Hiring & Advancement
- As a senior attending Howard University, Alaina Tarver (pictured here
on the right with her mentor Marlon Mayfield) participated in Abbott's
internship program. Now a full-time Abbott employee, she credits the program
with giving her a life-changing opportunity.
Ninety-seven percent of interns said they were very satisfied with the
program; and 44 percent have chosen permanent positions at Abbott.
Commitment Across the Career Lifespan
Global competition for talent is intense. Robust hiring, advancement and
leadership development programs at all levels help our employees realize their
individual potential as well as ensure we attract and retain the best talent
for our growth.
Entry Level
A number of hiring and development programs are available to help employees
begin or enhance their careers, starting with the Abbott internship program. In
2008, we increased our hiring of interns by 16 percent, 57 percent of whom were
women and 41 percent minorities. In 2008, 48 percent of our interns became
Abbott employees, an increase over the 39-percent intake of 2007.
Our two- or three-year Professional Development Programs allow employees to
gain diverse experiences by rotating through four or five assignments within
the company, including in our international affiliates. These programs have
proven to be a leadership pipeline, with nearly one-quarter of alumni going on
to senior leadership positions at Abbott.
Abbott maintains aggressive goals for the recruitment, hiring and retention
of women and minorities. These goals are included in the performance assessment
of our managers and leaders and affect their compensation.
University Relations
Part of our diversity and inclusion efforts focus on recruitment of
entry-level talent through campus initiatives and university partnerships. We
continued our outreach to minorities and women through various organizations at
schools in the areas of engineering, information technology, finance and MBA
programs. These partnerships included: Minority Commerce Association, Black
Business Students, Wellesley College Business Leadership Council, Howard
Hometown Engineering Scholarships and the Latino Association for Business
Students, among others. Internationally, we implemented new recruiting programs
in our affiliates in Ireland and China, and we continued our partnerships with
international centers of learning in Europe, Latin America and
Asia-Pacific.
Employee Networks
Employee networks play a vital role in building an inclusive culture at
Abbott. By focusing on career development, mentoring, informal networking and
work-life management, our networks expand opportunities for women and
minorities to advance into leadership roles. Networks are sponsored by
corporate officers, who help align the group's objectives with Abbott's
business strategy. Nearly 8,000 U.S. employees participate in leadership
networks. These include: LA VOICE Network (Hispanic/Latino), Women Leaders in
Action, Black Business Network, Asian Cultural Leadership Network, PRIDE
Network (gay/lesbian) and the Part-Time Network.