Fortschrittsgedanken mit Thomas Wessel

I'm happy to. First, welcome to Evonik Industries. We've known each other for several years through Case, and I'm always keen on new topics and developments, especially from smaller startups. That was our connection, and we've worked together very well. Today I'm pleased to explore this new topic with you. Let me briefly introduce Evonik: we produce specialty chemicals—small ingredients, molecules that give our customers' products specific properties. We have about 32,500 employees and generate around €13 billion in revenue. Our EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) was about €2.15 billion in 2009/2010, reflecting attractive margins. Our business model of making small ingredients that create a big effect for customers and command a premium price works well, and customers are willing to pay for those specific properties.

We started years ago with an employer branding campaign initiative, which we refined about four years ago to "Explorer Opportunities, Grow Together." That's our promise to candidates. But a campaign alone isn't enough—we go into schools and engage with vocational training from the base up, and we do the same at universities. We have selected target universities worldwide for collaboration in innovation, R&D, and university marketing to attract talent. For about 1,000 hires per year outside of vocational training, we receive 25,000 to 40,000 applications globally, depending on the job market. Getting enough qualified, motivated candidates succeeds through a mix of these activities.

We're still in the early stages. We use tools to try to evaluate candidates. Since we work with target universities but also receive applications from many other universities, it's hard to assess how those degrees compare. Case helps us create transparency and a neutral evaluation. Figuratively, a 3.0 in Mannheim might be more qualified than a 1.0 or 2.0 in Bremen—I don't want to offend any university—but this puts things on a comparable basis. With over 19,000 different study programs in Germany, hardly anyone can evaluate all those specializations from HR or the hiring side. So algorithms and large data sets help us understand these effects better.

That's an exciting topic. Can algorithms be a solution? Diversity is key to our business success. We've defined five dimensions: gender diversity, age mix, internationality, cross-functional experience, and different business life cycles. We believe comprehensive diversity drives creativity, innovation, and success. Similar to how Case puts different degrees on a transparent basis, algorithms—if chosen wisely and with a proper learning curve—can help select candidates more neutrally, broadening our view beyond just the characteristics that have shaped our own careers. That's a crucial point.

What we've learned during the pandemic is that an efficient HR organization helps manage growth, restructuring, and employee needs. Our business is solid—two good quarters behind us, hopes for the third—so our growth and innovation plans remain strong. Yesterday we announced acquiring a US catalyst company. On one hand, we're managing growth and new roles; on the other, we handle reorganizations socially responsibly, supporting employees even when they need to leave. Across all areas, we need to professionalize, streamline processes, and free up time for core HR tasks: finding the right people in the war for talent, developing them through talent management, and having the right people in the right place at the right time—that's the 'royal discipline.' Algorithms and automation help us focus on that strategic part.

Thank you.