Boehringer Ingelheim: A cut above

Boehringer Ingelheim:
A cut above

So what does it take to be the best? We take a look at the Pf Survey’s number one Employer of Choice.

Boehringer Ingelheim was voted the number one Employer of Choice by respondents to this year’s Pf Company Perception, Motivation and Satisfaction Survey. This followed consistently high rankings for the company since 2003. Boehringer Ingelheim entered the top ten five years ago at number six, maintained a second position for the following three years, but was able to beat off all competition to take the top spot in the 2007 Survey.

The Employer of Choice ranking is based on external perception. However, Boehringer Ingelheim also achieved exceptional scores from its own employees, with particularly glowing results in areas such as its Company Culture, Training and Future Product Pipeline.

In the same way that an athlete needs to develop certain attributes to succeed, such as optimum physical fitness and a positive mindset, there are a number of factors that are crucial to employee satisfaction. This article will take a closer look at the 2007 Survey’s number one Employer of Choice to find out what it is that makes it a cut above the rest.

The art of motivation

Boehringer Ingelheim employees were asked to rate their satisfaction with several motivating work factors. The company scored higher satisfaction than the industry average in 14 out of the 17 factors. As well as achieving exceptionally good results across the board, Boehringer Ingelheim exceeded the industry average in each of the factors that were voted most important by employees – Company Culture, Salary, Relationship with Manager, Job Security and Belief in Present Products.

In the current industry climate it is perhaps Boehringer Ingelheim’s high satisfaction score for its future pipeline that stands out, as the company scored an impressive 81% satisfaction for this, compared to an industry average of 52%.

Company culture was another high score – 83% satisfaction and just 1% dissatisfaction – and this is a particular focus for Boehringer Ingelheim. An open and respectful culture is an aim of the company, and it strives for an environment where employees feel empowered to put forward their ideas, constantly improve their performance and develop their careers.

One employee commented: “Boehringer Ingelheim is always looking for ways to work smarter that will enable us to make steady, sustainable progress in the middle of the turmoil of the pharma industry. They have a great company culture and this is what makes Boehringer Ingelheim such a pleasure to work for. We are not the biggest but we can be the best!”

Boehringer Ingelheim’s recognition and appropriate rewarding of success was also mentioned by many employees as something that they valued about working for the company. Unusually, the organisation had favourable results for Salary, Bonus and Car Policy when compared to the industry average, and a total of 76% of employees said that they were happy with their total remuneration package.

Development and progression

When asked about their career plans for the next twelve months, far fewer Boehringer Ingelheim employees said they are considering a move to another company – 70% of Boehringer employees want to stay exactly where they are, in comparison to an industry average of just 58%.

One employee who has been with the company for twelve years explained what it is about the career development on offer that means so few employees wish to leave: “I believe that the development opportunities available allow employees to experience a variety of roles to obtain a wealth of experience to assist in their progression. The culture means that I feel I can express my opinion and improve as an individual.”

Both Personal Development and Training were successful areas for Boehringer Ingelheim in the Survey (see charts opposite). This is an area of the business that Boehringer has developed over recent years, establishing an integrated development and progression programme that links personal development within the employee’s current role with career progression into other roles. In addition, a process that identifies and develops talent at an early stage means that the company now has a talent pool, which will provide an internal resource of managers and marketeers for the future.

The company has also increased its investment in training, and recently re-organised this area of the business so that each business unit has a dedicated training manager to meet the individual needs of that area. Sales force training and development will be further enhanced with the introduction of a new coaching initiative this year.

The winning formula

Employee comments on working for Boehringer Ingelheim: “Fantastic employer. Very focussed on doing the right thing with a truly open and honest culture. Great products and a terrific pipeline.” “Would not want to work for another company. Boehringer culture and ways of working are second to none.” “Absolutely perfect.” “World class… Exceptional.” “Excellent. Best in Industry.”

So what is it about working for Boehringer Ingelheim that led Survey respondents to vote it the best employer in the industry and current employees to describe it as ‘perfect’ ‘exceptional’ and ‘world class’?

The answer seems to lie in the company’s positive culture. Boehringer Ingelheim listens and responds to its employees, so it is able to meet the needs of the sales force and continually develop to better meet those needs. As a result, the company can deliver in each of the areas that are most important to its employees and offer great rewards for success, both in terms of recognition and remuneration.

However, reward and recognition are not enough to secure the long-term commitment of a work force, without the promise of a successful future. Boehringer Ingelheim can offer its employees great prospects, both in terms of its product pipeline and options for career development. They are not content to simply be the best, Boehringer Ingelheim is constantly listening and developing to offer its work force even more job satisfaction and an even better future with the company.

To find out more about the Pf Survey’s number one Employer of Choice, email communications@bra.boehringer-ingelheim.com.