At AMD, our goal is to be an employer of choice with a workforce full of passionate, innovative and fully engaged employees. Paramount to achieving this goal is a strong culture permeating all aspects of our business. We call this culture “The AMD Way.” It is built on three core beliefs:
- Ownership and commitment: We do what we say and we own what we do.
- Customer focus: When our customers win, we win.
- Innovation leadership: We chart and pave our own path to success.
These core beliefs come alive with four specific actions that define the AMD Way:
- Achievement – plan and play to win in all we do, every time … every day matters
- Accountability – build trust by honoring our commitments
- Alignment – work as one AMD to debate, decide, embrace and execute
- Agility – continuously learn and improve in all aspects of our business
These beliefs and actions are expectations for each employee every day. By living The AMD Way, by embracing diversity and inclusion, and by encouraging a healthy balance of work and family life, the AMD work environment is an innovation engine in which people feel empowered to collaborate, think, act and solve problems in new and different ways.
In fourth quarter 2011, AMD announced a restructuring plan and implementation of operational efficiency initiatives designed to strengthen the company’s competitive positioning. These actions were taken to create a more competitive cost structure and rebalance the company’s global workforce skillsets, helping AMD to continue delivering industry-leading products while improving productivity, reducing time-to-market and better aligning with key industry trends that are expected to drive growth. The result was a 10% reduction in our global workforce.
While reducing our workforce is sometimes necessary, we understand the disruption this can cause in the lives of our employees so we take action to reduce these impacts. AMD offered eligible employees severance packages in line with industry standards and current regional employment regulations, and made every reasonable effort to reduce the hardships on impacted employees, such as providing continued health care coverage for a prescribed period of time (depending on regional practices) and career transition services.
We support our employees with competitive benefits including excellent compensation, health care, employee assistance programs and more. This investment in our employees and their career development is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.
Global Inclusion
Just as AMD’s technology represents an optimal combination of different design principles, AMD’s workforce is comprised of creative minds and diverse perspectives drawn from all over the world. Our commitment to an inclusive environment drives a culture of collaboration, alignment, information sharing and the rapid adoption of new ideas, ultimately leading to relevant, timely and innovative technology products designed to enable positive end-user experiences. In 2011, AMD increased its focus in this area through the appointment of a Director of Global Inclusion. This new position provides a focal point to create awareness of the business case surrounding diversity and inclusion, drive an inclusive culture with an emphasis on specific employee groups, and integrate and align with other AMD functions to create holistic strategies and programs.
AMD recruits and develops the most talented minds in the industry and rewards them for their contributions. We know that our success hinges upon an inclusive environment that allows each unique voice and perspective to be heard in service to ultimate creativity. The value of this program will be manifest by the innovation stemming from diversity of thought and perspectives coupled with an inclusive culture.
As an initial step, the Global Inclusion team deployed a cultural assessment throughout AMD, leveraging executive input, focus groups and employee surveys to uncover the largest opportunities globally that would enable an inclusive culture. The findings from the cultural assessment are being used in two important ways at AMD. The first is to drive the creation of The AMD Way, a cultural mandate that is made up of the values we share, the expectations we have of ourselves, and the day-to-day behaviors of every AMD employee. The AMD Way is coming to life through a variety of employee communications and programs, development workshops, policies and practices on a global basis.
The next greatest leverage of the cultural assessment is to define the largest opportunities we have available to make AMD an employer of choice. The assessment pointed to specific areas of focus that will lead the way on AMD’s journey to a fully inclusive environment:
- Global Empowerment
- Gender Inclusion
- Generations
The 2012 Global Inclusion strategy includes multiple initiatives to drive inclusion in these areas, including leadership/role modeling programs, communications and involvement, education and training, and finally, measurement and accountability.
View our Employee Data here
AMD’s workplace focus also includes:
- Equal Opportunity Employment: In compliance with applicable laws and regulations, AMD employee policies, processes and decisions are developed and implemented to promote equal opportunity without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.
- Talent Management: AMD’s talent management activities support the complex and dynamic nature of our business, but our goal is simple: deliver our strategy by having the right talent in place now and in the future. Throughout the year, our CEO and senior executives hold cross-functional discussions about our top talent and the leadership and technology skills our business requires. When skill gaps are identified, we turn first toward developing our top talent because we know that building their skills ensures our future.
- Compensation and Benefits: AMD is committed to paying competitive wages and providing benefits that help foster employee financial security. Employee compensation is established in accordance with local laws, and often adjusted for talent in high demand. Global compensation programs include equity and bonus plans. AMD also promotes a learning environment through educational programs such as tuition assistance and internal employee and management development classes. The company’s competitive portfolio of employee benefits includes country-specific program offerings, such as comprehensive coverage for health and dental care; retirement savings programs in which investments are directed by the employee and partially matched by the company; holiday and vacation time; life and disability insurance; and a variety of work/life balance programs including family care leave and alternative work plans. AMD’s employees also benefit from various types of employee assistance programs to help resolve personal and professional issues. Our employee benefits programs meet and often exceed the benefits required by applicable laws and regulations.
- Employee Performance Management: AMD’s pay for performance process creates a work environment that encourages, recognizes and supports high-performing individuals and teams. Under our pay for performance philosophy and guiding principles, we not only reward those team members who demonstrate the highest level of contribution to the company, we also reward those who continually improve their capabilities. This ensures rewards are differentiated based on the impact the employee’s performance has on the company as well as how they get their work done.
- Employee Education and Training: The AMD Competency Model, centered on the enduring AMD values, is the foundation for our training and development programs. This model matches business roles with needed competencies and behaviors for all levels of the employee population. We provide a wide array of technical, management and leadership training programs. In addition to traditional instruction methods, employees have access to a variety of e-learning opportunities through internally and externally developed courses.
- Human Rights: AMD’s labor practices and policies are intended to attract, motivate, and retain top talent in the highly competitive semiconductor industry. To this end, our policies are focused on making AMD an employer of choice. Our position on key human rights issues such as harassment, discrimination, working hours, forced/compulsory labor, child labor, compensation, and freedom of association are addressed in AMD's Worldwide Standards of Business Conduct (WWSBC). Read more here.
- Employee Health, Safety and Wellness: At AMD, we are committed to provide the programs, services, and resources necessary to ensure a safe and healthy work environment and lifestyle.
- Health and Safety Performance Metrics: AMD collects and tracks a variety of health and safety performance indicators. These indicators are used to monitor trends and help focus our actions to prevent injuries.
See our illness and injury data here.
- Health and Safety Standards: For more than a decade, our Global EHS Standards have established excellence as the benchmark for AMD sites around the world. In addition to requiring all our facilities to meet applicable local, regional and national requirements, our standards go beyond legal parameters and establish best-in-class practices to protect employee safety and health. Health- and safety-related areas addressed under the GEHS Standards include the following:
- Legal compliance
- Employee well-being
- Injury and illness prevention
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Electrical safety
- Equipment safety
- Chemical safety
- Ergonomics
- Health and Safety Management System: Our experienced safety professionals strive to ensure that potential hazards are identified and addressed in all of our operations worldwide.
- Wellness Program: In addition to reducing safety hazards in the workplace, we are also focused on encouraging and incentivizing our employees to improve their overall health and wellness. The safety management systems at our ATMP manufacturing facilities in Penang, Malaysia; Singapore; and Suzhou, China, are certified to the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 (OHSAS 18001) Standard.
View our certificates here.
For more details about these standards and our initiatives, refer to the 2011 Annual CR Report.