PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

In 2018 we were successful in recruiting the people we needed to support our company’s growth, ranging from technicians building our products, to service engineers delivering high-quality support to our clients and people in R&D driving our innovations.

Our total workforce grew from 2,043 persons to 2,327 persons which includes 2,181 employees, a total increase of 14%. This required hiring 659 people, an increase of 5% compared to 2017.

The number of employees within R&D positions increased by 9% to 544, which reflects 25% of ASMI’s total workforce.

The voluntary attrition rate of ASMI is the total number of permanent employees that voluntarily left the company. Over 2018 our voluntary attrition rate was 9.9%. At the end of 2018, as part of our continuous monitoring of ASMI’s workforce trends, we conducted a deep-dive analysis, focusing on short-term voluntary attrition (leavers with < 3 years tenure).

In 2018, we completed the assessment of 271 critical positions as part of our Succession and Talent review process.

Through our exit interview process, we investigate and analyze reasons for turnover, to help improve our HR processes and policies. The feedback received from exit interviews is also used to drive improvements and help retain talent going forward.

DIVERSITY

ASMI is an equal opportunity employer. We recognize and respect the differences between individuals and we understand that these differences can include ethnicity, religious beliefs, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, family status, physical ability, experience, and perspective.

While operating in 16 countries, in 2018 we continued to employ a workforce consisting of 29 nationalities, In terms of gender, 15% of our workforce is female, which is comparable to peers in our industry.

Our diversity is reflected in the international spread of our workforce, which for 2018 was 59% in Asia, 25% in America and 16% in Europe.

ETHICS

Our Code of Ethics applies to our Supervisory Board and Management Board, and to all our employees, consultants, contractors, temporary employees and critical suppliers. The Code of Ethics promotes honest and ethical conduct throughout our global operations. The full Code of Ethics can be found on our website.

TRAINING

For new employees, training starts on the day they begin working with ASMI. They are required to familiarize themselves with the Code of Ethics and associated policies and processes within the first week of employment and complete all the required training. In 2018, 100% of our new hires signed off on having read, understood and agreed to the Code of Ethics and completed the required training. In addition to the initial training, we also require all our employees to take refresher training every two years. In 2018, 99.9% of all our employees completed the bi-annual Code of Ethics courses.

COMPLIANCE

Under the governance of our Ethics Committee, which reports to the Management Board, we continually track our performance against our goals and improve our ethics management system and performance. We continue to strive for zero ethics violations.

In 2018, one concern was reported through our SpeakUp! system, while four cases were reported via other channels to the Ethics Committee. All incidents were fully investigated and, in those cases involving violations to our Code of Ethics, appropriate actions were taken according to internal policies. The Ethics Committee reviewed all cases and approved the measures taken.

AWARENESS

We work continuously to both increase awareness of and promote ethical behavior. In 2018, we issued two publications to all employees through our global CONNECT! internal newsletter. The articles highlighted relevant topics, such as ethics in product development and giving or receiving gifts and entertainment.

GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

In 2018, we improved our gifts and entertainment protocol. We implemented a corresponding system that enables ASMI to monitor the use of giving and receiving gifts and entertainment.

GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

In 2018, we had no reports or evidence of any human rights violations or abuses within our global hiring or employment practices.

HEALTH & SAFETY

Our safety goal is ZERO HARM! Any incident or injury inspires us to push ourselves further to identify the risk and prevent the exposure. We continue to set an annual target that strives for achievement of our ultimate goal, ZERO HARM!

Our key performance measures are aligned with our industry and peers, and allow us to benchmark our performance year-on-year. The key measures include an overall injury rate indicator and a recordable injury rate indicator, which is an indicator of serious injuries requiring medical attention or days away from work.

In 2018, our total injury rate showed a 4.8% improvement from 2018, while our recordable injury rate improved over 11%. Both indicators are at a record low since we started measuring 12 years ago.

OUTLOOK

To ensure ASM’s business growth strategy and to support the company's future, it’s our mission to continue to attract, develop and retain the required workforce.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND WELL-BEING

One of the most important connections we make is with the communities in which we operate. As a global company, we have roots in local communities in Europe, North America and across Asia. In 2018, we participated in a number of new community efforts. In all cases, we are proud to provide support for programs that are important to our employees and that address important community needs.

In 2018, teams at our Singapore locations, volunteered to help stamp out hunger. The Singapore team collaborated with the Food Bank Singapore, a charity that aims to fight hunger and reduce food wastage in Singapore. They acquire donated food, and make it available to those in need through a network of member beneficiaries. Employees in Singapore were asked to bring non-perishable food items to the company. In August, 341kg of food was packed and delivered to the Singapore Food Bank.

In the summer, temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona can reach extremely high levels.  Under such conditions, people need clean, cool drinking water to stabilize their core body temperature and reduce the risk of dehydration and heat stroke. However, not everyone has access to such an important commodity. So ASM Phoenix employees worked together in the month of July to collect and donate 321 cases of water to members of the elderly and homeless communities in Phoenix. The water drive provided over 14,000 recyclable bottles of water for underserved and at risk persons in our community.

JetNet aims to inspire children and teenagers to learn more about technology and to stimulate them to consider a technical education and career. ASMI actively supports JetNet as partner organization. We joined the platform in 2015, by developing a close relationship with Almere High School to promote Technology classes.

In 2018, we engaged on four different occasions with students from Almere High School. In March, ASMI participated in the EU program ‘Something4nothing’. ASMI presented a marketing related business case to the project team with students from Denmark, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the Netherlands. The student teams delivered a proposed solution after a week.

During the summer period, ASMI hosted a Girls and Boys day with an introduction to students of “the world of ASMI” and challenges in the form of technical experiments and games. In September, we organized a mathematics class during a project week in which students had to apply their mathematical skills to a complex calculation related to a wafer handler in a Vertical Furnace.

SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH LIMITED JOB PROSPECTS

As part of ASMI’s commitment to corporate responsibility, ASMI is exploring how to support people with limited job prospects due to their health, mental or physical condition. This initiative is part of the Dutch Prestatieladder Socialer Ondernemen (PSO) program, the Dutch scheme for social entrepreneurship, to encourage employers to make a sustainable contribution to the job market.

In 2018, we implemented the findings based on the results of an internal analysis conducted in 2017. In November as part of the application for the PSO certification, we were audited by certified external experts. The audit outcome provided ASMI with the certificate at ‘Aspirant status’. In cooperation with an external advisor, we are now focused on obtaining the Level 1 certificate in the coming two years, confirming our commitments to corporate responsibility.