Attracting and keeping talent, priorities for the CAAR

Attracting and keeping talent "is a challenge facing all companies and organisations. Automotive and mobility are facing a time of highly complex change and at the same time of great opportunity, in that it places people management at the heart of organisations as a driver of change", says Inmaculada Avellaneda, chair of the CAAR's Human Resources Committee. 

Avellaneda points out that the complexity is increased by the fact that "four or even five generations of people coexist in companies with different interests. The younger ones often look for concepts such as sustainability or diversity management, among others, in their work. They coexist with generations with different interests and needs, such as work-life balance and timetables. Therefore, we cannot currently lead teams as we did years ago, because in the face of such a profound change as the current one, the leadership style has to change, adapt and become more flexible. An example is teleworking, because we cannot lead in the same way face-to-face or remotely". 

 A mutual fit must be created between companies and workers, building talent loyalty and fostering intergenerational coexistence (Inmaculada Avellaneda)

Avellaneda stresses that "it is about talent management, incorporating key factors such as flexibility, continuous training, the ability to learn and work in a team together with critical thinking, aligning the strategic objectives of the company with motivated and committed workers. A mutual fit must be created between companies and workers, building talent loyalty and fostering intergenerational coexistence. The level of participation of companies in the Commission is very high, contributing and contributing to the functioning of the Commission, and to the creation of a community of exchange and support ".

Jorge Mateo, Director of Training, recalled one of the cluster's first actions in this area with the creation of a programme in Industrial Operations Management (DOI) "to respond to a very specific need of the cluster's companies, which has been running for eight editions and was only interrupted by the pandemic. The lack of talent was a problem that existed before COVID, and its impact has revealed the true extent of the problem.

 It is necessary a greater degree of flexibility of educational centres and authorities to adapt to the needs of companies (Jorge Mateo)

Mateo considers that "training is another tool for building loyalty. In this sense, it is necessary a greater degree of flexibility of educational centres and authorities to adapt to the needs of companies. For their part, companies must be aware that with fewer young people, we must know how to look first in Aragon, and also inside and outside Spain, transmitting the attractiveness of our industry and our companies". 

In the framework of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) for redundant workers, Avellaneda and Mateo comment that "for the last two years we have been professionally rehabilitating people who lost their jobs between November 2020 and 2021. To this end, we provide them with tools for technical and practical training. The project is enabling the re-qualification of some 300 people and, as far as 2023 is concerned, more than 6,000 hours of training have been given in the first half of the year, focusing on the concepts of reskilling and upskilling".

Lea este articulo en castellano

Article published in AutoRevista 2.382