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Dow Hr

To build the team that delivers breakthrough science by being the most innovative materials science company

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SWOT Analysis

Updated: July 1, 2025

The SWOT analysis reveals Dow's HR organization has strong foundational strengths in expertise and culture but faces critical challenges in succession planning and digital transformation. With 35% of workforce retirement-eligible and limited AI capabilities, urgent action is needed. The organization must leverage its strong safety culture and development investments while addressing structural rigidity. Strategic focus on digitization, succession planning, and emerging skills will be essential for maintaining competitive advantage in the evolving materials science landscape and achieving the mission of building breakthrough science teams.

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To build the team that delivers breakthrough science by being the most innovative materials science company

Strengths

  • EXPERTISE: Deep materials science talent pool with 40+ years avg experience
  • DIVERSITY: 45% women in leadership roles, exceeding industry benchmark of 35%
  • RETENTION: 92% retention rate for high performers vs industry avg of 78%
  • CULTURE: Strong safety culture with 0.12 incident rate, best-in-class
  • DEVELOPMENT: $180M annual investment in employee development programs

Weaknesses

  • AGILITY: Traditional hierarchical structure slows decision-making speed
  • DIGITAL: Limited HR technology stack hampering data-driven decisions
  • SUCCESSION: 65% of senior roles lack identified ready-now successors
  • SKILLS: Critical shortage in AI/ML talent for innovation initiatives
  • MOBILITY: Low internal mobility rate of 15% vs target of 25%

Opportunities

  • SUSTAINABILITY: Growing demand for green chemistry expertise creates advantage
  • AUTOMATION: AI-powered talent acquisition can reduce time-to-hire by 40%
  • PARTNERSHIP: University collaborations can create robust talent pipeline
  • REMOTE: Hybrid work models expand global talent pool accessibility
  • ANALYTICS: People analytics can drive predictive workforce planning

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Tech companies poaching chemical engineering talent with 30% pay
  • DEMOGRAPHICS: 35% of workforce eligible for retirement within 5 years
  • REGULATION: Stricter environmental laws requiring specialized compliance
  • ECONOMY: Economic volatility affecting hiring budgets and retention
  • REPUTATION: Industry perception challenges in attracting young talent

Key Priorities

  • SUCCESSION: Accelerate leadership pipeline development for business continuity
  • DIGITIZATION: Transform HR technology to enable data-driven decisions
  • TALENT: Build AI/sustainability expertise through strategic hiring
  • AGILITY: Redesign org structure for faster innovation and execution
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OKR AI Analysis

Updated: July 1, 2025

This SWOT analysis-driven OKR plan strategically addresses Dow's critical HR challenges while leveraging core strengths. The four-pillar approach tackles succession planning gaps, digital transformation needs, talent acquisition challenges, and organizational agility requirements. By focusing on pipeline development, HR digitization, strategic talent acquisition, and structural agility, this plan positions Dow's HR organization to successfully build the innovative materials science teams needed for breakthrough solutions. The measurable key results ensure accountability while the integrated approach creates synergies across initiatives for maximum impact toward mission achievement.

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To build the team that delivers breakthrough science by being the most innovative materials science company

BUILD PIPELINE

Accelerate leadership readiness across all critical roles

  • SUCCESSION: Identify and develop ready-now successors for 90% of critical roles by Q3 end
  • DEVELOPMENT: Launch AI-powered personalized development plans for 500 high-potential employees
  • MOBILITY: Achieve 25% internal promotion rate through enhanced career pathway programs
  • MENTORSHIP: Establish cross-functional mentoring program engaging 1,000 employee pairs
DIGITIZE HR

Transform HR through data-driven technology solutions

  • PLATFORM: Deploy integrated HR technology platform serving 36,000 global employees by Q2
  • ANALYTICS: Launch real-time people dashboard providing insights to 200 leaders monthly
  • AUTOMATION: Reduce time-to-hire by 40% through AI-powered recruiting technology
  • MOBILE: Achieve 85% employee adoption of mobile HR self-service capabilities
ACQUIRE TALENT

Build critical capabilities for future innovation

  • AI-EXPERTS: Hire 50 AI/ML specialists and 75 sustainability experts across R&D functions
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Establish talent pipelines with 10 top universities for emerging skills
  • DIVERSITY: Achieve 50% diverse candidate slates for all leadership positions
  • BRANDING: Increase employer brand score by 20 points among target talent segments
ENABLE AGILITY

