Energetic environments: How ConocoPhillips’ offices play an important role in the company’s ‘Who We Are’ culture

KEY POINTS:

• Alluring atmospheres set the tone for maximum business performance, collaboration
• 2023 SPIRIT Award-winning team delivers office enhancements in key North American locations
• From modern workstations to high-tech conference rooms, amenities deliver a differential experience

BY GUS MORGAN

A source of great pride among employees, ConocoPhillips’ offices play an integral role in the company’s culture and identity, their design and functionality establishing an atmosphere of productivity and collaboration.

These facilities, physical reflections of the company’s reputation and SPIRIT Values, serve as work hubs for ConocoPhillips employees.

Hence the importance of maintaining and modernizing these facilities. This work, managed by Real Estate & Facilities Services (REFS), manifests itself in offices brimming with functional amenities. From sit-stand workstations to high-tech conference rooms to colorful artwork, such office features empower and inspire employees to do their best work.

In 2022, REFS employees, in conjunction with their colleagues in Human Resources (HR) — a group known as the North American Real Estate Engagement Strategy Team — implemented several office improvement and integration projects to enhance employees' workplace experience. For their efforts, ConocoPhillips recognized the group with a 2023 SPIRIT of Performance Award.

"This team’s work had a big impact on our culture," said HR and REFS Senior Vice President Heather Hrap. "This team was responsible for a number of things that have lifted the spirits of our workforce. Aesthetics matter in the workplace. From the natural light and sit-stand desks to complimentary beverages and recreation rooms, all of those little things add up to your reaction to your workplace, and we should not underestimate how much that means to our employees."

"We could not have achieved success without the support of our executive and senior leaders," said Transactions, Permian Facilities and Compliance Manager Brandon Kerr, who was part of the award-winning team that delivered the improvements. "They deserve a lot of credit for enabling us to improve our facilities.”

The team focused on finding ways to provide a differential work experience to both existing and prospective employees. An essential part of the process was gathering employees' input through surveys and forums to ensure the upgrades reflected their needs.

"Employees enjoy coming into a safe, clean, vibrant and collaborative workspace," he said. "Our facilities influence our culture at ConocoPhillips. They are part of our brand identity and communicate our ideals and visions to employees and visitors alike."

Kris Sava, manager, Houston, Canada Facilities and Site Security, said the work went to the heart of the overall objectives of the REFS organization that views customer services as a critical component in ensuring the team delivered on their objectives.

“Throughout the project, the team was focused on delivering outstanding customer service in a way that values all people, relationships and perspectives,” he said. “Engaging with the employee base to help understand their specific needs led to an outcome that had a positive impact on workplace culture.” 

Daylon Eads, manager, HSE and Facilities Engineering, said the projects — and their impact on the company's culture — were the product of getting to know and understand customers' needs.

“The REFS team strives to learn as much about our customers as possible," he said. "The way people work can be different from site to site and group to group. The goal in any project is to coordinate company and employee needs while maintaining a flexible, consistent approach to design, HSE and culture.”

Modernizing and restacking

In 2022, the North American Real Estate Engagement Strategy Team handled four office modernization projects in Midland, Anchorage, Calgary, Bartlesville and Kenedy.

In response to the company’s Lower 48 additions of Concho Resources and Shell's Permian Basin assets and subsequent Permian re-organizations, the team developed and implemented a plan to accommodate approximately 1,000 new employees and contractors through a series of office restacks, a process that entails rearranging physical spaces and optimizing employee placement to enhance productivity and communications.

Additionally, the team handled reorganization-driven restacks in Houston and Bartlesville, over 5,800 moves. The team also introduced enhanced amenities at several sites, including new recreation rooms, new food and complimentary beverage offerings, and expanded Wellness hours.

Jackie Cervantes, manager, Property Tax and Employee Services, said ConocoPhillips’ 10-year anniversary was an opportunity to roll out many of the enhanced services.

“The 10-year anniversary was a perfect time for us to implement sustainable services that are fit-for-purpose throughout our North American locations,” she said. “It was not only a great celebration, but it was a terrific time to implement some simple programs that we knew would be welcomed by employees.”

Lower 48 Functions Human Resources Director Kate Hoback said HR members of the strategy team handled the employee communications and change management involved with the reorganizations and restacks.

"Our objective was to make sure the changes didn't negatively impact our employees or their ability to operate," she said. "Employee feedback was a critical tool for us in developing solutions that foster collaboration and belonging during a period of significant change."

In Calgary, Vice President Corporate Services Billie Korsunskiy said that facility enhancements were a direct result of listening to feedback received from the organization. 

“These enhancements reflect a shared commitment to our Great Place to Work business goal,” she said. “After two years of working from home during COVID, our welcoming office space has helped to rebuild connections between our people, which has nurtured our wellbeing and strengthened our culture and community.”

In Bartlesville, Human Resources Shared Services Manager Nikki Benson said employees welcomed the renovation activities, with enthusiasm running high for the upgrades. Moves associated with this project began in June of 2021 and continued into August of 2022.

"I was so proud of all of our employees who were impacted by the Bartlesville restack," she said. "They did a great job of being flexible and focused during the transition. Between an extremely organized REFS team and crew, and an engaged and excited employee workforce, the restack project was actually fun."

Alongside the HR work, Information Technology experts delivered critical technical support during the facilities upgrades and restacks. 

Consolidation and synergy capture

In addition, the team handled timely real estate dispositions through subleasing and early lease buy-outs in Houston and Dallas. They also disposed of excess real estate in Midland, managed field-office consolidations and transitioned out of company-maintained worker camps in the Permian. 

