Shin-Etsu’s Use of Video as a Strategic Communication Tool
Shin-Etsu Handotai Europe Ltd is a global leader in polished silicon wafer production, and its products are essential to the semiconductor industry. When they set out to strengthen communication and engagement across their Livingston site, they wanted a solution that reflected their precision and innovation as a global leader in silicon wafer production. We helped them develop a long-term video strategy that transformed how they communicate with staff, streamline onboarding and training, and attract new recruits.
Internal Communications
When CEO Tamura San wanted to share a Christmas message with Shin-Etsu’s 24-hour workforce, we produced a video that reached everyone. Its success led to a wider communications strategy using video to improve engagement and clarity.
Together we developed a suite of videos covering…
Company Overview
Coming On-Site
Working With Us
Process Flow
Health & Safety
Clean Room Procedures
Graduate Apprenticeships
These videos transformed onboarding and training across the Livingston site. The Working With Us video gives potential recruits a genuine picture of life at Shin-Etsu, showing what the work environment is really like, the opportunities available, and the expectations of the role. By helping applicants understand the reality of working at the plant, the video has improved retention and reduced mismatched expectations.
The Coming On-Site video familiarises new starters with the site before their first day, guiding them through security, parking, uniform procedures, and meeting points. It helps remove uncertainty and makes the onboarding process smoother and less intimidating.
The Process Flow video is used in inductions and outreach to schools, offering a rare look at production processes that can’t be accessed directly due to clean-room restrictions. It gives both recruits and visitors a clearer understanding of the precision and complexity involved in wafer production.
Our Clean Room and Health & Safety videos provide visual, chaptered training that replaces long PowerPoint sessions. The modular format means they can be delivered in sections, used for refresher training, or updated quickly if procedures change. Together, these videos have made learning more consistent, engaging, and accessible across the workforce.
Recruitment
To modernise recruitment, we built a dedicated careers website for Shin-Etsu, independent from their global IT systems. It showcases career pathways, collects enquiries, and gives the HR team full control of updates. www.sehrecruitment.com
At job fairs and school events, we replaced their old display with a custom-built Flight Case containing wafer samples, 3D-printed components, and a tablet playing recruitment videos. We also designed matching pop-up banners and merchandise, all featuring QR codes linking to the careers site.
Each QR code is tracked through analytics, giving Shin-Etsu data on which materials generate the most engagement. This allows their HR team to refine their outreach and continually improve results.
Graduate Apprenticeships and Partnership Working
Scottish Engineering members are known for collaboration, and Shin-Etsu Handotai’s partnership with Heriot-Watt University is a perfect example. Together, they have become leaders in promoting education opportunities and delivering graduate apprenticeships at Shin-Etsu’s Livingston site.
To showcase the success of their Graduate Apprenticeship programme, Shin-Etsu asked us to create a video highlighting the value apprentices bring from day one. Working with their HR team, mentors, Heriot-Watt’s Head of Graduate Apprenticeships, and the apprentices themselves, we produced a film that shows how combining university learning with workplace experience benefits both the students and the business.