Industry Talent Cultivation and Development

Talent Attraction and Retention

Under the challenges of the post-pandemic era and the transformation of talents from the new generation, Advantech has gradually adjusted and developed diverse and flexible recruitment methods to cope with changes in the talent market. We take “Right People on the Bus” as the core concept of recruiting talents, and emphasize the trait of “Altruism”. We adopt the strategy of “we first find the right person and then decide what he or she should do”, and let the right key talents work with Advantech to create a vision together. Also, professionals who possess innovative potential across a range of fields and functions by means of diversified recruitment channels and flexible recruitment projects are attracted to join the Advantech family. Advantech's goal is to attract, cultivate and retain altruistic and enthusiastic talents by providing outstanding talents with unlimited development space and diverse possibilities.

Advantech Featured Recruitment Program - Elite Series

With the core idea of “Right People on the Bus,” Advantech utilizes the Elite Program to foster a deeper mutual understanding between the company and talented individuals. The Elite Program aims to identify critical talents (A Talents) and offers tailored recruitment activities based on different talent backgrounds. These activities range from industry-academic internships and entry-level positions to experienced industry professionals. Through a diverse range of Elite Program recruitment activities, Advantech invites targeted key talents to join the company.

    Elite program
  • Elite Champion - Recruit high-potential elites with more than three years of experience
    For the recruitment of high-potential industrial elites with more than three years of experience, talent identification will be conducted via phone interviews and pre-ranking before the event, and executive-level supervisors will be invited to participate in on-site interviews on the day of the event to identify and recruit A Talents.
  • Elite100 - Training and recruitment of talents with less than three years of work experience
    For the training and recruitment of entry-level talents or graduates with less than three years of work experience, executive-level supervisors will share Advantech's cultural values and career directions. The session will be conducted in the form of group interviews (preliminary face-to-face interviews) to discover outstanding talents for various job positions. Thereafter, a secondary interview will be carried out to select outstanding talents.
  • Elite100 internship - Undergraduate junior, senior, and graduate internship project
    The internship program for undergraduate juniors, seniors, and graduates allows Advantech to reach out to promising students in advance. By observing their performance during the internship, the Company can consider whether to extend their internship or offer them full-time positions.

Elite programs

Internal employee referral

In response to the challenges of talent transformation among the new generation and the difficulty in manpower recruitment, Advantech also strives to diversify its talent recruitment channels and has devised improvement plans for its recruitment strategies. Recognizing the high suitability of candidates referred by internal employees, Advantech substantially increased the internal talent referral bonus at its headquarters in Taiwan in 2023. The referral bonus was raised from NTD 10,000~20,000 to NTD 15,000~30,000 (depending on the job position of the referred candidate). We believe that, new employee hires referred by internal employees were better suited to their jobs than those recruited via other channels, making internal referrals an important talent source for the Company.

Elite programs

Talent Retention

Advantech's industrial characteristics of small volume and diverse products, emphasis on innovation, and flexibility, as well as its global presence, offer employees opportunities for cross-field transfers, cross-border collaboration, and overseas work, allowing them to benefit from diverse career choices. The Company will continue to optimize its promotion, performance evaluation, and employee development planrelated mechanisms to provide employees with a platform to pursue their careers. The Company will also develop comprehensive education and training courses to nurture and train outstanding talent. Furthermore, Advantech will engage in market salary surveys to provide employees with competitive remuneration. An outstanding employee selection event is held annually to acknowledge employees’ exceptional performance and enhance their sense of belonging. Advantech is also committed to supporting employees' lives. Through the Advantech ABLE Club, employees are encouraged to innovate, learn, experience life, and give back to society after work (please refer to 5.2 Employee Communication and Benefits). Support employees' longterm development and growth through diverse programs.

