Chrysler 2014 Annual Report Download - page 125

2014 | ANNUAL REPORT 123
Product Quality
The Group is committed to offering vehicles of the highest quality, while at the same time addressing the specific
requirements of each market. Quality practices and processes have been standardized worldwide to ensure
consistent achievement of that objective.
Vehicle quality improvements are implemented by dedicated model-specific teams as well as by cross-functional
teams. Their activities include establishing preventive checks and controls for processes, identifying areas
for improvement and implementing the relevant improvement measures. Quality assessment is based on a
comprehensive set of internal metrics, such as reliability, together with external (3rd party) measurement specific to
each region.
Employees
The Group’s employees are crucial to its ability to compete as a leader in the global auto sector, as well as to create
value that is sustainable over the long term.
As of December 31, 2014, the Group had a total of 228,690 employees, a 1.4% increase over year-end 2013.
Employees by region
Europe 38.5%
North America 37.4%
South America 20.6%
Asia 3.4%
Rest of World 0.1%
Total 100.0%
Employees by category(1)(2)
Hourly 69.5%
Salaried 15.0%
Professional 14.5%
Manager 1.0%
Total 100.0%
(1) Employee workforce figures reported in this section do not include the 50% Sevel JV in EMEA or the 50% Fiat JV in APAC.
(2) There are four main categories of employees: hourly, salaried, professional and manager. Professional encompasses all individuals who perform
specialized and managerial roles (including “professional” and “professional expert” under the FCA Italy classification system and “mid-level
professional” and “senior professional” under the FCA US classification). Manager refers to individuals in senior management roles (including
those identified as “professional masters,” “professional seniors” and “executives” under the FCA Italy classification system, and “senior
managers” and above under the FCA US classification).
There were a total of 32,198 new hires during the year, of which 44% were in North America, this region experienced
continued increases in production to meet consumer demand. Approximately 5,670 fixed-term contracts were converted
to permanent, demonstrating the Group’s continued commitment to the long-term stability of the workforce.
Employee turnover
Employees at December 31, 2013 225,587
New Hires 32,198
Departures (27,912)
Change in scope of operations (1,183)
Employees at December 31, 2014 228,690