WACKER’s success is based on the dedication and expertise of more than 16,000 employees worldwide. It is therefore an absolute top priority to give them further training opportunities and obtain new talents for the company.
“We Are Working on Solutions for a Better Future”
What makes WACKER a good employer? What can the company offer employees with high potential? What roles do diversity and an international mindset play? In this interview, Personnel Director Angela Wörl discusses these points.
Ms. Wörl, you launched a new employer branding campaign called “We are WACKER” in 2023. What makes WACKER a good employer?
WACKER is a company with traditional roots and a long history that has reinvented itself time and again. In our changing world, we evolve continuously – and so does our culture. Our employer branding campaign defines who we are and what we stand for – both internally and externally. Three words are key: reliable, resolute and ambitious. WACKER is reliable because we act for the long term. For us, strong and long-term partnerships are important – both with our employees and our customers. We are resolute in the way we invest in the future and put all our energy into achieving our goals. We are ambitious because we tackle the problems of our time and develop trailblazing solutions.
WACKER has a long history spanning more than 100 years. How does a company so steeped in tradition remain attractive to young talent as well?
Our experience has always made us strong for what lies ahead. Multiple aspects make a company attractive. The most important for me are that we offer challenging work and give employees responsibility early on. As an innovative chemical company, WACKER makes a vital contribution to improving the quality of life around the world. Our solutions make a better world for generations. That is our corporate purpose. Our products are indispensable for global megatrends, such as digitalization, renewable energies and electromobility. We – and I mean all of us at WACKER – make a vital contribution here. As a company, we live by the principles we stand for.
One in
3
management positions
should ideally be in female hands by 2030
A global employee survey was held at WACKER in 2023. What surprised you most about the results and what do you want to focus on?
Motivated employees are crucial to our success. That is why we regularly survey our personnel to find out where we can be even better as an employer. I was especially pleased that the results reflected a strong sense of loyalty and identification with the company. Although this did not surprise me, I felt it was very positive – especially after the Covid years. One area where we see scope for improvement is in communicating our strategy and goals. It is important that every single employee understands exactly how they – at a personal level – can contribute to achieving our goals. We want to become even better at getting everyone on board.
You are the only woman among WACKER’s four Executive Board members. That roughly reflects the proportion of women at the company. What is WACKER doing to increase diversity?
Diversity has multiple dimensions. It is integral to our strategy because we are certain that bringing together different perspectives and attitudes makes us more effective, successful and resilient. In our strategy for 2030, we have set clear targets at the Group level for two of these dimensions. In 2030, the aim is for about one in three leadership positions to be in female hands and for half of management positions to be located outside Germany. In some cases, additional targets are in place for specific regions.
You have Executive Board responsibility for Asia. How do you view the topic of internationality at WACKER?
WACKER is a company that operates around the globe. What’s more, we generate most of our sales outside Germany. Our success is based on our proximity to customers – on our strength in a region for the region. As a result, our solutions for Asia increasingly come from our local teams there. The aim is to strengthen not only local production, but also R&D and other functions in those regions where they are needed. This does not change the fact that our roots are in Germany, where our heart lies.
In 2024, WACKER is relocating within Munich to WACKER House, the new headquarters. The building is not only an architectural highlight, it will also promote new forms of teamwork. What are your expectations?
With WACKER House, we have a state-of-the-art building in a prime location in Munich’s “Werksviertel” district, where we will be creating a new working environment that nurtures communication and creative exchanges. WACKER House will be a place for meeting, collaboration and inspiration. At other sites, we have already created similar working environments – for example, our Innovation Center in Ann Arbor, USA. We bring teams together there, too, promoting innovation and agile work methods. In South Korea and Japan, too, WACKER has started adopting new approaches to working in an office.
Finally, let’s take a look into the more distant future. WACKER in 2030. What do you see?
am certain that we will achieve our strategic growth targets. In 2030, WACKER will be stronger and more diverse and sustainable than it is today. Together, we will steadily develop our culture, never losing sight of our purpose. Following this path, we will continue working successfully on solutions for a better future in 2030.