Diversified Career Development Opportunities

  • Multinational Cooperation/Overseas Job Opportunities

    Advantech boasts locations around the world to support the international development of employees and encourage employees to apply for vacancies at various global locations. In addition, they can keep up with the rest of the world by collaborating with employees from different countries, enriching their professional career and personal interests. Through engaging with international teams and sharing viewpoints, Advantech can foster talent that embraces diversity and broadens horizons, in turn becoming more innovative problem solvers and value creators. Advantech also encourages the implementation of cross-border projects that enable employees to gain valuable experiences.

  • Internal Transfers – My Career +

    Advantech supports employees in their long-term career development within the Company. The senior management has taken the initiative to shape a corporate culture that encourages internal transfers. Since the official implementation of the global human capital management system, Workday, in 2023, the internal transfer mechanism, My Career+, has become more streamlined, providing employees with channels for skill growth and expansion through a more open and transparent process. In turn, this helps them to broaden their horizons, thereby cultivating cross-departmental talent. My Career+ facilitates the transition process, not only promoting internal talent mobility and training all-round outstanding talents but also furthering the objective of talent retention.

Development Program

Employees are the drivers of corporate growth. Advantech considers talent cultivation and development a crucial strategy for sustainable operations, and we are building a comprehensive learning ecosystem through physical training and digital learning. Our training and development system not only emphasizes management leadership development, professional skills enhancement, and cross-departmental knowledge exchange, but also applies data analysis and learning effectiveness evaluation to ensure that training programs can deliver tangible results.

In 2024, the total number of full-time employees (excluding interns and contract workers) across Advantech’s Headquarters (including business units, logistics units, and Advantech Taiwan), China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North America, accounting for over 80% of the global workforce. Total training expenditures reached NTD 30,587,833, resulting in a per-employee training cost of NTD 3,708.96. The total training hours (combining online and physical courses) amounted to 845,505 hours, averaging 102.5 training hours per-employee.

Advantech will optimize training experience, enhance learner support systems, and design more targeted learning models, aiming to improve employee learning engagement, practical application skills, and longterm benefits. In the future, we will continue to monitor various indicators to ensure that various education and training programs achieve their expected goals and will constantly adjust our strategies to address new challenges. Furthermore, to further enhance user experience, careful user interface (UI) adjustments will be implemented to make the learning process more intuitive, convenient, and effective. In 2025, we will optimize the interface structure and interaction methods, streamline operational processes, and enable employees to easily access the necessary courses and resources.

Advantech Academy: Learning Framework of Four Major Academies

The Advantech Academy is structured around four main academies of "Management, Professional, General Education, and New Employee Hires". Based on employees' career development needs, we can offer corresponding learning resources and courses to guarantee adequate growth opportunities for every employee. The framework covers Advantech's global employees, including indirect, direct, part-time, and contract employees. The key projects of various academies in 2024 are described below.

1. Management Academy: Cultivate management talent

To improve the professional competence of the management team, enhance competitiveness, and promote the long-term development of the organization, Advantech continuously plans and offers a series of management development courses. These courses aim to improve supervisors' managerial skills, including leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. Through these courses, supervisors can learn and improve these key skills to manage the team more effectively, achieve goals, and enable team members to reach their full potential, thereby bolstering Advantech's corporate structure.

  • Global APEX Program: Cultivate future leaders and extraordinary talent

    Advantech launched the Advantech People of Excellence (APEX) Program in 2023 to cultivate high-potential leaders and professional talent. In 2024, the Program was upgraded to the Global APEX Program by assembling 35 global elites. Three Presidents and Vice Presidents were appointed as mentors, while executive level supervisors, directors, and external experts were invited to conduct lectures. Through knowledge sharing and themed discussions, the program aims to strengthen participants' decision-making and leadership capabilities. Advantech introduced practical exercises to this program, focusing on strategic analysis and proposing action plans for the Company's key sales issues, thereby enhancing the practicality of learning outcomes and organizational impact. Taking the IoT Automation Sector as an example, organizational transformation issues are addressed through the APEX Program, which helps the team clarify strategic priorities, establish cross-departmental collaboration mechanisms, and optimize the organizational operating model. This project effectively boosted growth momentum in the second half of 2024, resulting in a 9.6% increase in the IoT Automation Sector's revenue compared to the first half of the year, demonstrating a clear positive correlation between talent development and sales performance. Upon completion of the program, top performers are integrated into the Individual Development Plan (IDP) framework, supported by coaching and mentoring mechanisms to ensure that their learning achievements are effectively translated into long-term growth. Since the program was launched, 55 high-potential talented people have been cultivated, and 19 were successfully promoted in an effort to continue nurturing Advantech's future leaders!

