Ever since spinning off from Abbott Laboratories in 2013, AbbVie has made culture a strategic business priority.
The logic is sound for a business that relies on the skill and ideas of its people to find and develop new drug candidates, which is vital for long-term growth in pharmaceuticals.
“We think sustained performance will be driven by a consistent culture,” explains Jason Smith, AbbVie’s senior vice president and head of Europe commercial operations.
“We’re not looking for a one- or two-year view on financial performance,” at the expense of employee experience, Smith says. “You may win for a quarter or a year, but you’re not going to sustain the performance. You’ll see people less engaged. You’ll see attrition.”
It’s a principle that is doubly important given AbbVie’s highly specialized work requires rigorous development and training, with an average tenure across Europe of nine years and some team members serving more than 20 years in their roles.
