Talent Attraction and Retention

The OMV Group is committed to building and retaining talent for international growth. Effective succession planning contributes to the management of business continuity risk by ensuring the preservation of human capital – OMV’s most valued asset. As described in our Code of Conduct, OMV strives to build long-lasting employment relationships and to employ people from the countries where we operate.

Management and Due Diligence Processes

Talent Acquisition

Our employees are selected exclusively based on their qualifications, suitability, and professional experience. Internally, we focus on job rotation, promotions, and upskilling to tackle challenges (e.g., transitioning to a low-carbon business) and develop innovative solutions to enhance our workforce. In the OMV Group, we use joint internal job boards to offer a wide range of internal job opportunities to our employees.

Externally, we concentrate on building robust talent pipelines through cooperation with key universities in our locations. In addition, we aim to build a talent pool by providing apprenticeship programs and internships, which are mainly focused on the technical and commercial aspects of our business. For instance, in Romania, approximately 100 students received scholarships to join the Petrochemical School program in 2023. The Petrochemical School is a dual-system program supported by OMV Petrom. The future petrochemists benefit from professional training in the field of petrochemicals and internships at the Petrobrazi refinery. The students receive monthly scholarships of up to RON 700 from OMV Petrom, plus RON 200 from the Romanian government. Upon completion of the three years of vocational education (petrochemical operators’ qualification), students will acquire a recognized professional qualification and will have employment opportunities within our Company. The Petrochemical School program is a pilot project with the aim of assuring a constant and sustainable flow of high-quality blue-collar workers.

To dispel the negative perceptions of the oil, gas, and plastics industries, it is important to proactively inform the public and our target groups (such as current and potential future employees) about the benefits of the products we produce, as well as the sustainability challenges and how we are addressing them. Being visible on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn enables us to show potential candidates the inner workings of the OMV Group, including what it is like to work for our Company and that joining us means being part of a solution for a more sustainable future.

Performance Management and Career Development

OMV strives to maintain a uniform organizational structure that provides clarity and transparency in relation to responsibilities and the hierarchical classification of positions. We have developed Company-wide career paths that outline the experience and skills required for a position.

OMV has an annual review process in place to support our employees and managers through structured, systematic planning of performance and personal development within the Company. Employees and their managers work together to set performance and development goals, review progress, and evaluate achievements, with employees ultimately being rewarded and recognized annually.

“Personal Impact x Potential” is used as an evaluation tool to provide structured feedback in performance reviews and in succession planning. Managers evaluate their employees on personal impact and potential and identify successors for business-critical positions. Based on this, an employee’s development plan is created so they can improve the skills needed for their future role.

Rewards

To promote and support OMV’s strategy optimally, OMV aims to ensure competitive compensation and benefits packages within relevant labor markets in the oil, gas, and chemical industry. Annual remuneration reviews are conducted for this purpose.

OMV continuously monitors market trends and international best practices in order to attract, motivate, and retain the best-qualified talent from around the world. Base salaries are set in accordance with internationally accepted methods for determining market levels of remuneration, and comply with the relevant legal regulations, for example collective agreements. Base salaries are market oriented, fair, and tailored to the position and expertise of the employee. OMV encourages equal pay at all career stages, for instance by setting standardized entry-level salaries that are reviewed each year in line with the local market situation.

OMV strives for long-lasting employment relationships. We ensure the fair and objective evaluation of positions consistently across all divisions and countries by applying a clearly defined methodology and process, validated by external consultants for specific roles. The outcome of the evaluation forms the basis of the remuneration decisions for every employee. The remuneration includes a balanced and transparent mix of fixed and variable monetary and non-monetary components.

As part of the annual performance review process, Company goals, including the achievement of sustainability goals (e.g., HSSE, GHG emission reductions, diversity), are cascaded down to employees in the relevant departments and form part of the annual evaluation and subsequent bonus awarded. Individual monetary and non-monetary rewards are granted on top of this for extraordinary achievements.

The portfolio of benefits is further customized for each of the countries in which OMV operates to meet the needs of the local employees. Depending on local circumstances, additional incentives may include the following: retirement plans, subsidized cafeteria, health centers, kindergartens (childcare facilities), summer kids camp, and anniversary payments.