  • Executive level supervisors: CST workshop - Corporate operating framework transformation counseling program

    In 2024, Advantech launched the CST (Corporate Structure Transformation) 2032 project, promoting growth-driven systems, organizational operations, and digital transformation. To facilitate the Company's transformation, the CST workshop was held to cultivate executive level supervisors' strategic planning and problem-solving skills. From April to July, 32 executive level supervisors from four major fields, including Automation, iHealthcare, IoTMart, and iCity Service participated in three workshops and two project counseling sessions. They were able to fortify their transformation mindset, drive business innovation, and foster cross-departmental collaboration, laying a robust foundation for Advantech’s future growth.

  • Middle management: Managing down

    Advantech promotes managing down courses to strengthen middle management's goal setting, delegation management, and performance feedback skills, thereby enhancing teamwork and management performance. The courses utilize extensive case studies and scenario-based exercises to help supervisors master core skills such as adapting leadership styles, employee motivation, problem-solving, and effective communication. In 2024, two sessions were held for 58 middle management. Training will be expanded in the future to cultivate outstanding leaders equipped with precise management skills, thereby promoting the stable development of the organization.

  • Junior management: Coaching-style counseling

    Since 2023, Advantech has introduced coaching-style counseling courses to reinforce the communication and coaching abilities of junior and middle management, thereby enhancing team management effectiveness. The courses apply systematic instruction and case studies to train supervisors' key communication abilities in different situations and strengthen their leadership within diverse teams. In 2024, two sessions were held for 65 middle and junior management. Training will be continued in the future to cultivate more competitive management teams, thereby promoting the long-term development of the organization.

  • 100 Reading Program/100 Reading Club

    To fortify the eight core competencies (digital competency, strategic competency, leadership, operational competency, international perspectives, market insight, management competency, and innovation) of junior and middle management, Advantech officially introduced the CommonWealth Leader Campus (CWLC) in 2022, allowing supervisors to improve their skills anytime, anywhere. To enhance learning application, Advantech launched the "100 Reading Plan" in 2022, encouraging supervisors to utilize this platform and read 100 articles within a year. In 2024, the program was expanded to include general employees, and 71 supervisors completed the goal of reading 100 articles within a year. To extend the impact of the 100 Reading Plan and strengthen the implementation and application of digital and physical blended learning, nine "100 Reading Club" sessions were conducted in 2024, inviting the Company's executive level supervisors and external experts to share insights and exchange ideas on specific core management competencies. A total of 186 participants attended the reading club.

2. Professional Academy: Reinforce professional skills

Advantech unveiled the CST (Corporate Structure Transformation) project in 2024, with corporate growth-driven systems, organizational operating model upgrades, and digital transformation as its three core directions, forming the Company's future development blueprint. To ensure the effective implementation of the plan in cultivating key talent, Advantech has further established professional academies to provide systematic learning resources and reinforce the organization's core competitiveness. The AI Academy, focusing on digital transformation goals, strives to cultivate internal AI technical talent, accelerating the application of AI technologies across various business units, and enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities. Meanwhile, the M&A Academy, in conjunction with the corporate growthdriven system, aims to strengthen the team’s professional competencies in market expansion and corporate growth strategies through training in mergers and acquisitions and investment expertise.

