CIPD conference 2010: Astellas Pharmaceuticals focuses on total reward

Astellas Pharmaceuticals has launched a number of total reward initiatives around wellbeing, recognition and flexible working for its 15,000 global employees.

Mark Goodlake, senior director in the European HQ of Astellas Pharmaceuticals, spoke about the new initiatives at a session called ‘The pay, performance and engagement equation’ at the 2010 CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition.

Goodlake said that the initiatives are in line with the firm’s journey to become an ‘Employer of Choice’ and a goal to offer more long-term incentives to staff. He added: “Our reward programmes were very short-term and, since we are reinforcing the brand of ‘Employer of Choice’, we had to demonstrate that we wanted staff to stay with us for the long term.”

The offerings that Astellas has introduced include: wellbeing initiatives such as an employee assistance programme (EAP) and pedometers that allow staff to take 10,000 steps a day and monitor their health; the ‘Changing Tomorrow’ recognition awards; piloted home working and flexible hours schemes; and the ‘Ambassador’ programme that allows staff from the EU and US to spend three months working for the business at its Japanese parent firm.

The initiatives were a result of the organisation’s 2009 European Employee Survey which found that, while 59% of staff favoured pay and reward, 69% favoured a work environment that included flexibility, 63% favoured being evaluated by performance, and 74% valued the benefits of communication.

Goodlake added: “It is not about pay, it is about how we deliver pay and total reward. We think it is better to focus on the work environment and flexibility, performance evaluation, and communication.”