Soitec's Pascal Lobry on how the Great Resignation can become the 'Great Recruitment'

At a time when many companies are grappling with the 'Great Resignation', international semiconductor firm Soitec is ramping up its hiring with very little difficulty. In an exclusive interaction with us, Pascal Lobry, Executive Vice President, People & Sustainability at Soitec, talks about the strategies that enable such a push

- Mastufa Ahmed

People are the drivers of business growth more than ever, but the pandemic has made it very difficult for many companies to find and keep the talent they need. In a time when meeting workers' needs is central to supporting business strategy, the approach to talent management and indeed the entire worldview of what is important in the workplace has to change, says Pascal Lobry, Executive Vice President, People & Sustainability at Soitec.

Pascal joined Soitec in 2015 and oversees the change strategies of the company's people and sustainability aspects. He previously served as HR director for several major international firms including SPIE Oil & Gas Services, Valeo and Galderma, and worked closely with management teams on the transformations of business strategies and organisations. A graduate of ESSEC Business School, he regularly teaches at the master's level in human resources management, most notably at Sciences Po.

Here are the excerpts of what he told us.

The future of work has been accelerated by the pandemic. What are some of the most critical preparations that leaders should make for 2022?

The global pandemic was a wake-up call for companies to address their workforce’s general wellbeing, in particular their mental health, as working from home became the default mode. Companies need to adopt enlightened, progressive and adaptable approaches to sustainably and effectively manage their talent.