  • AI Academy: AI certification course, GenAI internal contest

    To expedite AI technology development and drive digital transformation, Advantech has partnered with Microsoft and UCOM to launch AI certification courses. These courses systematically cultivate employees’ AI expertise and offer opportunities to obtain certifications, thereby enhancing their professional competitiveness. In 2024, 108 employees participated in the "Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals" course, while 62 employees took the advanced "Designing and Implementing Azure AI Solutions" course. Those who pass the test can apply for rewards based on the HR certification management system. The certification test will be held in the first quarter of 2025, promoting the Company's AI technology strategy and elevating market competitiveness.

    To expedite AI technology development and drive digital transformation, Advantech has partnered with Microsoft and UCOM to launch AI certification courses. These courses systematically cultivate employees' AI expertise and offer opportunities to obtain certifications, thereby enhancing their professional competitiveness. In 2024, 108 employees participated in the "Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals" course, while 62 employees took the advanced "Designing and Implementing Azure AI Solutions" course. Those who pass the test can apply for rewards based on the HR certification management system. The certification test will be held in the first quarter of 2025, promoting the Company's AI technology strategy and elevating market competitiveness.

    Driving AI innovation through contests and accelerating technology applications

    To promote the practical application of AI technology, Advantech has launched a GenAI contest to inspire innovative thinking. The initiative encourages colleagues to apply GenAI technology to propose application for improving business efficiency and productivity, reducing costs, or driving innovation in products and solutions. The contest serves as a key catalyst for internal AI development, enabling the Company to explore a wider range of possibilities for AI applications. The 2024 GenAI contest attracted 63 teams and resulted in 92 award recipients, including 12 A+ award winners and 24 A award winners, with a total prize of NTD 1.21 million. Currently, the AI team is formulating brand-new rules for 2025 to further optimize the competition mechanism and create more market value and innovative applications. Refer to the official contest website for relevant details: https://campaign.advantech.online/tw/genaiwinwin/

    To promote the practical application of AI technology, Advantech has launched a GenAI contest to inspire innovative thinking. The initiative encourages colleagues to apply GenAI technology to propose application for improving business efficiency and productivity, reducing costs, or driving innovation in products and solutions. The contest serves as a key catalyst for internal AI development, enabling the Company to explore a wider range of possibilities for AI applications. The 2024 GenAI contest attracted 63 teams and resulted in 92 award recipients, including 12 A+ award winners and 24 A award winners, with a total prize of NTD 1.21 million. Currently, the AI team is formulating brand-new rules for 2025 to further optimize the competition mechanism and create more market value and innovative applications. Refer to the official contest website for relevant details: https://campaign.advantech.online/tw/genaiwinwin/
    Currently, the AI team is formulating new rules for the 2025 contest to further optimize its mechanism and promote more innovative solutions with market value, helping the Company move towards a new milestone in digital transformation. To reinforce learning benefits and facilitate cross-functional exchanges, Advantech has established an AI technology social media platform that provides an interactive space for employees to share insights on AI, GenAI, and IT applications. Whether it's technical discussions on DaVinci technology or sharing of practical experiences in AI solutions, the social media platform offers colleagues a venue for mutual assistance, learning, and co-creation, thereby bolstering the Company's overall AI capabilities and striving toward a new milestone in digital transformations.

  • Establishment of the M&A Academy

    To bolster our mergers and acquisitions (M&A) expertise, Advantech officially launched the M&A Academy in Q4 of 2024 to cultivate key talent with strategic vision and investment management capabilities. The academy invited industry experts and business leaders to share their insights. The "Integration of Growth Strategies with M&A Transactions" course saw the attendance of 54 executive level supervisors and investment department supervisors, who engaged in in-depth discussions on M&A strategies and critical decision-making factors. In 2025, the academy will kick off advanced courses covering post-merger integration, transaction management, and business valuation, and will use project exercises and industry counseling to help the Company seize development opportunities in the competitive market.

