We establish respectful, direct and positive dialogs with our employees and other stakeholders. By doing so, we want to awaken a sense of belonging to the joint construction of prosperous partnerships that provide development to people and growth to business.
We also seek to strengthen and honor the trust gained with doctors, consumers, suppliers, customers, communities, regulatory bodies, industry representatives, the press, business partners, universities, research centers and all those who access Aché somehow.
Our commitment is to follow guided by our values and purpose, the reason for being of our existence and foundations for the construction of a culture that is also aligned with the demands that arise from society.
Aché Generation
The health of our employees and their families remained a priority in 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic has intensified and the immense challenge of caring, protecting, guiding and offering conditions to improve the quality of life has been treated with great firmness, attention and affection.
The pandemic response committee, formed in 2020, held regular meetings and decision-making, in a collegiate and rapid manner, favored the implementation of the most careful initiatives bringing comfort and safety to the Aché Generation.
Treated in an integral way, the health of the Aché Generation is considered in its physical, psychological, social aspects and in the work environment.
Integration and approach
Our digital platforms were important means of interaction, approach, agile information and helped keep the Aché Generation motivated and engaged. Yammer, a digital platform launched in 2021, in addition to giving voice to our employees, improved communication with themes focused on aspirations and expectations, adapting it to times of social distance. The level of satisfaction with the tool reached 83%.
Lives, videos, games, endomarketing campaigns, innovative ideas and countless more opportunities continue to be generated and absorbed by the Aché Generation, through Yammer, which encourages creativity, freedom of expression and supports the construction of an organizational culture led by each Aché employee.
In December 2021, 5,144 professionals were part of the Aché Generation, an increase of 0.49% compared to 2020. In the year, 262 new vacancies were created and 840 people were promoted. GRI 102-8
One of the largest and most recognized Demand and Sales Forces in the national pharmaceutical sector, our professionals proved, in another year of overcoming, their level of commitment, effort, study anda adaptation to the new times. Already familiar with digital tools, they were trained in new ways to relate to doctors and disseminate updated and quality information. Also, they have become able to bring customers new technological solutions to support the business.
Formed by advertisers, consultants and sellers, in 2021 this commercial sales force and demand totaled 2,670 professionals, distributing the Aché brand to the entire Brazilian territory.
Profile of the Aché Generation
Talent management and performance
With the challenge of always maintaining and engaging our talents, we continuously invest in the development of people, expanding their knowledge and potential. Encouraging creativity and innovation is part of Aché’s culture. In 2021, we started projects based on ideas suggested by employees, with emphasis on the Transformational Innovation category: Low cost 3D Printer and 3D drugs and in the category Process Improvement, Internalization of Aerosols, Hospital Alenia and Package Inserts in Digital Pounds.
We have restructured and expanded our performance appraisal system - SGDI. In 2021, 100% of the Company’s employees made the performance evaluation. Our evaluation model is an ally in the employee’s personal development, offering clarity of criteria, equity and feedback on the result, which is encouraging the construction of their career. GRI 404-3
Encouraging creativity and innovation is part of our culture
DEVELOP ACHÉ
A culture conducive to learning and development is established at Aché. Therefore, we have continuously invested in education programs and projects for our employees in an increasingly broad and democratic manner.
In 2021, we launched the digital platform Develop Aché. The contents can be accessed at any time, via computer, tablet or mobile phone, enabling employees to play a leading role in their development. We registered the issuance of 14,050 certificates in 2021, more than 13 thousand accesses and 14 thousand hours attended
People management is structured to develop, maintain and value employees, basing their actions on the following areas of competence:
- Innovative performance
- Collaboration and development
- Commitment to the customer
- Strategic focus
- Results with excellence
- Leadership
With 30 courses launched in various themes, we created two learning trails: Think Digital, focused on digital transformation and the impact on our way of working; and Leadership Journey, focusing on the preparation of leaders in people management, business challenges, market and the Company’s objectives. Also on the platform Develop Aché, we held Conversation Rounds with experts on four different topics that were featured on the platform.
In partnership with educational institutions throughout the country, the training totaled more than 396 thousand hours, which represents an average of 76.6 hours of training per employee. GRI 404-1
The Program increases the level of employee engagement by bringing them closer to the Company’s leadership. In nine meetings throughout 2021, 94 participants expressed ideas, answered questions and, in an informal atmosphere, commented on their desires, expectations and achievements.
The Company’s training is conducted on three fronts, by the following areas
- Human Resources – controls the corporate training carried out by the digital platform Desenvolve Aché;
- TDV (sales training) – responsible for training aimed at the commercial and Demand Generation teams, especially related to scientific and drug knowledge;
- Operational Excellence – coordinates the technical training for the operational areas, including those that are requirements to obtain the standards and RTs of work safety, and the training related to the operation and maintenance of equipment or professional development for factory activities.
Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity has always been present at Aché, in a natural way, bringing together employees from all regions of Brazil, portraying our reality as a multicultural country. In 2021, the Company walked towards Diversity and Inclusion with a new look. The learning accumulated over time highlighted the importance of welcoming and celebrating differences, so we revisit our practices and are ready for this journey that will intensify even more in 2022 and the entire Aché Generation will be invited to lead a new way of dealing with and celebrating differences. We currently have monitoring indicators for PwDs (people with disabilities) and for black people.
