Despite challenges facing Germany’s large-scale chemical industry, leadership evaluations remain remarkably stable. According to a new survey by the VAA (Verband angestellter Akademiker und leitender Angestellter der chemischen Industrie), a leading employee organization, company performance is being assessed, on average, as “satisfactory” on a standard grading scale. This translates to a score of 3.01, an improvement from the 3.15 average recorded in the previous year. The findings, reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, reflect a consistent level of assessment among academic and managerial personnel.
LyondellBasell, with its German subsidiary, secured the highest ranking in the survey, maintaining its position as a frontrunner with a score of 2.33. The Schott Foundation and the family-owned Boehringer Ingelheim followed closely, placing second and third respectively. Among publicly traded companies, BASF secured a place within the upper third of the rankings, while Merck positioned mid-range. Lanxess, Bayer and Evonik were categorized within the lower third. Shell received the lowest score in the survey, registering 3.56.
The VAA, alongside the IG BCE trade union, represents the interests of employees within the chemical industry. For over two decades, the organization has annually surveyed its members to gauge morale and assess company performance. The survey evaluates strategy, corporate culture, working conditions and employee sentiment and motivation. The current survey encompassed evaluations from 21 chemical and pharmaceutical companies, comprising both German firms and subsidiaries of international providers.
The VAA’s assessment is considered a significant indicator of employee sentiment and is closely watched by company leadership. The recent survey was conducted between mid-April and mid-May and data was gathered from over 8,600 questionnaires, with 2,000 responses deemed evaluable. Employees assign grades from 1 to 6 across different categories, which are then aggregated for a company’s overall score and, subsequently, a benchmark average for the sector.
