How ExxonMobil is building a future-ready workforce

ExxonMobil is passionate about learning and development. As a business, we invest in education and training in the areas where we operate: externally, by supporting STEM education around the world, and internally, through development opportunities for our teams. One example is the Digital Innovation Program (DIP) run by ExxonMobil Hungary. The program aims to prepare employees, and ExxonMobil as an organization, for the future, ensuring that the business and its teams have the digital skills to grow and innovate.

The program is open to all employees at ExxonMobil Hungary. It uses an online learning platform that allows participants to phase the hands-on learning at a pace that suits their roles and schedules, while also offering support and a sense of community. Learners are put into groups or “cabins” of around 10, each with their own forums, chats and regular meetings.

As part of the program, typically completed within a three-month timeframe, participants also work with mentors. The mentors are matched with each participant to suit their skills and individual learning objectives. “They’re experienced colleagues, predominantly from digital business teams, who help participants throughout their learning journey,” Tardy explains.

Mentors offer guidance on developing digital skills. This includes the personal project each participant completes, which is aligned with their functional priorities. Mentors assist learners with elements like defining the project challenge, choosing the right technology to address it, and making sure the product delivers real value.

Driving engagement and motivation

The DIP is focused on delivering real impact and value. It’s not about getting a certificate, filing it away somewhere and never thinking about it again. Enabling people to put the knowledge they have acquired into practice is a central part of the program. “It’s not only about the learning; it’s about applying it,” Tardy says. “We want to show people that there is a lot of benefit to investing their time in this.”

The personal project, which participants present to the lead country manager and the lead functional managers, helps provide focus, drive engagement and ensure a tangible outcome. “The program is designed in such a way that you have the right timeframe and the right commitment to execute your project,” says Biofuels Optimization Analyst and program participant Jordy van Ark. 

“We want people to feel motivated and engaged,” Tardy adds. “We also want people to think about what they would like to take away from the program.”  Delivering projects that could have a positive impact on the business before participants have even completed the DIP helps demonstrate its value. “It means management can clearly see the benefits of the program, which increases organizational buy-in,” Tardy comments. 

The DIP also involves supervisors and managers in the project at an early stage, to ensure learning objectives are right for the business, as well as for the individual. “We want to make sure this learning journey aligns with the organizational priorities,” says Tardy.

Evolving and adapting

The program launched five years ago. Since then, it has evolved significantly, including a full transformation in 2024 that established its current, practice focused format.

Tardy explains that the program will continue to develop – ensuring it keeps pace with technological advancements and evolving digital and business needs. “We’re constantly checking whether we’re providing the right content to meet the corporate needs of the future and navigate through transformation with innovation and resilience,” he says.

The DIP was developed from a concept previously used by the Upstream Unconventional business in Houston. Looking at what their Houston colleagues had done, the team in Hungary drew on that model and modified it for their needs.

The program is structured into three main phases: “Learn”, where foundational knowledge is built through an e-learning module; “Practice”, where practical exercises help participants gain and test skills; and “Apply”, where learners use their new skills in a value–focused business project.

A climate of innovation

Programs like the DIP foster an innovation-focused approach that benefits both the individual and the organization. It creates a skillset that can be used in whatever role the participants are in,” Tardy says. He adds that it also “encourages an agility that enables them to be a driver for organizational and digital transformation at ExxonMobil.”

With several successful DIP years behind it, ExxonMobil Hungary is now expanding the offering beyond digital, introducing several new programs under the umbrella of Future Ready. A worldwide initiative led by Global Financial Solutions (GFS), it aims to provide ExxonMobil employees with access to practical, hands-on learning opportunities. “We’re broadening this out and creating a framework where digital is one important pillar but not the only focus,” Orban says of the expansion.

The aim of the DIP and programs like it, Tardy says, is to empower employees, and prepare them and ExxonMobil for the future. And they can see that program participants are proud of their achievements and excited to take their learnings forward and share them with other teams in the organization.

Initiatives like the DIP help ExxonMobil and its staff embrace change and prepare for the continuous transformation required in today’s global business climate. And, as Tardy comments, it creates “motivated employees who are equipped with the right skills and mindset to compete in the operating environment of the future.”