Our locations are a source of pride for our employees and are an extension of our company's culture and principles.

“The results of this work reinforced the company’s commitment to our ‘Who We Are’ culture and demonstrated the team’s focus on effectively integrating new facilities into our portfolio, substantially improving existing facilities and providing high-quality office space and services,” said Real Estate & Facilities Services Manager Kevin Startz. “Our locations are a source of pride for our employees and are an extension of our company’s culture and principles."

While each of ConocoPhillips’ North American offices are unique and fit for purpose, REFS ensures employees and clients experience the same level of service at each location. Consistency, sustainability and inclusiveness are key components of REFS’ customer-service-minded approach.

“Customer service is at the core of everything we do,” Startz said. “It’s our secret sauce. We want our facilities to be a unique experience for employees. While all our facilities are a bit different, when you step into one, you know you’re in a ConocoPhillips facility. It's not just about the way our facilities look; it's also how you're treated while in one."

In addition to North American real estate projects, REFS is focusing on opportunities around the world. "We want to ensure the company's locations reasonably align," Startz said.

OFFICE ENHANCEMENTS: Check out four office refresh projects the North American Real Estate Engagement Strategy Team helped coordinate in 2022:

Midland

More than 700 ConocoPhillips employees work in the company’s Midland office complex, the former home of Concho Resources. The buildings are named Concho Center One, Concho Center Two and Concho Center Three. “The buildings retained their previous names, which reflect their heritage,” said Midland and West Texas Facilities Manager Renaldo Works. “We’ve done a great job of merging our two cultures on what is a first-class campus here in downtown Midland.”

Throughout the Midland office complex, more than 600 desks were converted into sit-stand workstations.

“Our work environment is excellent,” Works said. “We've made some great updates to what was already an outstanding campus.”

The Midland office features a healthcare clinic, a cafeteria, a coffee bar, a childcare center, a fitness center and a recreation room.

In Alaska, work is continuing on a refresh project at the Anchorage Tower Office (ATO), a project that started in 2019 with the first-floor reception area.

More than 550 ConocoPhillips employees work in ATO, which is the tallest building in Alaska.

ConocoPhillips Alaska Facilities Supervisor Bob Bland said each of the 21 floors that ConocoPhillips occupies in ATO are being remodeled. To date, nine floors have been remodeled, with the 13th floor being the latest transformation.

"It takes about three months to remodel each floor," Bland said, "and we do everything possible to minimize disruptions as we upgrade the character and functionality of our client's workspaces."

Employees are reaping the benefits of the upgrades that include new offices, updated coffee/break areas, huddle spaces, LED lighting, restroom improvements, mothers/wellness rooms, computer training areas and high-tech conference spaces.

The Alaska REFS team is also exploring other ways to improve the employee experience, including a wellness center refresh and other amenities commonly found in Houston. 

As an ATO tenant, ConocoPhillips is also participating in the building’s atrium remodel, as it's a favorite place for employees to hang out. In addition to the work at ATO, REFs managed the remodel of the business unit's Alaska Aviation Operations offices last year.

Calgary

Around 650 ConocoPhillips Canada staff work in Gulf Canada Square in downtown Calgary, occupying floors five, six and seven and part of nine.

“We have a beautiful office space,” said ConocoPhillips Canada REFS Director Melanie Russell, “and we put a lot of time and effort into maintaining it.”

One of the business unit’s corporate goals is to be “a great place to work,” and Russell’s team is focused on making that happen, ensuring workers have everything they need to excel and delivering enhancements where possible.

For instance, Russell’s team transformed an outdoor rooftop area into a relaxing patio space.

“People like to sit outside on the patio and have a coffee,” she said. “It’s closed now because of winter. But we're looking forward to the spring. Once the snow melts, we’ll be back out there. It’s a great spot for events and gatherings.”

In addition to the patio, REFS recently installed new cardio equipment, TVs and speakers in the wellness center. "Our wellness center is a little gem we have in the basement, and it supports our focus on wellbeing," she said. “We also installed two Bevi sparkling and flavored water machines in the building, and those are very popular."

In Bartlesville, the Plaza Office Building (POB) refresh involved the replacement of vintage office furniture with new furnishings on the second through 15th floors of POB as well as on the fourth and six floors of the Information Center.

Bartlesville-based colleagues now have programmable sit-stand desks as part of a furniture set that includes lateral file drawers, a bookcase, a storage tower and a mobile storage pedestal. In addition, wireless chargers were added to all desks.

An estimated 900 employees were impacted by the project. The work required employees to be temporarily relocated from floors where the refresh was being done. 

“Our employees are very pleased with their new workstations,” said Bartlesville Facilities Manager Scott Sabine. “We set out to build a functional environment that provided a sense of wellbeing for employees. The project has been a huge success and it shows. Our space has a light, modern feel. It’s uplifting.” 

Prior to moves beginning, REFS implemented a clean-up campaign to encourage colleagues to properly reduce, reuse or recycle any items that they no longer needed. Of the old furniture that was removed during the project, an estimated 1.4 million pounds of it was recycled or repurposed.

“We’re very happy with the way this project turned out,” said Jon Baccus, Manager, Strategy and Planning, Bartlesville and Field Facilities. “This was a very comprehensive project that impacted employees throughout our downtown Bartlesville campus. But despite the scope of it, we were able to complete this project on time, under budget and with no safety incidents because of the great people who we had working on it.”