STA Named Employer of Choice in 2020 ABA Business Awards
Melbourne, Australia, 8 October 2020: Independent pharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Australia (STA) has been recognised as an Employer of Choice in The Australian Business Awards 2020.
The prestigious awards recognize organisations demonstrating business innovation, product innovation, technological achievement and employee engagement via a set of comprehensive award categories.
The Employer of Choice (EOC) accolade in particular, recognises workplaces that help employees reach their full potential, via the introduction of policies and practices encouraging recruitment, engagement and retention.
STA Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Mr Carlo Montagner said STA had a long-standing commitment to recruiting and retaining outstanding employees, and further building and maintain a company culture consistent with its core values of Passion, Integrity, Teamwork, Courage and Humanity, or ‘PITCH’.
“Since Bozena and I established STA 12 years ago, we have remained determined to embed these core values into all facets of our business,” Mr Montagner said.
“We are an independent, family-owned pharmaceutical company that has grown from two employees in 2008 to more than 35 currently, commercialising our portfolio of specialist medicines in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand.
“Our independence sets us apart, not only in terms of our family values, but in how we nurture and build our workforce. We have introduced a range of initiatives to attract and retain a top-quality team who bring extensive experience in global pharma. STA is proud to be recognised by the ABA and will continue striving to remain an Employer of Choice in the Australian pharma industry.”
Some of the workplace initiatives introduced by STA to encourage recruitment, engagement and retention of high calibre employees include flexible work arrangements, additional leave, Weekend Arvo Kick Start or ‘WEAKS’ leave, over-and-above the legally required employer superannuation contributions, outstanding health insurance benefits and ongoing training and development.
Mr Montagner added: “Workplace flexibility has been a pillar of our business to date, and will remain so moving forward. Currently, a majority of our employees are women. While we have not hired based on gender but on capability, we understand that female employees are frequently balancing work and life requirements. We have worked hard to achieve an inclusive and accommodating environment at STA that helps all team members fulfill their obligations outside work as well as enjoy career success.”
ABA Program Director Ms Tara Johnston said: “Fifty-four organisations have been selected in this year’s ABA Employer of Choice Awards. These organisations have demonstrated adaptability in the workplace by utilising flexible and new ways of working and learning.
“The landscape of the workplace environment has changed rapidly, as technology has gained momentum, coinciding with businesses navigating a broad range of interrelated issues from the impact of the current challenges facing the global economy. The ability to work from anywhere, combined with the advances in connectivity tools makes us geographically neutral.
“Leading organisations have begun to implement an entirely new working environment that break down communication barriers, positioning organisations to harness the talent within their organisation, transform the employee experience and position businesses to be more resilient.”
Entrant organisations are required to demonstrate achievements across the key areas of Organisational Culture; Leadership & Strategy; Employee Education, Training & Development; Employee Health, Safety & Satisfaction; Performance Management; Recognition & Remuneration.
Organisational participation includes private companies, public companies, multi-national subsidiaries, non-government organisations, educational institutions, government departments, government agencies, local government and statutory bodies operating in Australia.