Digital Transformation Consulting

Henkel faced the challenge of rapidly evolving consumer relationships and increasing competitive pressure in a dynamic market environment, which required its large international workforce to be continuously upskilled to foster innovation and quickly respond to customer needs. The company aimed to establish a culture of lifelong learning across its 52,000 employees, enabling faster development of new solutions and innovations.

To address these issues, Henkel partnered with Accenture to design and execute a comprehensive global digital upskilling program. The initiative involved a four-stage process: conducting an anonymous digital capabilities assessment across ten job families to identify skills gaps; developing tailored, job-specific learning programs utilizing Accenture Academy courses and Henkel-specific use cases within a modern LMS; implementing a new talent management process to better assess employees' roles and ambitions independently of performance evaluations; and creating a “Recruiter Toolbox” within a talent management system to improve digital role sourcing.

The program achieved notable, quantifiable results: within 18 weeks, 215,000 employees completed 215,000 eLearning courses, and the total training registrations reached 272,000. The new pathways in recruiting and internal mobility significantly streamlined the application process, reducing it from approximately 30 minutes to just 60 seconds for internal candidates and increasing open role applications by 40%. Additionally, Henkel plans to enhance its talent sourcing and development capabilities further by integrating an AI-based skill management system with a library of 52,000 skills, supporting ongoing succession planning and performance management. Overall, the initiative has cultivated a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and continuous growth, positioning Henkel to better anticipate customer needs and differentiate itself through a highly skilled and adaptable workforce.