confidential information.
c) Technical interview
If you are applying for a technical role and do not have experience of conducting independent and original research or technical project work, you will sit a technical interview. This requires preparation in advance of the SRD itself. You will need to prepare a short description of up to two projects that you have worked on that are technically relevant to the role you are applying for. The objective is for you to demonstrate your technical abilities that are relevant to the role. Your interview will be based on the information you provide on the technical interview form, which you need to submit prior to attending the SRD. You will then be asked additional questions on these projects. We will be observing the elements of Capacity, Achievement and Relationships as well as your technical skills during this exercise. Wherever possible, assessors with expertise in your area w ill attend your presentation. Please complete the technical interview form, giving your Candidate Co-ordinator a summary of one or two projects, and return it to the Candidate Co-ordinator at least two weeks before the SRD. Please be cautious with any confidential information.
For more information about the technical presentation, see appendix 9. For the technical interview preparation form, please see appendix 10.
Appendix 7: Technical presentation – notes for preparation
Background
As part of the Shell Recruitment Day, we would like you to give a short Technical Presentation. Two or three individuals who are currently working in Shell will observe your presentation. The presentation
Please prepare a 15-minute presentation on a relevant area of your own professional or research work. The overall objective of the presentation is for you to demonstrate your technical abilities. The presentation will be made to individuals in Shell who have a technical background, but some of them may not necessarily be from your discipline or area of expertise. Your presentation should cover the following:
You will be given a maximum of 15 minutes to deliver your presentation during which time the observers will only stop you to seek clarification. After the presentation, you and the observers will move to a discussion, which will last for a further 30-40 minutes. During this discussion, you should be prepared to talk about the subject in question and other issues that the observers may choose to raise. To make the presentation, you may use slides/ flipcharts. We suggest you use a maximum of 12 slides for your presentation. Please let us know the audiovisual equipment you require for your presentation.
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What were the objectives of your work?
What is being evaluated?
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What was the context for your work? (Be brief!)
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What were the main technical themes?
The observers will be looking at your ability to communicate technical information to an audience from a range of technical backgrounds, your approach to solving a technical challenge and your thoughts on the implications of your work.
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What approach did you take and key challenges that you faced? Who did you work/communicate with? What were the principal findings and conclusions? What were the measurable results? What did you learn from your research? We are interested in both technical and personal learnings. What are your recommendations for further work (by you or by others)? What are the broader implications of your work?
Please note that you will be assessed on your technical ability, which is demonstrated by the content of your presentation and the subsequent discussions. We will not be assessing your presentation skills, nor do we expect you to spend a long time preparing slides/overheads. Can you please advise the Candidate Co-ordinator of the title of your presentation and any equipment requirements at least two weeks before the Shell Recruitment Day.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Appendix 8: Technical interview – preparation form
Candidate Name: Study Discipline: During the Shell Recruitment Day you will have a technical interview in which you will be asked questions about a project that you have done which demonstrate your technical skills. The assessors wi ll be looking at your approach to solve the technical challenges, your thoughts on the implications of your work and also your ability to communicate technical information to an audience from a range of technical backgrounds. In advance of this interview, we would like you to prepare by describing one or two s pecific projects that you have done which you believe demonstrate your technical skills. You can use projects from University, work placements, internships or even specific research projects that you believe are relevant to the job for which you are applying. Try to choose projects that are recent, significant and relevant to the area that you are interested in applying to. Assessors will use the information you provide as the basis for their discussion with you and therefore you need to be prepared to provide further information about these projects. Alternatively, if you have not worked on any relevant technical projects you may wish to describe a body of research about a topic area that you believe is relevant to the job for which you are applying. The technical interview will last approximately 30-45 minutes. Remember, when preparing this information: •
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Be brief – simplifying complex technical information is a key skill for Shell employees and therefore we would like you to limit your description of each project to 150 words. Also, think about how you explain the technical information to individuals who do not know anything about your specialist area.
Select projects that you believe clearly demonstrate your technical skills
Use recent projects [within last three years] – you will need to be able to discuss these projects in some depth
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Think about your own personal contribution – it is common to discuss projects in terms of ‘we did’ and ‘the team did’, however, we are interested in what ‘you’ did Review your preparation carefully to ensure the information you have provided is cle ar to others who were not working with you during your project.
You need to complete this form and return it to the SRD Co-ordinator at least two weeks before the Shell Recruitment Day.
Project 1
What was the background to the project? What was your specific objective? What were the key things that you did? Challenges that you faced? Who did you work with on this project? What were the results?
Project 2
What was the background to the project? What was your specific objective? What were the key things that you did? Challenges that you faced? Who did you work with on this project? What were the results?
After the SRD At the end of the day the assessors meet to review the extent to which participants demonstrated Capacity, Achievement, Relationship and Technical qualities. This profile is then used to make a decision as to whether participants successfully completed the Shell Recruitment Day. You will be contacted within 72 hours of the SRD and provided with feedback on your performance as well as the next steps. In the event that we are not able to meet the timeline, you will be informed at the SRD of the earliest feedback period. You may also be asked for feedback on your experience. This will be anonymous and has no impact on any employment decisions. Finally…
We hope that you enjoy the Shell Recruitment Day and we look forward to meeting you.