For us, diversity has a direct connection with respect, equity, innovation, enriches the corporate ecosystem and brings a greater sense of belonging supporting the construction of the culture we practice every day.
Our Code of Conduct prohibits any type of discrimination of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, age group, political belief, nationality, marital status, physical condition or social class. Any kind of harassment, sexual, moral or economic, or situations that constitute pressures, intimidation or threats in the relationship between employees, regardless of their hierarchical level, is also prohibited. No cases of discrimination were identified in 2021. GRI 406-1
The inclusion of PwD in the Commercial Sales Force and Demand represented an important step in our purpose of having a more diverse environment. We totaled 251 employees with disabilities in the Company. Our plans ensure development opportunities with training,and workers and the inclusion of the topic.
Aché instituted a diversity committee to deepen discussions on the topic and hired a consultancy to support the construction of diversity projects in 2022.
Succession
To continue the implementation of our strategies, the leadership chain needs to be continuously monitored and strengthened in anticipation of future competency needs. All leadership positions were mapped (directors, managers and coordinators) and their successors, through interviews and potential assessment, this time using the Learnig Agility methodology. For 2022, we will continue with development actions for the mapped potentials, ensuring our ability to deliver continued organizational excellence.
Safety and health
We perform occupational health and safety management based on continuous improvements in our processes and in the maintenance of our programs, such as Sipat (Internal Week for the Prevention of Accidents at Work), the IMS (Integrated Management System), which is monitored by the Governance Committee, awareness and prevention campaigns and the Security Dialogs.
Strengthening the safety culture, Cipa (Internal Commission for Accident Prevention) holds monthly meetings with the participation of employees, in order to identify the risks of the work process and generate plans that enable preventive and treatment actions. In the internal Cipa committee, the employees elected in the management are trained and carry out the survey of physical agents (unhealthy/dangerous), biological and accidents, preparing the risk map. From this map,the safety engineering team prepares the technical reports in the PGRO (Occupational Risk Management Program). GRI 403-2, 403-4
Occupational Safety Management System records all incidentsthat could lead to the accident with injuries. Investigation reports must be drawn up by the safety engineering team, presented to Cipa committees and company managers. The Behavioral Safety Program is an open channel for employees with their leaders in the notes of risk perception, hich are inputs for the preparation of training plans and/or prevention action measures. The indicators are presented monthly to the respective leaders and senior management. GRI 403-2
Additionally, the PEO, formed by professionals of various areas and health service providers act in the promotion of an environment of safe work and we have goals for reduction of accidents that are monitored by Cipa. GRI 403-4, 403-9
Employees with higher risk exposure functions receive specific qualification and technical qualification training. The others undergo behavioral safety training and compliance with Regulatory Standards. The topic management is accompanied by our General Training Matrix and Senior Management, in addition to our programs, and has internal and external audits. GRI 403-5, 403-7
Our manufacturing units use management tools of the ISO 45001 standard, for occupational safety and health, and in particular of the LPD (Hazard and Damage Survey), in which all employees are trained to complete, including the right to refuse, if the employee does not feel safe to perform a certain task and/or due to lack of technical qualification. GRI 403-2
Employees and outsourced workers strictly follow the regulatory standards and legal requirements pertinent to our operation. In addition, work environments and work activities undergo risk and medical assessments. GRI 403-1
In the last three years, we noticed a significant evolution in the reduction of accidents with injury, with some units having records of days without accidents with leave. Annually, the Occupational Health, Safety management system undergoes a review of corporate accident reduction goals, strengthening the purpose of senior management in the zero accidents goal. GRI 403-2
This strengthens our management with the ISO 45001 certification, which allows us to reduce injuries and occupational diseases in our employees. there were no fatal accidents, nor notifications of occupational disease GRI 403-2, 403-10
We also offer medical care, multiprofessional care and partnerships with health insurers, extendable to their legal dependents. In 2021, we implemented the Satisfaction Survey indicator for evaluation of the health service, together with the Organizational Climate Survey,and we got 90% satisfaction. GRI 403-6
Engaged for the outcome
The Aché Generation builds the Company’s future on a daily basis. With its work, Aché is a solid building, guided by attributes present in the company’s management and culture.
In 2021, we evolved in the management of our organizational culture following the speed of changes, but preserving the positive aspects of our trajectory.
Our belief is that engaged people strongly contribute to the delivery of results by perceiving their own development, thus perpetuating a cycle of virtuosity.
We want to build an even stronger and winning organizational culture, capable of delivering our strategic plan, a culture that challenges obstacles and renews itself, bringing prosperous experiences to all parties.
In constant evolution
The transformations in work models, the speed of changes brought about by technological advances, socio-cultural evolution and issues related to diversity, equity and longevity are added to the enormous volumes of information to be analyzed, understood and addressed, challenging the management of people in companies to a new way of thinking, planning and realizing.
Aché, in line with new scenarios, contexts and behaviors and inserted in the health sector, characterized by its high competitiveness, is aware that a new list of technical and operational skills are necessary for the growth and sustainability of the business. Thus, it evolves to the effective management of the organizational culture, to the contribution in social and environmental issues and in the practice of transparent, agile and regular communication with all audiences that relate to the Company. The construction of the future through people is already in progress and will be strengthened with the implementation of each planned initiative.
