Capability Shift
Advancing digitalization, demographic change and the need for sustainability are changing market requirements and therefore also the way companies work. As a result, various job profiles are changing and new training occupations are emerging that combine sustainability and new technologies.
Festo is focusing on the capability shift in order to remain a reliable partner for its customers in the future. Together with its employees, Festo is engaging in a continuous learning process in order to remain an attractive employer for new talent, and systematically to qualify its employees at an early stage.
Diversity management
Diversity is a key success factor for Festo and not only shapes society, but also our corporate culture. Diversity and appreciation for people in their uniqueness, from different cultures, with individual concepts of life and skills, has been part of Festo's corporate culture since it was founded.
The topic of diversity is also relevant as part of our sustainability strategy and contributes to UN sustainability goals 5, 8 and 10. In order to take the right steps into the future, a position for Diversity and Inclusion was created in 2022. The central activities started in Germany in 2022. Local teams are already active in some national companies and clusters.
Diversity Charter
In 2022, Festo signed the Diversity Charter. The aim of this self-declaration is to set a clear signal for diversity both internally and externally. In the future, we want to be more aware of and promote our self-image for the diversity of the workforce.
The Diversity Charter describes diversity in four levels. The focus is on the personality. This is influenced by the core dimensions that cannot be changed from the outside, the outer level and the organizational level.
Employee Networks
Women@Festo – the Women’s Network at Festo
Women@Festo is a network of women for women within Festo. Here you can fall back on learning tubes or webinars for specialist knowledge. The network offers space for women to share their experiences and to support each other, and it promotes collective forethought, reflection, and thinking outside the box.
Women@Festo is open to all female employees who:
- Want to help shape the future of Festo together
- Want to develop personally and professionally
- Want to support cultural change and shape diversity at Festo
- Want to actively take advantage of opportunities in the company
- Want to expand their network and get to know other dedicated women
Proud@Festo – the LGBTIQ Network at Festo
Proud@Festo is the LGBTIQ network (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersexual, Queer) at Festo. The aim is to connect LGBTIQ people and employees who stand up for the visibility of diverse identities and lifestyles and for a tolerant community.
Specifically, the focus is on:
- Promoting visibility and acceptance
- Creating a space to network
- Acting as a point of contact for employees and management
- Providing input on LGBTIQ issues at the company
- Supporting Festo’s corporate responsibility
- Representing Festo in an LGBTIQ context outside the company
Diversity by Nationality
We are convinced that mixed teams can work more creatively and efficiently than homogeneous groups. In the area of origin, we continue to benefit from the cultural diversity of our workforce. This diversity helps us, as a company that is active in around 60 countries, to understand the specific needs of our customers worldwide.
Attractive Employer
Lifelong learning is ingrained in Festo’s DNA. At Festo, employees benefit from the combination of in-person events as well as e-learning. Ongoing digitalization is leading to a greater focus on virtual training at Festo. Beyond that, Festo offers other benefits that make us an attractive employer.
Vocational Training
We view it as our responsibility to train young people and then employ them as qualified professionals. This is why vocational training is a top priority at Festo and can be seen as an indirect value-adding process for retaining employees.
The advantages of cooperative education programs at Festo are, on the one hand, the alternating periods of classroom instruction and practical training to reflect on and apply what has been learned. On the other hand, rotating through different departments encourages trainees to actively participate right from the start, thereby facilitating their direct entry into later working life.
Our international locations are growing and the search for suitable skilled workers is not always an easy task here either. For this reason, we have adapted the cooperative education model from Germany at some locations abroad.
Figure left: The number of trainees from 2021 to 2023 by country.
Occupational Safety
Safety – in particular occupational health and safety – is a fundamental part of Festo’s corporate philosophy. Compliance with and the implementation of the safety requirements serves to protect our employees and the company’s assets. The aim is to continuously reduce the risk of accidents and health hazards.
Our global safety standards are enshrined in the integrated management system and laid down in an international manual. They are proactively revised on an ongoing basis and are based on internationally applicable standards, regulations, and Festo’s internal requirements.
In addition to the legal requirements, findings from audits carried out and input from the Festo network also ensure that the information is up to date.
Festo has already implemented a certified ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system at its locations in Budapest, São Paulo and Shanghai. Local systems, also based on ISO 45001, are in place at the other Festo sites with production and logistics.