Letter Re: Drug Plan Report, june 2008 In the article “New Drugs in Town,” our novel antidepressant, Cipralex®, has been wrongly used as an example to illustrate that “other new products being released are simply reformulated versions of existing products” and that it does not possess any superior clinical benefits compared to our earlier product (Celexa). It is true that Cipralex (S-citalopram or escitalopram) is one of the two mirrorimage molecules that make up Celexa. However, the statement in the article is inaccurate based on preclinical and clinical evidence showing that the single escitalopram has greater potency than Celexa. Moreover, it undermines the fact that Health Canada has approved escitalopram as a new chemical entity. We believe that this type of information is both inaccurate and misleading. In addition, this may cause a prejudice to those who suffer from a serious medical illness. Lundbeck is a research and development company that is working very hard to develop new and improved drugs so that people suffering from mental illness can return to a full and productive life. – Marie Gagné, vice-president, scientific affairs, Lundbeck Canada Inc. |
Talent Search Tactics
As the war for talent continues, the traditional methods of recruiting new employees are ways of the past. Employers need to deploy new tactics to attract and retain skilled workers.
In a report by the Aberdeen Group, Talent Acquisition Strategies: Employer Branding and Quality of Hire Take Center Stage, 88% of organizations said competition for skilled labour is the overriding pressure driving them to invest in talent acquisition programs. Eighty-three percent of respondents also said they are investing in talent acquisition programs because of the shortage of skilled talent in the workforce.
Companies are also putting more emphasis on enhancing their brands and reputations in the market, proactively searching for so-called passive candidates, and marketing to younger workers through social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
According to the report, “best-in-class organizations are more aggressive at communicating job openings and job-role needs with current staff.” The report also notes that “this is especially important since employee referrals are cited as the top source for finding desirable talent.”
Talent acquisition programs have become crucial in the labour struggle but successful programs involve far more than just deciding what skills and attributes are needed from candidates. These programs require the ability to measure and assess how well new hires perform their roles during the first year on the job. The report recommends that employers have processes in place to determine what level of performance new employees should attain in three-, six- and nine-month time frames. Employers should measure the candidate against those milestones and evaluate any gaps in performance that need to be addressed.
“How well an organization is able to measure performance on the job of new hires and use that information to improve the recruiting process will play a major role in the success of the talent acquisition program,” the report states.
Additionally, the success of a talent acquisition program requires inward action and reflection. Bringing new employees on board will be of little value if they don’t want to stay. Best-in-class organizations are putting more emphasis on career development, leadership training and flexible work environments. Also important is the ability to respond to the needs of individual workers. Although they may not be practical for all organizations, flexible schedules, telecommuting and job-sharing are becoming more common—and more desirable to job seekers.
There are general actions that employers can take to improve their ability to attract and retain talent. Organizations should explore new marketing outlets, begin onboarding efforts earlier, obtain manager input and solicit feedback from new hires throughout the process. — Craig Sebastiano
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© Copyright 2008 Rogers Publishing Ltd. This article first appeared in the September 2008 edition of BENEFITS CANADA magazine.