Advantech Global Diversity and Equality Policy
To foster workplace diversity and work equality, Advantech has long been promoting global workplace gender equality through measures such as a gender-neutral salary system,fair and impartial performance evaluations and promotion systems, flexible work hours, support for women in management positions, and an emphasis on women‘s family care. The Company also continues to optimize workplace benefits, including increasing maternity leave to nine weeks (full pay) and paternity leave to ten days (full pay) in 2024.
At Advantech, we make sure that hiring conditions are not influenced by gender, race, religion, political stance, or marital status, and that salary structures are fair and equitable. We have stipulated clear global recruitment strategies to enhance employee diversity. Moreover, through internal diversity training and talent development channels, we continue to mitigate fundamental differences arising from physiological or psychological differences among employees. The Company regularly reviews salary and remuneration-related indicators across different regions and job categories or job bands to build a diverse and equitable workplace.
Advantech formed the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) team in 2023 along with its DEI promotion strategy and blueprint.
Current Initiatives by Advantech's DEI Team
Proportion of Female Employees/Female Management
As a high-tech manufacturer, Advantech recorded a slight increase in the percentage of female executive level supervisors and female employees in STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics)fields compared to the previous year. Since 2023, the statistical scope has been expanded to include global locations of operation, providing more comprehensive and representative data disclosure. In 2022, the scope was broadened to Advantech‘s six significant locations of operation (including South Korea, Europe, and the United States). Additionally, the definition of "supervisor" in 2022 became more rigorous compared to 2021, with the threshold for junior/management-level supervisors raised from Grade D (Section Manager/Assistant Manager) to Grade E (Manager level) and above.
More than one-fifth of Advantech‘s management team at our global headquarters(management team - Advantech) consists of female supervisors. In 2017, Ms. Linda Tsai was promoted to President of Intelligent System Sector, becoming one of the Company’s three Presidents and our highest-ranking female supervisor. Exemplify the spirit of succession and gender equality among professional managers.
In 2024, two indicators met their targets: the “percentage of female in executive level management positions" and the "percentage of female in STEM-related positions".
The remaining indicators exhibited a slight decrease compared to last year, primarily due to a rise in the percentage of employees who did not disclose their gender after the personal data disclosure consent procedure was implemented in 2024. In line with the DEI policy, Advantech respects employees’ choice not to disclose their gender. The percentage of employees with undisclosed gender increased from 0.21% to 1.21%. Within various categories, the non-disclosure rate for “percentage of female supervisors”, “percentage of female junior/management-level supervisors”, and “percentage of female supervisors in profit-generating units” increased to 1.2%, 1.3%, and 1.2%, respectively, thereby leading to a slight decline in the reported figures.
Currently, female employees account for 41.5% of all Advantech employees. In particular, female supervisors account for 21.6% of Advantech‘s supervisors. In 2025, Advantech Taiwan‘s target is to increase the percentage of female employees to 42% and the percentage of female supervisors to 24%.
(1) Advantech disclosed data for three major regions (Headquarters, China, and Japan) in 2021; in 2022, it expanded the disclosure to six major regions (including Korea, Europe, and the United States); in 2023, it broadened the scope to include all global operating locations.
(2) Advantech conducted the Global Job Band alignment in 2022, where global jobs were divided into bands A to H. Junior/management-level supervisors (manager level) were classified as Job Band E, while executive level supervisors (including Assistant Vice President level and above) were classified as Job Band F and above.
(3) As of 2023, the scope of data disclosure was expanded globally to include other regions (including Indonesia, Mexico, India, Czech Republic, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Canada, and Israel). In these newly disclosed regions, the employee structure shows a relatively higher proportion of males in STEM positions, resulting in a lower overall proportion of female employees and a lower proportion of female employees in STEM positions in 2023 compared to 2022. Gradual optimization will be implemented in each region.
Employee engagement survey
By upholding a management philosophy of actively caring for employees, Advantech values the opinions and feedback of each colleague and is committed to creating an open, inclusive, safe, and healthy workplace. The Company is consistently guided by its core values, targeting four key aspects such as people-oriented environment, integrity and honesty, excellent innovation, and altruistic contributions. Advantech continually enhances its focus on employee benefits and strengthens two-way communication between the organization and employees through annual employee satisfaction and engagement surveys. This approach fosters a people-oriented work culture and a comprehensive benefits system, shaping a corporate environment that nurtures potential and respects diversity.
To ascertain employee needs and their overall engagement, Advantech was the first company to introduce an annual company-wide employee satisfaction survey mechanism in China in 2018, paving way for two-way dialogue between the organization and its employees. In 2021, the survey scope was expanded to include the European region (covering all non-management employees) and the Taiwan region (via a representative sample of 50 individuals), gradually establishing a global survey framework. Since the launch of the survey, the annual satisfaction and engagement index has remained consistently above 90%. In 2021, the survey achieved a global coverage rate of approximately 72.1%, serving as a critical foundation for the Company to enhance employee relations and optimize the workplace.
In 2023, Advantech consolidated and optimized survey mechanisms across its global locations, designing a standardized questionnaire comprising seven key aspect and 35 questions, available in four languages. The survey scope covered 20 countries/regions globally, including the six significant locations of operation: Advantech Headquarters, China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States.
In 2024, Advantech fine-tuned its survey planning by restructuring the assessment framework and commissioning a well-known consulting firm to conduct the employee engagement survey. The questionnaire design encompassed four major themes and twelve aspects and was administered in ten languages across six significant locations of operation. The survey collected opinions and feedback from employees across all global plants/units, while the goals and outcome of relevant analyses will be disclosed as a valuable reference for continuously enhancing employee engagement and organizational cohesion. In the 2024 employee engagement survey, all regions were covered, with 8,890 employees invited to participate. A total of 7,116 responses were received, resulting in a response rate of 80% and an overall employee engagement score of 85%.
(1) The overall engagement statistics are the outcome of a weighted calculation: sum of (engagement by region * number of respondents by region)/total number of respondents
(2) The number of people who should fill out the questionnaire include all Advantech employees, including interns and cooperative education students. (This scope was included for the first time in 2024)
(3) The engagement rate calculation method at Advantech China's Kunshan plant was revised in 2024.
Furthermore, in conjunction with the Corporate Strategy Transformation 2030 (CST 2030) vision, we are promoting a competency-based structured training system to better utilize talent.
Employment of People with Disabilities
According to Taiwan's "People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act", the number of employees with disabilities with the capability to work in a company shall be no less than 1% of the total number of employees. If the weighted total value fails to meet the standard, the Company must regularly pay the “differential subsidy fee” to the disabled employment fund of the competent labor authority. Advantech is legally required to employ 37 people with disabilities. As of the end of 2024, the Company employed 36 people with disabilities, resulting in a weighted employment ratio difference of one person. In light of potential fluctuations in the number of employees with disabilities, Advantech will voluntarily hire an additional two people with disabilities to exceed the 1% target. The Company also actively monitors resumes of people with disabilities through government employment assistance agencies to continue maintaining the proportion of employees with disabilities and fulfill its corporate responsibility of offering people with disabilities employment opportunities.
In addition, all employees with disabilities are actively involved in the Company’s operations. Before reporting to work, Advantech assist them with commuting routes, work processes, and other practical aspects according to their respective disabilities.
After reporting to work, adequate assistance in terms of personnel, equipment, and workplace is provided to them to ensure they can work with peace of mind and apply their skills.