Incentive - April 2008 - (Page 18) COVER STORY In the past three years, AstraZeneca U.S. has won many accolades for its record as an employer, beginning with its position (number 83) on Fortune’s 2008 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Last year, AstraZeneca took a spot on Working Mother magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers, for the sixth consecutive time. It has also been recognized for its commitment to diversity, as a disabled-friendly workplace and as one of the best industrial employers of scientists. And as befits a company operating in the field of health care, AstraZeneca’s success in promoting a healthy lifestyle for its employees has been recognized by both Men’s Health magazine and the American Heart Association in the past two years. Instead of focusing on one specific area that AstraZeneca concentrates on in its quest to be an employer of choice, Incentive will look at a variety, including work/life balance and diversity, corporate social responsibility and volunteerism, and health and wellness programs. We’ll start, of course, with corporate incentives. ing because the three-year-old group’s 600 staff members are spread so widely across the company. Commercial operations is divided into three parts: alignment teams, which deal with promotions from both headquarters and out in the field; the commercial insight group, which does research and analysis for product brand teams; and the services group, which handles support functions like compliance, meeting planning, an in-house ad agency AZCE, for AstraZeneca Commercial Excellence. While technically an annual program, much of it takes place on a quarterly basis, Snow says. “It is a travel program. When someone has done something really special, they get a prize they can use for travel,” he says. “We get submissions and we go through them quarterly and award prizes.” While an award can be $1,500 to $5,000 in value, it is not cash, Snow Health & Safety Rewards t AstraZeneca U.S.’s headquarters in Wilmington, where about one third of its 12,000 employees are based, the gym is a 10,000-square-foot, state-of-theart fitness facility. Beyond that, the company has an outsourced lifestyle-coaching/employee assistance program, says Penny Stoker, VP of global human resources services. There is a points-based health incentive program, Get HIP!, that has enrolled more than two thirds of the workforce. Employees earn points for A everything from going to the gym to viewing online health seminars. The points can be traded for awards ranging from running shoes and treadmills to plasma TVs and vacations. The company also offers programs like Weight Watchers and smoking cessation. Indoor walking paths snake through the huge corporate campus. The cafeteria has added more healthy food choices, and the company is considering charging less for healthy foods and more for unhealthy items. Commercial Operations’ Incentives A company the size of AstraZeneca has any number of incentive programs, ranging from those typical for field sales reps, based on both personal and company annual results, and those targeting short-term goals, Stoker says. The top performers get a trip and access to top executives, she adds. “There are opportunities for spot recognition, using gift checks, tickets to sporting events, dinner” and similar awards, Stoker says. There are also peer recognition programs that can give thanks and awards in and across teams. A forthcoming managers’ essentials program will include training in how to recognize and motivate employees. “A manager can say, ‘I know X has a small child and money pressures, so cash will mean more,’ ” she says. “Another, with kids off in college, might appreciate dinner more.” But commercial operations is interest- and a large, off-site call center. None of the employees are on the front line in sales or even connected to a specific product brand, he points out. The division has three levels of incentive programs, Snow says. The first is at the team level, and this mainly consists of managers having the budget and latitude to celebrate various successes and milestones by taking the team to lunch or dinner, throwing parties and similar events. The second tier is prizes the group has collected that managers “can pull out for an ‘attaboy,’ ” recognizing an individual effort, Snow says. These range from $25 gift cards—from companies like Barnes & Noble and Starbucks—to items like iPods and GPS devices. “Things that are cool, that you might not buy but would like to have,” he notes, adding that they are sometimes given to other employees who assist commercial operations. The third, primary program is called notes. “Cash is nice but it is not memorable,” he says. “We want something they can share with the family.” The award can be used to book airfare, hotels and the like. “We’ve had people go to Europe and to Disney World.” The reason the program is quarterly, Snow says, is that he feels it is “important to connect performance and the time frame of the award. There is no delay of an annual program.” There is an annual dinner for all of the year’s 30 to 50 winners, where they are individually recognized, take a picture with Snow and share pictures of the trips they took. “People really like that,” Snow says. “It shows that this is an organization in which you will be recognized” for good work. While there are no set criteria for the AZCE awards, the program is focused around teams, says Snow. “[Winners] are usually several people working together. We look for opportunities with groups 18 | Incentive | April 2008 | incentivemag.com http://incentivemag.com
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