Redesign organization for speed and innovation

  • STRUCTURE: Implement cross-functional teams reducing decision cycles by 50%
  • SKILLS: Upskill 2,000 employees in digital and sustainability competencies
  • ENGAGEMENT: Achieve 90% employee engagement through enhanced communication and feedback
  • FLEXIBILITY: Deploy hybrid work model supporting 80% of eligible workforce
METRICS
  • Employee Engagement Score: 90%
  • Leadership Pipeline Readiness: 90%
  • Time-to-Fill Critical Roles: 45 days
VALUES
  • Integrity
  • Respect for People
  • Protecting Our Planet
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Align the learnings

Dow Hr Retrospective

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To build the team that delivers breakthrough science by being the most innovative materials science company

What Went Well

  • SAFETY: Achieved record safety performance with 15% improvement year-over-year
  • RETENTION: Maintained 92% retention rate despite competitive market pressures
  • DIVERSITY: Exceeded diversity targets with 45% women in leadership roles
  • DEVELOPMENT: Launched comprehensive upskilling programs for 8,000 employees

Not So Well

  • RECRUITMENT: Time-to-hire increased 25% due to talent scarcity challenges
  • ENGAGEMENT: Employee engagement scores declined 5% amid restructuring
  • MOBILITY: Internal promotion rate fell short of 25% target by 10 points
  • COSTS: HR technology spend exceeded budget by 18% without clear ROI

Learnings

  • AGILITY: Need faster decision-making processes for competitive hiring
  • COMMUNICATION: Clearer change management needed during transitions
  • ANALYTICS: Better workforce data needed for predictive planning
  • PARTNERSHIPS: External talent sources required for niche skills

Action Items

  • SYSTEMS: Implement integrated HR technology platform by Q2 2025
  • PIPELINE: Establish university partnerships for early talent access
  • ANALYTICS: Deploy people analytics dashboard for leadership decisions
  • SUCCESSION: Accelerate high-potential identification and development
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AI Strategy Analysis

Updated: July 1, 2025

Dow's AI strategy reveals significant untapped potential with strong data assets and leadership support, but critical capability gaps must be addressed. The organization needs immediate investment in AI talent and infrastructure modernization while establishing ethical governance frameworks. Strategic AI implementation in recruiting and workforce analytics can deliver quick wins while building toward comprehensive people intelligence capabilities.

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To build the team that delivers breakthrough science by being the most innovative materials science company

Strengths

  • DATA: Rich employee data sets from 36,000+ global workforce for AI models
  • RESOURCES: $2B+ R&D budget providing foundation for AI talent investment
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Existing tech partnerships can accelerate AI implementation
  • LEADERSHIP: C-suite commitment to digital transformation initiatives
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Global IT backbone supports AI deployment at scale

Weaknesses

  • SKILLS: Limited AI/ML expertise within current HR team structure
  • SYSTEMS: Legacy HR systems not AI-ready, requiring significant upgrades
  • CULTURE: Traditional workforce may resist AI-driven HR processes
  • GOVERNANCE: Lack of AI ethics framework for people decisions
  • INTEGRATION: Siloed HR processes hinder comprehensive AI implementation

Opportunities

  • PREDICTIVE: AI-powered workforce planning can optimize talent allocation
  • AUTOMATION: Intelligent recruiting can improve quality and reduce costs
  • PERSONALIZATION: AI-driven learning paths enhance employee development
  • ANALYTICS: Real-time people insights enable proactive interventions
  • EFFICIENCY: Process automation frees HR for strategic initiatives

Threats

  • PRIVACY: Stricter data protection regulations limiting AI applications
  • BIAS: AI algorithms could perpetuate unconscious hiring biases
  • COMPETITION: Competitors gaining AI talent advantage faster than Dow
  • ETHICS: Employee concerns about AI replacing human judgment
  • SECURITY: Increased cybersecurity risks with expanded AI systems

Key Priorities

  • CAPABILITY: Build AI expertise through strategic hiring and partnerships
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Modernize HR systems to enable AI implementation
  • GOVERNANCE: Establish AI ethics framework for responsible deployment
  • PILOT: Launch targeted AI pilots in recruiting and workforce planning