Project Engage: How DS Smith Is Solving the Manufacturing Talent Gap
At DS Smith, we know that sustainable growth depends on more than innovative packaging. It depends on people. In a featured episode of the Workforce Navigator Podcast, Monica Anderton, CHRO of our North America Packaging and Paper Division, shares how DS Smith is building a stronger, more resilient workforce through bold ideas, inclusive leadership, and a culture that puts people first.
In a recent episode of the Workforce Navigator Podcast, Monica Anderton, CHRO of DS Smith North America's packaging and paper division, joined host Steve McDonald to share how DS Smith is tackling one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: workforce recruitment and retention.
Monica discussed the talent shortage facing manufacturing, exacerbated by an aging workforce and declining interest among younger generations, and how DS Smith is taking a proactive, people-first approach to close the gap. From launching targeted leadership development programs to overhauling onboarding and embedding inclusive practices, DS Smith is building a culture that attracts and retains talent.
A standout example is the company’s Greenfield site in Lebanon, Indiana, where an innovative interpreter program unlocked access to a new pool of non-English-speaking workers. The result: fully staffed shifts, increased diversity, and national recognition for sustainability and inclusion efforts.
Initiatives like Project Engage, which focused on site-level culture, talent development, and employee experience, demonstrate DS Smith’s commitment to measurable impact. Engagement scores rose by up to 15%, while overtime and recruitment costs declined.
At DS Smith, people and performance go hand in hand. Monica credits strong alignment between HR and business leadership as key to driving lasting change, noting that innovation often comes from empowering teams on the ground. It’s all part of DS Smith’s mission to redefine packaging, and workplace culture, for a changing world.