One of Henkel’s strategic priorities is to strengthen our global team. We do this by fostering the diversity, qualifications and performance of our employees. Because it is the team that counts – especially in economically difficult times. The personal engagement of our employees from 116 countries is the foundation of our success. The driving force behind our globally leading brands and technologies is people with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Henkel promotes a corporate culture based on fairness and team spirit, one which expects all employees to assume responsibility and rewards outstanding personal achievements. Target-oriented management, performance-related remuneration, regular assessments, and continuous learning create the conditions for this. We recognize our obligation to respect the personal dignity and guard the privacy rights of all of our employees, and to apply the principles of equality and fairness. Both of these elements are embodied as essential behavioral rules in our Code of Conduct.

A top priority at Henkel is the health and safety of all employees. We strive to continuously improve occupational health and safety. Specially designed programs promote good health and ensure our employees’ long-term capacity to work.

2009 presented special challenges for us all, requiring us to make difficult decisions and far-reaching changes. Unfortunately, these included cuts in our workforce. This was painful for us, but was essential in order to ensure Henkel’s long-term competitiveness.

At Henkel, we focus on the following core elements to strengthen our global team: