TSMC is really just an extreme example of the benchmark culture which has infected the country. “We hire the best but we pay the midpoint” seems to be the new mantra. If you want the top 1%, your compensation targets need to hit closer to the 90th percentile. Admittedly you will still have to carefully screen in the hiring process, but you have a better chance of attracting the workforce you seek.
Shifted workdays, vacation flexibility and child driven absentee issues are new to Taiwan business culture but central to AZ flexibility.
You are correct on this. Another issue or factor in this is that TSMC is in Arizona. Tech companies move here to pay much lower wages than California or Oregon. I work in this industry, and see it first hand. There are other hiring practices going on, and seeing highly educated white people in these roles is beyond rare.