Resilient, Diverse and Performance-Based Workforce

With a 7% share of the world market for pharmaceutical products, the company is one of the global players in this branch. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recognises that, to succeed in a highly competitive environment, it needs a corporate culture that protects and enhances the resilience of its workforce.

There is a recognition that a lack of resilience can adversely impact GSK in many areas: lack of engagement/commitment, impaired business performance, burnout and in the area of compliance/litigation.

In this context, Team Resilience is an important strategy and set of management tools to enhance performance and provide human sustainability to GSK.

Resilience is defined as the ability to succeed personally and professionally in the midst of a high pressured, fast moving and continuously changing environment.

The Resilience strategy represents a proactive, preventive and participative approach. It is driven by top management engagement and commitment. It involves the use of simple and standard GSK process improvement tools. The interventions that follow assessment concentrate on individuals, teams and the wider organisation. Impact and outcomes are closely evaluated.

Management at all levels are responsible for addressing pressure at GSK. A group responsible for dealing with employee health supports the workforce and management in coping with work-related stress, in partnership with Human Resources.

Managers are supported to promote "team resilience" and support the psychosocial well-being of their employees. This is achieved through open communication on the sources of pressure and the understanding of roles, objectives and personal priorities of the individual and the company. Over 2000 people are currently actively participating in the "team resilience" process.

In addition, "personal resilience" is offered as a course through GSK's own learning system. This course can help employees to improve their personal resilience and can be attended either before or during the "team resilience" process.

For not only the external circumstances impact on health and illness but also the attitude of the individual.

 
"GlaxoSmithKline is committed to providing a safe, healthy and productive work environment for all its employees and for others who work on, or visit, its sites. A work environment conducive to good physical, emotional and psychological health is one that is stimulating, challenging and enriching. Such a work environment strives to meet personal needs and business goals through enhancing individual health and well being and by improving the way work is accomplished. This enables individuals and teams to maximise their potential and contributes to sustainable business success. In GSK this is achieved through a partnership between the businesses which make up GSK, their line management, health, safety and human resource professionals and Corporate Shared Service Specialist support groups."

Dan Phelan, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Member of Corporate Executive Team, GlaxoSmithKline plc