We believe that attracting a talented and diverse workforce is one of the keys to our success. We strive to create for our employees an environment which offers professional and intellectual challenges, which encourages innovation and creativity, and which rewards success and effective teamwork.
Core Values
We let our employees know the values and behaviors we expect them to demonstrate. We believe those values and behaviors combine to create a culture in which employees can thrive. A culture that allows our employees to focus on doing their best work leads to high quality and innovative products, exceptional customer service and operational excellence.
Our core values are Passion, Action, Productivity, Perseverance, Integrity, and Innovation (PAPPII), and they mean the following to us:
Passion - We have a passion for
the people we work with.
the products we produce.
the customers we serve.
the suppliers who serve us.
Action - We have a bias towards action.
We seize opportunities.
We aggressively push for solutions.
We are problem-solvers.
We enjoy working hard.
Productivity - We expect the best from our people, and they deliver.
We are productive, efficient and effective in planning and executing our work.
We consistently raise the bar to increasingly higher levels of productivity and performance.
We seek to outperform other companies with our ability to execute.
Perseverance - We pursue our work with energy, drive and a need to win.
We never give up, especially in the face of resistance or overwhelming odds.
We take charge.
We push hard.
We stand strong.
Integrity - We respect ourselves and others.
We are open and direct.
We present the unvarnished truth in an appropriate and helpful manner.
We can be counted on to keep confidences and admit our mistakes.
We do not misrepresent ourselves for personal gain.
Innovation - We constantly look for new ways to improve technology, products, processes, systems and people.
We have good judgment about which creative ideas and suggestions will work, and are good at bringing these ideas to market.
We show intellectual curiosity and the continuing desire to learn, seeking improvements, even in the face of success.
We take diverse priorities and multiple opportunities and find new ways of creating long-term success.
We work hard to support an environment where people look for creative ways to benefit the business.
We take constructive risks and remove barriers getting in the way of achieving excellence.
Professional Development and Training
We encourage our employees to continue developing their skills and furthering their educations. Our Employee and Organizational Development Department works with cross-functional teams to develop programs and curricula that offer and array of courses targeted to specific skills. We currently offer programs in professional, managerial, leadership and technical development, and new programs are added regularly based on employee and manager feedback as well as our business needs.
Because we believe in investing in our employees, we also offer an Educational Reimbursement Plan which provides employees with financial assistance as they pursue undergraduate and advanced degrees. Employees are encouraged to enroll in degree programs which will increase their qualifications for progress within their current field or prepare them for more advanced work within the Company.
Employees are also encouraged to attend external seminars, conferences and non-credit short courses which are job-related. The Company pays for the fees associated with such seminars and conferences, and employees report to their managers on the ways in which what they learned can be applied to WD’s business needs or their personal development objectives. We also reimburse employees for the costs associated with joining and participating in professional associations where they can network with their peers and learn more about industry best practices.
We also offer unique opportunities for employees to participate in international assignments according to our business needs. Employees from our U.S. facilities work alongside their colleagues in our Asia facilities, and employees based in our Asia facilities get the opportunity to work with their colleagues at our U.S. facilities. Employees who are recommended for international assignment go through a selection process reviewed by our senior management.
Performance Management
Our performance planning and coaching process is an interactive process between our employees and their managers. The process contemplates ongoing feedback about what employees can do to improve their contributions to the Company and to advance their own career interests. The elements we believe are critical to successful performance planning and coaching include:
Discussion and agreement between employees and managers on work goals and skill development objectives.
Feedback from managers regarding employees’ progress against those goals and objectives.
A written training and development plan.
A formal written annual review.
We encourage employees to initiate career discussions with their managers and engage in an open and creative exchange about ways to advance employees’ careers at the Company. We provide our managers with tools to help them set measurable goals for their employees, provide constructive feedback on progress towards those goals and identify career opportunities their employees can work toward.
Recognition and Rewards
Our compensation strategy is designed to incent and reward excellence. Our lean operating model requires our employees to work efficiently and effectively, so we structure employee compensation to that end. We endeavor to provide base pay that is competitive to the local markets in which we operate, and we provide variable pay opportunities to all employees that recognize outstanding individual and company performance.
We also offer a long-term incentive program which affords key employees equity ownership opportunities in the form of stock options and restricted stock. All employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan which offers employees the opportunity to purchase the Company’s stock at a discount.
We offer our employees a competitive health and welfare benefit program designed to provide employees with the freedom to choose the benefits that match their needs. Employees can choose from an array of medical, dental and vision plans, as well as plans that provide long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, dependent care, AD&D; and retirement savings benefits.
Several other programs demonstrate our commitment to our employees and our dedication to their well-being and productivity. In our Asia facilities, we offer loan and subsidy programs to assist employees with the purchase of a home, the purchase of an automobile and the purchase or upgrade of a personal computer. In the United States, we offer free private counseling by licensed professionals to employees and their families through our Employee Assistance Program. We also offer financial assistance to employees who have recently adopted a child and to employees who experience hardship resulting from funeral expenses associated with the death of an immediate family member. We offer awards celebrating significant milestones in an employee’s tenure at WD (one year, three year, five year anniversary, etc.), and all employees can buy WD products at a discount through out Employee Purchase Program.
Communication
We believe in keeping our employees informed of developments in our business and industry. We sponsor worldwide all-hands meetings each quarter, where employees at all of our offices are joined via teleconference to hear presentations from, and pose questions to, senior members of management. In addition to these meetings, senior members of management often meet with employees at informal roundtable discussions organized by department.
Some of our facilities publish entertaining and informative quarterly magazines which highlight important product announcements, operational milestones, employee achievements and employees festivities that occurred throughout each quarter. For example, our Asia facilities publish the “Happy Family” chronicle and our Magnetic Head Operations facility publishes the “Fremont Flash” newsletter. [Insert links]
We strive to provide a workplace atmosphere that allows employees to voice concerns freely and resolve them in a professional manner. We encourage employees to raise issues with their managers or the members of our human resources team so that questions can be answered and concerns allayed expeditiously. Employees who for any reason do not feel comfortable reporting a concern to their managers or the human resources team can take advantage of our secure, anonymous ethics hotline which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Compliance with National and Local Laws and Regulations
We comply with all laws and regulations governing the jurisdictions in which we operate worldwide. Our human resources department prepares comprehensive written guidelines for our workplaces which employees can access via the Company’s intranet at any time. In addition, we regularly update our workplace guidelines and practices to incorporate (i) changes to national, state or local laws, (ii) evolving competitive practices, and (iii) recommendations from managers and employees.
Diversity in our Workforce
Western Digital is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to extending consistent and equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. Western Digital does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected characteristics. Western Digital prohibits harassment of any individual on any of the bases listed above.
We have established an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) at each of our U.S. locations as required by law to promote the employment and advancement of members of those covered groups identified by statute and regulations, including minorities, women and qualified disabled individuals. We conduct outreach activities at job fairs and professional conferences designed to attract a diverse applicant pool and, ultimately, a diverse workforce.
