Insight with Christopher Major, Global Talent Acquisition

Q: How did you perceive the changes in your working environment due to Covid-19? 

A: Fortunately, my own personal situation has not changed too much. My team is spread across multiple locations and countries, so there has always been a virtual element to what we do. Being unable to travel though for the past 18 months (and counting) has put an extra reliance on technology to help us stay connected. Here, we are lucky to have the support of a global IT team that has kept delivering the tools and platforms we need – to not only stay connected as a recruitment team, but also increase collaboration with our global stakeholders and streamline our candidate interactions. 

Q: How has the global talent landscape changed after COVID-19 and what has been challenging during the pandemic?

A: Great talent has always been scarce talent. That holds true for most segments, but especially I think for our niche industry, where the specific skillsets we need sometimes makes it difficult to find the people we need. 

COVID-19 has further exacerbated all of that, and from what I’ve seen, candidates now fall into one of two camps: either they feel their current environment is uncertain and are looking for a new opportunity, or they are very reluctant to leave what they see is a stable job in an unstable world, even for a potentially better opportunity. 

We are lucky though that we have such a great story to tell, and it seems to really resonate with candidates, no matter what situation they are in – that is, Siegwerk is a global industry leader, but is also family owned. That means we have all the opportunities, structure and resources of a truly global company, but we have maintained a close-knit feel, with high levels of collaboration and support. It’s a company that thinks like a global leader, but acts like a family. The best of both worlds! 

Q: What do you like most about working at Siegwerk? 

A: The people, the ideas, the support, the future focus – and working for a company you feel is actually making a difference in the world. People are valued here. They are listened to, and always treated with respect. I can’t think of an environment that I would rather work in.

Q: What is it that new candidates can expect becoming part of the Siegwerk family?

A: They will get to work for a company that has a purpose, and a conscience. Those ideals flow through to everything we do – from finding better ways to engage with customers, to sustainable product R&D, to developing our people and our leaders. Siegwerk is a company that keeps on evolving and improving. You can see that if you look back over the last 180 years, but even more importantly, you can see that if you look ahead. All new “Siegwerkers” get to be part of that story, working alongside a global team of 5,000 to disrupt the packaging industry and make the world a better place. 

Q: Apart from changing global talent landscapes due to the pandemic, another very important topic of our time is Circular Economy. What does CE mean to you? How would you describe the excitement we all feel around CE?

A: Recyclability and sustainability are such key topics now for every industry, and none more so than packaging. We have all seen first-hand in our everyday lives the impact plastics have on the environment, and to be able to work for a company that is having such a big, positive impact in that space is energizing for all of us. 

Circular Economy is the future. I think not just for Siegwerk as a company, but for the entire packaging value chain. The way the world consumes plastic packaging is a big problem, and I’m proud of the direction Siegwerk has taken here, to drive innovation and to ultimately be part of the solution.