<PAGE>   1
    AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 28, 1996

                                                           REGISTRATION NO. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                 DELAWARE                               84-1224426
       (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION         (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
     OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)


     6273 MONARCH PARK PLACE, SUITE 200                   80503
              NIWOT, COLORADO                          (ZIP CODE)
 (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)


                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
                 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' STOCK COMPENSATION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)


                              CARL R. VERTUCA, JR.
                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
                       6273 MONARCH PARK PLACE, SUITE 200
                              NIWOT, COLORADO 80503
                     (NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

          TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE:
                                 (303) 652-2221



                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
=============================================================================================================================
                                                                  Proposed              Proposed
                                                                  Maximum               Maximum
     Title of Securities to be             Amount to be        Offering Price          Aggregate              Amount of
            Registered                      Registered          Per Share(1)       Offering Price(1)       Registration Fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                        <C>                     <C>                  <C>                    <C>    
Common Stock, $.01 par value(2)...         30,000 Shares           $29.81               $894,300               $308.38
=============================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee,
         based on the average of the high and low prices for the Common Stock as
         reported on the Nasdaq National Market System on August 26, 1996.

(2)      Including associated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
         Purchase Rights attached thereto.

================================================================================
<PAGE>   2
                                     PART II

                             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN
                           THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1995 (File No. 0-21374).

         (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year covered by the
registrant document referred to in (a) above.

         (c) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 0-21374), as amended.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and shall be deemed to be a
part hereof, from the date of filing of such documents.

         Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes hereof to the extent
that a statement contained herein (or in any other subsequently filed document
which also is incorporated by reference herein) modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed to
constitute a part hereof except as so modified or superseded.


ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.


ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Not applicable.


                                       -2-
<PAGE>   3
ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Pursuant to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law
(the "DGCL"), the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
eliminates the liability of the Company's directors to the Company or its
stockholders, except for liabilities related to breach of duty of loyalty,
actions not in good faith and certain other liabilities.

         Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any
person, including officers and directors, who are, or are threatened to be made,
parties to any threatened, pending or completed legal action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than
an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that
such person was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation, or
is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation. The indemnity may include expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action,
suit, or proceeding, provided such officer, director, employee or agent acted in
good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the
corporation's best interests and, for criminal proceedings, had no reasonable
cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may
indemnify officers and directors in an action by or in the right of the
corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is
permitted without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be
liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the
merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the
corporation must indemnify him against the expenses which such officer or
director actually or reasonably incurred. The Restated Bylaws of the Company
provide for indemnification of the officers and directors to the fullest extent
permitted by the DGCL. In addition, the Company maintains officers' and
directors' liability insurance which insures against liabilities that officers
and directors of the Company may incur in such capacities.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         See Index to Exhibits.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

                         (i) To include any prospectus required by section
                       10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;


                                       -3-
<PAGE>   4
                        (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                       arising after the effective date of the registration
                       statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                       thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                       represent a fundamental change in the information set
                       forth in the registration statement;

                       (iii) To include any material information with respect to
                       the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                       registration statement or any material change to such
                       information in the registration statement;

                       Provided, however, that paragraph (a)(1(i) and (a)(1)(ii)
                       do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3
                       or Form S-8, and the information required to be included
                       in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
                       contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant
                       pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities
                       Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
                       in the registration statement.

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

              (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       -4-
<PAGE>   5
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Niwot, State of Colorado, on the 28th day of August,
1996.

                                     The DII Group, Inc.


                                     By:/s/     Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.
                                         Title: Senior Vice President and Chief
                                                  Financial Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
           SIGNATURE                        TITLE                         DATE
           ---------                        -----                         ----
<S>                             <C>                                   <C> 
/s/     Ronald R. Budacz         Chairman and Chief Executive         August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
        Ronald R. Budacz                    Officer


/s/   Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.      Director, Senior Vice President       August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
      Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.        and Chief Financial Officer
                                 (Principal Financial Officer)


/s/      Thomas J. Smach          Vice President-Finance and          August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Thomas J. Smach                  Controller


/s/     Robert L. Brueck                   Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
        Robert L. Brueck


/s/      Lewis E. Burns                    Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Lewis E. Burns


- -----------------------------              Director                   August __, 1996
         Gary P. Kennedy


/s/      Gary L. Roubos                    Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Gary L. Roubos


/s/     Gerard T. Wrixon                   Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
   Gerard T. Wrixon, Msc. Phd.


