Putting Talent at the Centre An Evolving Imperative for Manufacturing 2025

To streamline the hiring process and optimize talent attraction, Aramco implemented an Al matching selection and forecasting tool. By filtering resumés and accurately aligning candidate profiles with the organization’s needs based on analysis of large data sets, the tool highlights potential hires with skills anticipated to be in demand. For example, it flagged digital and instrumentation technician candidates with expertise in emerging technologies, ensuring strategic hiring decisions. This refined process has not only enhanced the quality of new hires but has also improved operational efficiency. It reduced the overall time to fill by 43%; meanwhile, new hire satisfaction percentage rose by 36%, reaching a 99% satisfaction rate.CASE STUDY 11 Aramco uses AI Matching to optimize talent selection – Saudi Arabia Building distinctive capabilities for operators and supervisors is crucial. Due to rapid innovations in technology, it’s crucial to have a robust approach to reskilling. Additionally, leading companies make sure to measure the return on investment (ROI) in learning programmes regularly to inform future strategies. They often partner with universities, technical schools and governments to develop strong training methods and programmes. They focus on creating multi-skilled employees and measuring the coverage of critical skills across their sites. When development is combined with skill mapping to identify and document both technical and non-technical skills required for each role, leaders are increasingly finding ways to improve the quality of training and learning outcomes while reducing the total time required. The maintenance team at Unilever’s Pouso Alegre site was overwhelmed, focused primarily on reactive basic maintenance. They restructured job responsibilities and created the role of technical operator with an aim of providing autonomy operators by reducing their dependency on maintenance. The operators with a high degree of technical aptitude received three months of training. To provide additional opportunities, especially for women, the company partnered with Senai, a technical school, and offered scholarships in automation, mechatronics and mechanics. Scholarship recipients attended night classes for one year before becoming technical operators. Unilever’s various initiatives have created upward mobility into technical careers – indeed, technical operators now represent about 12% of the operators on the floor. The programme has increased OEE by 4%, reduced breakdowns due to basic conditions by 42% and decreased maintenance activities by 35%. It has promoted 10 technical operators. Overall, it has enhanced skills, improved efficiency and encouraged a culture of continuous improvement and autonomy. CASE STUDY 12 Unilever develops technical operators programme – Brazil Talent development 21 Putting Talent at the Centre: An Evolving Imperative for Manufacturing