Group Management Report Products Safety and Health Environment Human Resources Social Commitment Consolidated Financial Statements 99
Corporate Culture as the Basis for Success –
On Site and Virtually
Of overriding importance for ALTANA’s corporate success are
its highly qualified, motivated, and dedicated employees.
They are our most important resource. So during the coronavirus
pandemic it was all the more important to ensure the
health and performance of each individual, both at our sites
and regarding the significantly intensified mobile work at
home. Even before the pandemic, ALTANA had set an impor-
tant course and implemented IT interfaces, secure cloud
solutions, and video conferencing technology throughout the
Group, as well as pushing ahead the digitalization of many
processes in the company. These advancements enabled us
to switch to mobile work mode literally overnight. From
remote in-house training using graphic tablet computers for
trainees to virtually conducted executive assessments –
working together largely on a digital basis quickly became
the new normal. And our employees mastered this task
with flying colors, which staff at the Wesel site confirmed
in a survey. On average, they gave 4.5 out of 5 stars in
response to the question of how well they had dealt with
mobile working. In our view, this result reflects much more
than just good technology and equipment. The real basis for
success is our living corporate culture, in which appreciation,
openness, empowerment to act, and trust were firmly
anchored even before the pandemic.
Expansion of Digital Further Training
As an attractive employer, we offer our more than 6,500
employees worldwide opportunities for individual training
and provide targeted support for their professional devel-
opment.
In the year under review, we introduced a new electronic
learning platform in the SuccessFactors HR management
system. The first digital training courses have already been
successfully completed via the new platform. The international
rollout will take place at the beginning of 2021. Apart
from e-learning, the new learning platform includes other
forms of training, which will enable us to offer employees a
broader and more global range of training in the future
as part of a digital learning culture. In addition, we created
further framework conditions to drive the further devel-
opment and digitalization of HR processes in connection with
the HR transformation that began in 2019. For example,
all assessment centers and leadership checks that ensure the
quality of personnel selection at ALTANA were revised as
planned in the year under review and adapted to the competence
model introduced in 2019.
Human Resource Development and Talent
Management
One focus of the ALTANA Group’s human resource strategy is
to secure the next generation of talent. Special emphasis
is placed on the establishment of consistent and global promotion
of internal talent. The continuous optimization
of human resource development programs, close accompaniment
of talent, and the identification of development
measures and perspectives are decisive factors here.
A key element of ALTANA’s management culture is
cooperation in international networks. This is also reflected
in all ALTANA human resource development programs and
talent measures. Despite the pandemic, in 2020, too, we succeeded
in maintaining these cross-company and cross-
national networks via digital channels and by further developing
the talent management process. Talent conferences
were held very consciously to give employees a clear signal
that their development is a high priority despite challeng-
ing framework conditions.