/s/    Alexander W. Young                  Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
       Alexander W. Young
</TABLE>

                                       -5-
<PAGE>   6
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS


EXHIBIT
NUMBER                          DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT
- ------                          -----------------------

 5               Opinion of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle


23.1             Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


23.2             Consent of Deloitte & Touche


23.3             Consent of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle (included in
                 Exhibit 5)


                                       -6-
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15111}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "DII GROUP INC", "cik": "0000899047", "assigned-sic": "3670", "irs-number": "841224426", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-11001", "film-number": "96622656"}, "business-address": {"street1": "6273 MONARCH PARK PLACE", "city": "NIWOT", "state": "CO", "zip": "80503", "phone": "3036522221"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "DOVATRON INTERNATIONAL INC", "date-changed": "19930319"}}
1
    AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 28, 1996

                                                           REGISTRATION NO. 333-
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

                 DELAWARE                               84-1224426
       (STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION         (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
     OF INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)

     6273 MONARCH PARK PLACE, SUITE 200                   80503
              NIWOT, COLORADO                          (ZIP CODE)
 (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
                 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' STOCK COMPENSATION PLAN
                            (FULL TITLE OF THE PLAN)

                              CARL R. VERTUCA, JR.
                               THE DII GROUP, INC.
                       6273 MONARCH PARK PLACE, SUITE 200
                              NIWOT, COLORADO 80503
                     (NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

          TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE, OF AGENT FOR SERVICE:
                                 (303) 652-2221

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=============================================================================================================================
                                                                  Proposed              Proposed
                                                                  Maximum               Maximum
     Title of Securities to be             Amount to be        Offering Price          Aggregate              Amount of
            Registered                      Registered          Per Share(1)       Offering Price(1)       Registration Fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.01 par value(2)...         30,000 Shares           $29.81               $894,300               $308.38
=============================================================================================================================
(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee,
         based on the average of the high and low prices for the Common Stock as
         reported on the Nasdaq National Market System on August 26, 1996.

(2)      Including associated Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock
         Purchase Rights attached thereto.

================================================================================
2
                                     PART II

                             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN
                           THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1995 (File No. 0-21374).

         (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year covered by the
registrant document referred to in (a) above.

         (c) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement on Form 10 (File No. 0-21374), as amended.

         All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated herein by reference and shall be deemed to be a
part hereof, from the date of filing of such documents.

         Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein
shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes hereof to the extent
that a statement contained herein (or in any other subsequently filed document
which also is incorporated by reference herein) modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed to
constitute a part hereof except as so modified or superseded.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Not applicable.

                                       -2-
3
ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Pursuant to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law
(the "DGCL"), the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
eliminates the liability of the Company's directors to the Company or its
stockholders, except for liabilities related to breach of duty of loyalty,
actions not in good faith and certain other liabilities.

         Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any
person, including officers and directors, who are, or are threatened to be made,
parties to any threatened, pending or completed legal action, suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than
an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that
such person was an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation, or
is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation. The indemnity may include expenses
(including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement
actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action,
suit, or proceeding, provided such officer, director, employee or agent acted in
good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the
corporation's best interests and, for criminal proceedings, had no reasonable
cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may
indemnify officers and directors in an action by or in the right of the
corporation under the same conditions, except that no indemnification is
permitted without judicial approval if the officer or director is adjudged to be
liable to the corporation. Where an officer or director is successful on the
merits or otherwise in the defense of any action referred to above, the
corporation must indemnify him against the expenses which such officer or
director actually or reasonably incurred. The Restated Bylaws of the Company
provide for indemnification of the officers and directors to the fullest extent
permitted by the DGCL. In addition, the Company maintains officers' and
directors' liability insurance which insures against liabilities that officers
and directors of the Company may incur in such capacities.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         See Index to Exhibits.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                  statement:

                         (i) To include any prospectus required by section
                       10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                                       -3-
4
                        (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                       arising after the effective date of the registration
                       statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                       thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                       represent a fundamental change in the information set
                       forth in the registration statement;

                       (iii) To include any material information with respect to
                       the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                       registration statement or any material change to such
                       information in the registration statement;

                       Provided, however, that paragraph (a)(1(i) and (a)(1)(ii)
                       do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3
                       or Form S-8, and the information required to be included
                       in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
                       contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant
                       pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities
                       Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference
                       in the registration statement.

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                  shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to
                  the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

              (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (h) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       -4-
5
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Niwot, State of Colorado, on the 28th day of August,
1996.

                                     The DII Group, Inc.

                                     By:/s/     Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.
                                         Title: Senior Vice President and Chief
                                                  Financial Officer

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:
SIGNATURE                        TITLE                         DATE
           ---------                        -----                         ----
/s/     Ronald R. Budacz         Chairman and Chief Executive         August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
        Ronald R. Budacz                    Officer

/s/   Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.      Director, Senior Vice President       August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
      Carl R. Vertuca, Jr.        and Chief Financial Officer
                                 (Principal Financial Officer)

/s/      Thomas J. Smach          Vice President-Finance and          August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Thomas J. Smach                  Controller

/s/     Robert L. Brueck                   Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
        Robert L. Brueck

/s/      Lewis E. Burns                    Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Lewis E. Burns

- -----------------------------              Director                   August __, 1996
         Gary P. Kennedy

/s/      Gary L. Roubos                    Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
         Gary L. Roubos

/s/     Gerard T. Wrixon                   Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
   Gerard T. Wrixon, Msc. Phd.

/s/    Alexander W. Young                  Director                   August 28, 1996
- -----------------------------
       Alexander W. Young
-5-
6
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT
NUMBER                          DESCRIPTION OF DOCUMENT
- ------                          -----------------------

 5               Opinion of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle

23.1             Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

23.2             Consent of Deloitte & Touche

23.3             Consent of Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle (included in
                 Exhibit 5)

                                       -6-