Putting people at the heart of it all

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, family-owned pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim swiftly pivoted to a work-from-home model. Besides providing structural support to employees in the form of office equipment and care packages, it set up a well-being team to ensure that employees remained connected despite being apart.

The team organised virtual events such as Family Day, trainings, team building activities and talks on topics ranging from mental health to cooking demonstrations and fitness. Employees across the region were also able to connect on a personal level via an internal social group, where they shared recipes, artwork and photos of their pets.

This commitment to employee welfare is a reflection of Boehringer Ingelheim’s people-focused ethos. As a company that aims to improve the health and quality of life for humans and animals, it’s only natural that it puts people at the heart of its organisation.  

Diversity and inclusion are key principles at Boehringer Ingelheim, with employees who hail from all around the world. According to the company, a diverse, inclusive workforce enables it to better understand its patients and partners, as well as to attract and retain talent into the future.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s outstanding workplace culture has been recognised by Top Employers Institute, a global authority that ranks excellence in people practices. For the second time running, Boehringer Ingelheim has been named a Global Top Employer – one of only 11 companies that has been awarded this title for 2022. With close to 3,000 employees from 24 different nationalities, the company has also been certified as a Top Employer for 2022 across the region in ASEAN, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Top Employers Institute highlighted Boehringer Ingelheim’s success in the area of employee engagement, its agile work environment and its strong values, ethics and integrity, which are the building blocks of its inclusive corporate culture.

“Our employees are our greatest assets,” said Dr Armin Wiesler, Boehringer Ingelheim’s regional managing director of ASEAN, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. “Our people are empowered, respected and valued – no matter who they are or what roles they play.”

In addition, as part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s values to care for the community, the organisation donated funding from the Government under the Jobs Support Scheme in Singapore. More than S$1.8 million has been donated to non-profit organisations such as Singapore National Stroke Association, Guide Dogs Singapore and Singapore Environment Council.

A CAREER FOR LIFE

Long-time employee Kelvin Lee, who is head of sales in Boehringer Ingelheim Singapore’s Human Pharma division, is one of many who is proud to be part of the company.

Mr Lee first joined Boehringer Ingelheim in 1991 for five and a half years before departing briefly for five months. He returned in 1996 and has been with the company ever since – enjoying a long and fulfilling career for the past 30 years.

Now, he leads a team of 25 – comprising medical representatives, district sales managers, an account executive and an administrative executive – to deliver organisational goals based on Boehringer Ingelheim’s core values.

Besides being from different cultures – Mr Lee himself originally comes from Seremban, Malaysia – his team members also have different academic and professional backgrounds. Some are former pharmacists, bankers, teachers, engineers, flight attendants and even military aviation technicians.

“This diversity has allowed everyone to bring something different to the table, which is exactly the creativity we need in dealing with business challenges,” said Mr Lee, adding tongue-in-cheek that another perk is getting to sample goodies from places like Indonesia and the Philippines, whenever colleagues return from visiting their hometowns. “And when we practise inclusion, it showcases the importance of respect in the organisation and highlights our values of respect, trust, empathy and passion.”

Boehringer Ingelheim’s people-focused culture also means a strong emphasis on coaching and feedback, with numerous development opportunities available through tailor-made training programmes for each employee.

Over the years, Mr Lee noted that the feedback process has become increasingly more consultative. “I come from the older generation where decisions were largely made unilaterally. Now, we strongly believe in drawing ideas out of our people through dialogue and empowerment. This has become the foundation of Boehringer Ingelheim’s coaching culture and enables the organisation to take a more holistic approach when making critical business decisions.”

Mr Lee recalls how as a young sales representative, he and his teammates would return to the office voluntarily despite being field-based, for informal team meetings that cemented their mutual trust and support.

“These discussions created a lot of value in bringing out good business solutions,” he said, adding that many of those same colleagues are still working at Boehringer Ingelheim. “When I witness my team’s growth and see them maximising their potential, it fills my heart with pride and fulfilment. It only goes to show that when you look after your people, they will look after the business, too – which is truly win-win!”

Interested in becoming part of Boehringer Ingelheim? Learn more about the company and its job openings.