One of the most admired talent pipelines in the business
THE CRF rating showed that Novartis South Africa has outstanding employee offerings and thus qualified for the exclusive Best Employers certification. Research revealed: outstanding working conditions; that innovation is the cornerstone of operations; the product pipeline is the strongest in the industry; and a strong commitment to Corporate Social Investment includes initiatives around malaria and leprosy.
The pharmaceutical company is a world leader in healthcare and provides innovative solutions to meet the needs of patients and the communities in which it operates. It embraces an integrated strategy which helps maintain a competitive edge within the industry.
Luciano Marques, CPO Head and Country President, says one of its fundamental pillars of operation is its people. The company takes part in global surveys to ensure that it constantly improves its work environment for employees. Moreover, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach at Novartis which is active in 140 countries. Each environment is customised to fit the country in question.
The company prides itself on its unique market positioning, in that it has decided to lead in both speciality and mass market (primary care) medications. It is this quest to lead the industry that has ensured the development of one of the most admired talent pipelines in the business.
“Novartis South Africa, he adds, “has been identified as a key area for growth. As such, we have made a longterm commitment to developing the business and investing in top talent.”
Indeed, the company is looking to increase its global footprint by 25 percent – relooking its capabilities and focusing on areas where the business can expand. “Attracting top talent is vital as we start on this journey,” says Marques.
Darlington Phala, new Head of Human Resources, affirms that the company is well versed in issues around change management and embraces practices such as team building, breaking down silos and driving diversity and inclusion. This makes the company an attractive option.
The approach to leadership is crossfunctional and breaks down traditional and departmental silos. “We work together to maximise impact and come up with effective solutions,” says Marques. Every employee is given the opportunity for promotion.
“We believe that people can develop into roles,” says Marques. “When it comes to qualifying for promotion, we assess the individual’s track record and delivery.”
“Novartis South Africa,” he adds, “has been identified as a key area for growth. As such, we have made a longterm commitment to developing the business and investing in top talent.”
Phala says Novartis prides itself on its succession planning ability and has identified potential candidates for key positions globally. “High performers are tracked on a monthly basis – we look for traits such as agility, learning ability, expediency and performance.”
The policy is to pay for performance and the company participates in relevant surveys and checks benchmarks to ensure that salaries are competitive.
“Every employee has access to incentives and with the right performance, they can earn well above the industry norm,” says Phala. “We take a total remuneration approach which includes benefits such as medical aid, dread disease cover and provident fund, in addition to wellness days and the like. This speaks to the caring nature of the organisation.”
Bonuses are determined during the performance appraisal process and both individual and company performance are considered.