Putting Talent at the Centre An Evolving Imperative for Manufacturing 2025

Frontline Talent of the Future pilot participants demonstrated that there is no silver bullet or one- size-fits-all approach for solving talent. Rather, each site faced unique challenges and overcame them by investing in different innovations and capabilities. Consider the following examples: 2.1 Investments in capabilities must match local talent strategy Western Digital in Prachinburi, Thailand faced a significant technology shift in the hard disk drive industry, which necessitated a focus on efficiency as the site resized its operations. While the highly technical nature of the industry made finding skilled talent difficult to begin with, the site’s rural location compounded the challenge. When circumstances required a radical business transformation, including investment in Fourth Industrial Revolution technology, automation and intelligent work re-design, the site was pressed to upskill its workers and maintain a high engagement level. It partnered with universities and technical institutes to develop technical skills training, shifting 37% of the workforce to jobs at higher technical levels – but it went further to assist workers and maintain engagement. Recognizing the importance of helping employees expand their skills portfolio, the site took a unique approach by offering classes such as baking, e-commerce, and hair styling. The site’s efforts yielded improvements in engagement (14%) and held the attrition rate steady amid difficult circumstances.CASE STUDY 1 Western Digital – Prachinburi, Thailand Flex in Althofen, Austria, is known for a high mix of technically complex products that require an extremely skilled and engaged workforce to produce. Already, fierce competition for talent is compounded by its rural location. To address this, the site focused heavily on attraction, engagement and retention. This included building a talent pipeline by investing in high school programmes and apprenticeships, increasing the number of apprentices by 20%. They also created a programme to upskill workers from non-traditional manufacturing backgrounds. To increase engagement, the site worked to develop managers’ skill sets while providing clear career development pathways. These efforts led to a 7% increase in the rating of direct managers.CASE STUDY 2 Flex – Althofen, Austria There is no silver bullet or one-size- fits-all approach for solving talent. Rather, each site faced unique challenges and overcame them by investing in different innovations and capabilities. 16 Putting Talent at the Centre: An Evolving Imperative for Manufacturing