  • Advantech China (ACN) technology forum

    Advantech China (ACN) organizes an annual technology forum to promote internal technical exchange and collaboration, enhance employee expertise, and increase the Company's competitiveness and sustainable development.
    Three major goals of the forum:
    (1) Benefits of technical training: Improve R&D capabilities and cross-departmental knowledge, optimize design efficiency and product competitiveness.
    (2) Break down technical barriers: Facilitate the experience transfer, minimize design pitfalls, and improve R&D efficiency and product quality.
    (3) Continue to bolster awareness: Encourage technology innovation and sharing, nurture professional growth, and promote corporate technology development.
    4 technology forums were held in 2024, encompassing 4 technology-related sharing themes. These forums not only help to elevate the organization's internal technical standards and efficiency, but also foster sustainable development in the industry and, in turn, deliver long-term economic benefits.

3. General Education Academy: Cultural diversity and soft power at the workplace

Focusing on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), we aim to increase employees' understanding of our corporate culture and diversity management, thereby creating a more inclusive workplace. Key projects in 2024 are as follows:

  • Understand implicit bias and create a friendly workplace

    Implicit bias affects decision-making, team interaction, and talent development. To enhance supervisors' understanding of this topic, the course assists them in building a more inclusive team culture. Interactive discussions and case study analysis help supervisors understand the causes and impacts of bias and learn how to prevent bias in decision-making, communication, and teamwork.
    Two sessions were conducted in 2024 for 68 middle and senior management. It is hoped that every supervisor can become an internal DEI promoter in a bid to foster a fair, open work culture and allow the organization to continue growing!

  • Female career development workshop

    With the emerging DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) trend, female career opportunities and challenges have come under the spotlight. In 2024, Advantech invited external experts to share career development strategies, leadership cultivation, and work-life balance tips through online and physical workshops for 105 supervisors. The workshops explored the cultivation of female leadership, strategies for breaking through glass ceilings, as well as offering practical experience and specific methods to help female employees increase their influence and achieve steady development. Advantech hopes to create a more inclusive workplace through these learning opportunities, allowing every colleague to reach their full potential and contribute to the Company's growth!

  • Ethnic and cultural communication training workshop

    To enhance employees' communication and collaboration skills in culturally diverse work place , Advantech organized two themed workshops in 2024.
    Session one : The parent - child communication workshop mainly focused on assisting employees to improve communication with their children. The workshop also explored differences in family cultures and intergenerational issues, attracting participation from 219 employees.
    Session two: The cross-culture communication workshop emphasized the communication and management of multinational teams, helping employees respond to cultural challenges by providing them with multicultural team management skills. The workshop was attended by 74 employees.
    Through these courses, Advantech aims to foster an inclusive workplace where employees can thrive in a culturally diverse environment and contribute to the Company’s long-term development.

4. New Employee Hires Academy: Fast assimilation into the workplace

To improve new employee hires' adaptation and contribution, Advantech enhanced the new employee onboarding experience in 2024 which was integrated with the Workday system. This allows supervisors and new employee hires to track learning progress and probationary period assessment results in real-time. During the probationary period, we optimized the comprehensive assessment mechanism to ensure that new employee hires can demonstrate their value and make meaningful contributions from the early stages of their employment. We also implemented a mentor system where experienced supervisors within the department serve as counselors, providing job guidance and cultural adaptation support to help new employee hires successfully reach their full potential and grow with the Company. Additionally, to assist new employee hires quickly adapt to our corporate culture, the upgraded 2024 version of ACE Camp (Advantech Culture Experience Camp) provided an in-depth introduction to the Company's culture, organizational structure, and development direction. Through supervisors' career experience sharing, new employee hires can gain a quicker understanding of the Company's values and vision. Moreover, new team-building activities and guided tours of the Company's facilities foster cross-departmental integration and bolster their understanding of the Company's environment. Seven sessions were successfully held in 2024 for 276 participants, providing new employee hires with a solid starting point for their careers.