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AND BEYOND HOW'BEST FIRMS' RETAIN CHEMISTS Employees tend to stay at companies that provide stability and a fair, open environment L O U I S A W R A Y D A L T O N , C&F:"N
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start talking about it, it's hard for them to stop. I )id I mention Alcon flex time? Did I mention shortterm disability insurance? Did I mention retiree medical benefits permanently secured by an irrev ocable trust?" says Ronnie C Barker, a chemist in the research and development d e p a r t m e n t at Alcon Laboratories in Fort W o r t h , Texas. Barker laughs at her own enthusiasm, but she
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Making a Difference Synthetic Organic Chemistry Pfizer, Global Research and Development (PGRD), Pfizer's discovery and development division, is one of the premier pharmaceutical research institutions in the^World and offers an exciting career in synthetic organic chemistry. Our focus is clear - to discover and deliver an ever- increasing variety of medicines to significantly enhance the health and quality of life for people and animals around the ^orld. We accomplish this with exemplary science, innovation and extraordinary teamwork. In Discovery, we focus on generating new ideas for drugs and producing drug candidates with robust pharmaceutical attributes. As a member of our drug discovery program, your role as a chemist will be to conduct organic synthesis research on the design, execution, and interpretation of reactions and synthetic sequences aimed at preparing novel therapeutic compounds for evaluation by team members in biology. You will accomplish this using a variety of techniques including chromatography, parallel synthesis, spectroscopy and 3-dimensional modeling. Research documentation and literature searches are also key components of your role. We seek candidates with a MS in Organic Chemistry. Special consideration will be given to candidates with independent academic or industrial research experience using modern organic chemistry methodology. An equal opportunity employer, Pfizer offers a workplace rich with diversity and potential. Pfizer has an exceptional work environment complete with competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and training opportunities designed to develop your professional talents. To learn more about Pfizer and to apply to positions in this area, please visit the career section of our web site: www.pfizer.com.
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Chemistry-Related Best Employers 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR (as ranked in Fortune, Jan. 20, 2003) 21. Pfizer, New York City 27. W. L Gore & Associates, Newark, Del. 29. S. C. Johnson & Son, Racine, Wis. 31. Merck, Whitehouse Station, N J . 33. Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, Calif. 40. Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas 46. Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati 55. Colgate-Palmolive, New York City 57. Eli Lilly, Indianapolis 80. Genentech, South San Francisco 82. ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City 84. Baxter International, Deerfield, III. 99. Guidant, Indianapolis 50 BEST COMPANIES FOR MINORITIES (as ranked in Fortune, July 7, 2003) 16. Colgate-Palmolive 21. Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, N.J. 34. Eastman Kodak, Rochester, N.Y. 39. Procter & Gamble 46. Avon Products, New York City 48. Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, III. 50. S. C. Johnson & Son 100 BEST COMPANIES FOR WORKING MOTHERS (as ranked in Working Mother, October 2003) Abbott Laboratories (in top 10) AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Del. Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Bridgewater, N.J. Avon Products BP America, Chicago Bristol-Myers Squibb, New York City (in top 10) Colgate-Palmolive Corning, Corning, N.Y. DuPont, Wilmington, Del. Eastman Kodak Eli Lilly (in top 10) GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. IBM, Armonk, N.Y. (in top 10) Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N J . Lucent Technologies Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, N J . S. C. Johnson & Son (in top 10) Schering-Plough, Kenilworth, N J . Wyeth, Madison, N J .
River, N.Y, describes the "high-octaneenergy can-do atmosphere" at his firm. Skotnicki is starting his 25th year at 'Vvyeth. "One of the key features that I find is that we are expected to be involved in the process; involved in the decision-making; involved in the generation of new ideas, new approaches, and new technologies. And I want to emphasize the word 'expected' as opposed to 'allowed to.'It is the way our culture is set up; there is an ex66
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pectation that people will contribute and be successful. We put a high value on people and their science." To facilitate communication, Clark emphasizes the importance of the role of the direct supervisor. "That relationship [between employee and direct supervisor] is pivotal to creating a good working environment," she says. Alireza Ebrahim is manager of research and development at Bio-Rad Laboratories in Irvine, Calif. He manages three group leaders, who in turn supervise scientists, and he himself reports to a division manager. At least every other week, "we have one-on-one meetings with our direct reports. Through those meetings, we learn what they are doing, and if they are overloaded," he explains. "We listen to their frustrations and achievements, and based on the input we get from that meeting, we try to change or reprioritize their assignments to make sure that they can still enjoy life and work. "A lot of coaching and mentoring goes on in these meetings. We spend about half an hour to an hour. Sometimes we go over timelines or the budget for a project, but we spend a lot of time listening to their professional and personal problems. I meet with my division manager every other week. I meet with my three group leaders, and I also meet with my administrative assistant. It is not a requirement. This is something that has been promoted at BioRad, and it has worked very well." MANY EMPLOYEES also mention how much they like having accessibility to upper management. "There is a difference between the sensitivity training that goes on at most places and the reality of being responsive to subordinates far, far down the line," Alcon's Barker says. "I approached the highest ranking woman I know in the R&D hierarchy last October, with the request that a room be set aside for breast-feeding women who had to return to work at Alcon but who wanted to continue nursing. By Christmas, the first of three such rooms was ready. When I wrote to thank the CEO, he thanked me for bringing it to his attention." Good communication also has to do with providing ways for employees to resolve their concerns. Kodak has implemented a new program, now one-and-ahalf-years old, called Resolution Support Services. According to Kassnoff, employees who disagree with a supervisor's policy decision regarding the employee's performance or a disciplinary matter can raise an issue and bring it before either a peer
