German chemical industry leaders appear largely unfazed by the current challenges facing the sector, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the Verband angestellter Akademiker und leitender Angestellter der chemischen Industrie (VAA), an association representing employed academics and executives in the chemical industry, reveals a generally positive assessment of their employers.
The survey results, published by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, assign an average grade of “satisfactory” (equivalent to a 3.01 on the German grading scale of 1 to 6) to chemical companies. This represents an improvement from the 3.15 average recorded in the previous year.
LyondellBasell’s German subsidiary achieved the highest ranking, maintaining its position as the best-performing company with a grade of 2.33, awarded by its academic staff. The Schott Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim followed in second and third place respectively. Among publicly listed corporations, BASF placed within the top third, while Merck occupied a middle position. Lanxess, Bayer and Evonik were situated in the lower third, with Shell receiving the lowest grade of 3.56.
The VAA, a significant employee organization alongside the IG BCE union (which primarily represents non-academics), has been gauging employee sentiment across chemical and pharmaceutical companies for over two decades. The survey assesses areas including strategy, corporate culture, working conditions and employee well-being and motivation. The assessment typically encompasses around two dozen German and international companies.
The survey is highly regarded by executive boards, acting as a key indicator of employee morale. The latest assessment was conducted between mid-April and mid-May, with over 8,600 questionnaires distributed, resulting in 2,000 usable responses. Participants assign grades from 1 to 6 within specific categories, which are then aggregated to produce a final company grade and an overall industry average.