Acquiring Talent for the Automotive Aftermarket: How Sustainability Is Becoming a Key Driver in Talent Acquisition and Development for the Sector

The war for talents fuels a competition among automotive aftermarket (AA) companies, big tech, consultancies and banks. Simultaneously, the demographic changes and ageing populations influence labour markets and talent potential. Specifically in Europe, the AA is facing difficulties with attracting talents and with its lacking sectoral awareness and positioning. As a response, a multi-stakeholder initiative “TALENTS4AA” was formed. We explored the problem through the views of the talent pipeline starting with Denmark and Danish students. The purpose was to generate a better understanding of their perceptions on the AA and its attractiveness. Our study found that Danish engineering and business students are largely unaware of the existence of the AA, while they are interested in contributing to sustainability. With new regulations, e.g. the EU Taxonomy Regulations and the Green Deal, companies require talent to comply with shifting institutional demands. By updating its strategies and meaningfully engaging with diverse talent, the sector as a whole may better tackle emerging resource needs.