Our people
Every Syngenta employee plays a fundamental role in the performance of our business. Who we are, what we stand for and what we offer in terms of career growth and personal development are our strongest tools for attracting and retaining the best people.
Therefore it is critical that we communicate this effectively to our existing and potential employees. In 2008, we redoubled our efforts to ensure that our people understand the important contribution they make to significant global challenges, and to reinforce the message that our work matters for society.
With more than 25,000 employees in over 90 countries, the success of our business depends on attracting, retaining and developing the most talented and motivated people. Our key message: ‘Our work matters’ is highlighted throughout our careers site – the first port of call for prospective new recruits – and is experienced by employees through various touch points during daily life at Syngenta.
Encouraging our people to realize their personal and professional potential is central to our culture. We aim to create a stimulating work environment that nurtures talent and creativity, challenges our people to develop skills, and recognizes achievements. We value diverse backgrounds and want to ensure our people can balance work and family commitments. We offer attractive incentives and career development opportunities to keep employees engaged and motivated.
Our objectives
Attract and retain the most talented people
Our approach
We aim to attract and retain the best people by creating a healthy working environment and providing excellent development opportunities, as well as offering competitive rewards.
| People retention | 2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employees (no of permanent personnel)1 | 24,148 |
21,242 |
19,544 |
| Part-time employees2 | 716 |
713 |
749 |
| 1 | Employee numbers are presented as full-time employees |
| 2 | Excluding new employees from Goldsmith and SPS |
| Number of employees by region 2008 | ||||||||
|
| Turnover rate by age group | 2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover rate <35 | 3.8 % |
4.2 % |
3.1 % |
| Turnover rate 35-50 | 3.9 % |
4.8 % |
4.5 % |
| Turnover rate >50 | 2.0 % |
2.7 % |
2.4 % |
