To attract talent, many chemical companies are enticing prospective employees not just through salary but through the career path they offer – and the values they represent.

The chemical industry is already playing a central role in addressing many of today’s global challenges and is likely to play an even greater one in future. This includes enabling the circular economy through innovative recycling solutions, supporting the fight against climate change through lightweight high-performance materials and finding innovative process solutions for customers.

But this is not all. The industry is also helping to find ways of coping with urbanization and population growth, with agrochemicals, water treatment and food additives. Successful companies are bringing all of these facts to the forefront of their employer branding and taking steps to improve public communication of the impact they deliver.

Beyond their value story, chemical businesses also need to present a career in the chemical industry as highly compelling and capable of matching the expectations of young ambitious individuals. Many companies have increased the speed at which progression is possible within their organization.

Where it would traditionally have taken an entry level engineer up to four years to reach an “autonomous” status, some employers are looking to halve career development timescales. This has been made possible by different learnings paths (e.g. blended learning academies), further developed candidates, but also a conscious decision to transfer responsibilities earlier within controlled scope.

The creation of more mentorship schemes is also providing employees with advocates who are offering advice, independent from the influence of their line managers. A mentor can help guide a new employee at the start of their career and provide support throughout their time within an organization. Such schemes are helping individuals to progress faster and enabling companies to retain their staff for longer.

Where companies have a high percentage of mature staff, the high number of retirements – and that potential loss of know-how – is a major concern. But there are other factors to take into consideration with an ageing workforce too.

These include the reduced capacity of these members of staff. This doesn’t just refer to physical capabilities but, in some countries, also the increased propensity for absence due to a provision known as “Opa Tage”, or “Grandpa Days” – which can provide senior employees with up to 50 days of leave per year. This requires companies, for example, to manage and balance the mix of personnel within each shift team.

The creation of data models that can match staff resources to shift requirements is helping to resolve this challenge. These models can go further, however, and help organizations plan for the future. They can forecast resource requirement for the months and years ahead, identify potential gaps and inform recruitment strategies.

Through this ability to strategically plan future resources, the improvements being made to career prospects, and the development of enhanced employer branding, chemical companies have practical levers which need to be used to address the workforce challenge.