Listening to Our Employees

Employee feedback provides us with valuable insight as we continue to shape our culture to achieve our business strategy. This year, Abbott conducted a biannual survey of its employees to understand employee perceptions of our key cultural attributes. Approximately 70 percent of employees worldwide participated in the survey. Specifically, employees see strengths in how we live the Abbott values and conduct ourselves ethically. Employees see a line of sight to the customer, with 93 percent understanding how their work impacts the lives of patients and 93 percent knowing how their role contributes to the success of the divisions. Employees also believe we are producing high-quality products in a safe environment – products that meet patient and customer needs, and they feel positive about their jobs and their opportunities for development.

Our 2008 results also indicate that we need to continue our focus on setting expectations with managers to communicate their vision and create a culture of employee development and recognition. We are aligning these expectations with existing management and leadership development programs around the world.