panel or a single adjudicator (an experienced manager from another area of the company). The employee shares his or her side of the story; the manager tells the other side. 'And the panel's role is to decide," Kassnoff says. "Was Kodak's policy fairly applied in this particular employee's instance?" At least four employees have gotten their jobs back through resolution support services, he adds. But communication and respectful atmosphere aside, some chemists cite job security as one of the primary reasons they choose to stay with their employers. "If you talk to 100 people at Bio-Rad," Ebrahim says, "I'm sure 95 of them will tell you that job stability is one of the top three benefits of working at Bio-Rad." Ebrahim says that, at the moment, and particularly in clinical diagnostics and the life sciences, job security isn't so easy to come by But because ofgood management decisions and employee productivity at Bio-Rad, "I can tell you with a high level of confidence that there are no hallway conversations, no cafeteria conversations about whose position is going to be eliminated—and that has been the case at BioRad for many, many years," Ebrahim says. It means that employees don't have to struggle with the symptoms of downsizing: deferred projects and decisions, few growth opportunities, more reliance on outsourcing, and a deemphasis on R&D. At Alcon, "job security enables an atmosphere of collégial respect that positively colors day-to-day work. When you're not worried about your job, you can afford
VETERANS MAKING THE GRADE AGAIN AND AGAIN Some of the firms on the "best" lists are established winners. They've proven themselves to be good workplaces in past years and, despite intense competition, have continually improved their workplaces and have been honored yet again. C&EN has already highlighted many of the firms that made Fortune's and Working Mother's lists in 2003. In 2000, C&EN spoke with representatives at Pfizer, ScheringPlough, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Eli Lilly, DuPont, and Novartis (C&EN, Oct. 2, 2000, page 167). In 2001, C&EN described the workplaces at Eli Lilly, Merck, Procter & Gamble, Lucent, and Agilent (C&EN, Oct. 15, 2001, page 47). And in 2002, C&EN spoke to Corning, Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Agilent (C&EN, Oct. 28, 2002, page 75).
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to be a little kinder and more responsive to your colleagues. Your emotional energies are not short-circuited by fear or competition for dwindling jobs," Barker says. Hong Yong, a chemist in the metabolic disease area at Abbott Laboratories, says that because of her stable working environment, "I feel safe here."
"Our department is in a central analytical facility, providing high-end analytical chemistry solutions to all sorts of product development and manufacturing issues." he relates. "The sheer variety of assignments from the divisions we support tempers any possibility of boredom that may come from routine analyses, and also al-
LASTING PERFORMANCE Barker celebrated her 20th year with Alcon Laboratories last month. Job security also allows employees to think ahead. And if they can see opportunities for advancement, it encourages them to stay and help the company grow "I can see my future here," Yong says. "I got my master's degree in chemistry, but at Abbott, you can be promoted to the Ph.D. level" even without a Ph.D., she says. The prospect makes her comfortable with the idea of staying at Abbott. A savvy employer will think ahead and do what it takes to keep a valued employee. Abbott sponsored Yong's green card, illustrating from the beginning her value to the company. At Bio-Rad, "there is a lot of emphasis on growing from within," Ebrahim says. To make sure that an employee's talents are not wasted, he says, Bio-Rad may even create a new job entirely S. C.Johnson offers job rotations, which makes employees' work both more challenging and more interesting, and develops a strong competency base within the firm. For chemists in particular, providing challenging work is one of the best ways to keep them around. Edward K. Chess, senior director of research in the physical and chemical sciences and technology resources department at Baxter Healthcare in Round Lake, 111., says that his department "provides an environment that is rich with opportunities to work on challenging assignments that involve a lot of creative problem-solving. HTTP://WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG
lows for the development and use of a wide variety of analytical procedures and instrumentation. Problem-solving with a creative group of coworkers using advanced instrumentation creates a stimulating workplace—one that folks are eager to join and sustain." WINNING WORKPLACES also tacks on four other factors that help create a great work environment: rewards and recognition, teamwork and involvement, learning and development, and work/life balance. Employees express especially heartfelt gratitude for generous work/life policies.
'After the birth of my daughter," says Sarah Heathcock, a research scientist in microbiology at S. C.Johnson, "I was able to take a six-month maternity leave and return to my position part time. My manager worked with me to adapt my job responsibilities to fit a part-time schedule in a way that benefits the department, the company as a whole, and myself as an employee. My husband also works for S. C.Johnson, so we can be flexible with both of our schedules when I have situations that I need to be available for outside my normal workhours. My husband and I feel very fortunate to work for a company in which we both have successful careers, while being able to utilize such wonderful work/life programs." Almost all of the companies mentioned also offer excellent benefits, continuing education opportunities, matching funds for 401(k)s, lovely facilities, and plenty of nice extras like the "superior coffee" at Xandex. All of those are wonderful, says Clark at Winning Workplaces, but they aren't necessarily the elements that will keep an employee coming back day after day "When a company sees that they need to be a better place to work, they sometimes think, O h , we'll make a new program. We'll have Friday barbeques; we'll have employee of the month. We'll throw a program or service at employees, and that will make them happy' Well, it doesn't make them happy. People may at first be attracted to a company by the benefits, but if it isn't a good environment to work in, those benefits don't matter." Great places to work provide respectful, open, stable, and stimulating work environments. "If every day you go to work, you are happy," Abbott's Yong says, "I think that is the most important thing." •
ADVERTISER INDEX Amgen ventis
60 68
Éorning
69 Eli Lilly & Co. 68 Lawrence Livermore 69 Martek Biosciences Corp. 69 Novartis 62-63 Pfizer 65 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. 70 Sanmina-SCI 70 Scion Pharmaceuticals Inc. 68 SCYNEXIS Inc. 70 C & E N / OCTOBER 2 7 . 2003
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