Leadership Development

To ensure the transformation of OMV will be a success, we need to adapt our current methods to fit our new aspirations. By building on our capability, we are reinventing how we lead as well as our way of working. Therefore, linked to our Purpose and Values, we implemented Group-wide Transformational Leadership Competencies (TLCs). Our TLCs define our expectations of our leaders and complete our transformational framework to successfully drive the implementation of our strategy. The four TLCs for all leaders across the Group are “Lead self,” “Grow people,” “Drive change,” and “Deliver impact.”

The new TLCs are being integrated into the respective P&C processes, such as leadership assessment and development, our talent programs, talent acquisition, and performance processes.

Talent Retention

To keep and retain talent, we have leadership programs in place that are designed to support all employees who take on new management roles as well as current leaders who want to upgrade their basic knowledge of leadership. The OMV Group Leading Ahead program launched last year together with Borealis and OMV Petrom to offer the Group’s top talent a broad leadership development journey and a broad career platform. In 2023, the first participants graduated, and nominations continue for the next program runs.

As part of our ongoing transformation, are committed to ensure that no one is left behind. To facilitate this, we offer low-carbon training solutions and are continuing to expand our efforts to upskill our workforce. The aim is to keep skills up to date, recognizing that existing skills can be transferred to new energy solutions. We also launched the Sustainability Academy, a SharePoint-based platform for all employees, to expand their knowledge on ESG topics. Through initiatives like these, we are fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, empowering our team to thrive in the evolving landscape of sustainable energy solutions.

Employee Engagement

We actively involve our employees in our transformation and in key P&C initiatives such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion actions, developing our Values and implementing our 2030 Strategy (see actions 2023).

The Pulse Check is one of our most important tools for measuring the engagement of our employees and it is an essential part of our new People & Culture Strategy relating to Employee Experience. It is also a chance for our employees to have their say and an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas. The Pulse Check assesses several key indices, including Safety, Innovation, Line Manager, Employee Development, Strategy, Empowerment/Involvement, Well-being, Values, Sustainability, and Culture.

In 2023, for the first time, we incorporated a question related to Sustainability into the Pulse Check. The statement “I believe that our organization is committed to sustainability (e.g., reducing its carbon footprint, promoting diversity, protecting human rights)” received a 70% positive perception rate. Each line manager is tasked with sharing the results and engaging in dialogue with their team and collaboratively identifying actions aimed at enhancing the current work environment to foster a stronger, more united team.

In the Pulse Check 2023, we achieved a very high response rate of 82% at Group level. Compared to 2022, 5% of employees in the OMV Group (OMV 7%) moved from actively disengaged/passive to moderately/highly engaged, meaning a 5% increase in the overall engagement score for the OMV Group. This positive trend can be seen across both gender groups. Since 2022, key indices have consistently improved in all dimensions, demonstrating the visible positive impact in our focus areas. As we maintain this momentum, our aim is to close gaps to global and industry-relevant benchmarks. Looking ahead to 2024, factoring in the importance, effectiveness, and likelihood of positive changes in each dimension, focus should be placed on improving employee development, strategy, and innovation indices.

2023 Actions

In September 2022, our shared P&C Strategy was launched across the Group at OMV, OMV Petrom, and Borealis. The core of the new P&C Strategy is our purpose: “Re-inventing essentials for sustainable living.” Four strategic drivers were developed for this strategy: Employee Experience, Growing Talent, Organizational Evolution, and New Ways of Working, supported by Transformational Leadership. Some of the initiatives to support these strategic drivers in 2023 included:

• In May 2023, we launched our new OMV Group Values “We care | We’re curious | We progress.” Our Values were defined based on the contributions of more than 13,000 employees and leaders from across OMV, OMV Petrom, and Borealis during a series of interactions, including the Pulse Check survey, leadership interviews, mass focus groups, and workshops, where a feedback tool based on artificial intelligence was used.
• Ahead of the launch of our new Values, more than 120 leaders from across OMV, OMV Petrom, and Borealis came together to embark on a shared Leadership Experimentation Journey of discovery, to experiment with our new Values, and experience first-hand the power they can have to transform our way of working and overcome daily business challenges. The result was the creation of individual Values Experiments, which leaders could implement in their teams to resolve their challenges. While the Values Experiments were underway, leaders from all three entities, departments, and functions convened in virtual mixed cohorts, discussing their progress, refining their experiments, and sharing their insights and successes across the OMV Group. This collaborative approach allowed leaders to leverage the company’s values to overcome challenges and foster growth.
• In addition to the Leadership Experimentation Journey, each leader was encouraged to organize a town hall meeting on our Values or, depending on the country, prepare a launch in their location accompanied by a team reflection session. During these sessions, leaders shared their personal stories, gathered initial feedback on the company’s Values from their team, and engaged in thoughtful discussions about which behavior to strengthen or weaken. These initiatives were designed to bring the Values to life and foster a meaningful dialogue among teams.
• We implemented a Purpose & Values Playbook as a guiding resource for leaders on their journey to give meaning and significance to the company’s purpose and new Values. Moreover, we introduced a Values Activation Toolkit that offers diverse resources for leaders and their teams to continue the dialogue on the Values. This toolkit is designed to help seamlessly integrate our Values into their day-to-day business activities, promoting a meaningful connection and enabling them to create impact.
• We also launched a Values SharePoint page accessible to all OMV Group employees, providing a platform to explore and share their personal Values Stories. Employees can also create their own Values Posters to visually express what the Values mean to them, fostering a collective understanding and appreciation of our shared Values.
• In September 2023, we ran our annual Group-wide Pulse Check survey for the second time. Achieving an impressive 82% participation rate, a 12% increase from 2022, reflects the trust our employees place in our leaders to enact and deliver meaningful change. The results showed an increase in all dimensions with visible positive impact in key focus areas, including 69% on the understanding of our new Values. Conclusions and subsequent actions were agreed within business units by year-end and Q1 in 2024 for implementation in 2024.
• We have introduced a Change Management Toolkit to provide our teams with overall change management guidance and supporting interventions as they navigate various change processes. This toolkit equips our teams with the necessary resources and strategies to effectively navigate and lead organizational transformations, ensuring a smooth and successful transition for our employees and stakeholders.
• In response to the reorganization that was implemented in January 2023, Team Effectiveness Training has become a critical component. This training is designed to equip teams with the necessary skills and tools to navigate and thrive in the evolving structure, ensuring a seamless transition and fostering a more cohesive and effective working environment.
• Based on the Pulse Check results from 2022, a key focus was on enhancing transparency, accessibility, and collaboration within our organization. By promoting an environment of open communication and teamwork, we strive to break down silos and ensure that information flows freely. In order to achieve that, all leaders were asked to conduct Strategy Refresh Sessions within their teams to further explain the OMV Strategy 2030 and encourage dialogue.
• Our commitment to learning and development continued, as we were able to expand our learning opportunities through initiatives such as LCB training and the Sustainability Academy. Read more about this in the Skills Development and Training chapter.

Outlook

In line with our new People & Culture Strategy the coming years will see us focus on:

• In 2024, we plan to introduce our new Employer Value Proposition (EVP). This will serve as a statement or framework that outlines what OMV stands for as an employer. It will highlight the unique qualities and benefits that we offer to our employees. Moreover, it will help us attract and engage potential candidates who align with our new purpose and our OMV Group Values, and the opportunities we provide. Essentially, it’s a way for us to communicate why our company is a great place to work and why people should consider joining our team.
• Following the rollout of our leadership competencies in 2023, a transformation leadership program will be offered, reflecting our new Values and enabling leaders to develop their leadership style. For more information please also see the Skills Development and Training section.
• For all of our employees, we will be assessing what information and skills they need to support the transformation. Together with our network of experts, we plan to develop an interactive Campus that will support our employees in learning more about our purpose, strategy, and values and provide development sessions to help upskill them for the future.
• To further support our employees in their development, we are starting to develop a competence framework based on Job Families with corresponding core competencies. This will help employees navigate their career and build their competencies through the different Job Families.