Roche’s new HR tools are just what the doctor ordered

Roche Diagnostics Corporation stands as a titan in the bustling world of biotechnology.

With a rich history spanning over a century, Roche has emerged as one of the world's largest biotech companies and a beacon of innovation, transforming healthcare solutions and diagnostics. Their commitment to patients, partners and stakeholders has remained unwavering since their journey began as an organization.

The primary way they save lives is by speeding up the innovation process. This requires always searching for the latest and greatest ways to heal patients — and help their workforce grow — more efficiently through up-to-date tech.

They also pride themselves on personalization, standing out with their mission of “providing the right therapy for the right patient to ensure the best response at the right time for the right value.” All to say, their emphasis on analytics, cutting-edge software and the human touch was a perfect fit with Cornerstone.

Cornerstone’s partnership with Roche Diagnostics began and continues under the leadership of Cristy Mangin, the company’s manager of technology and administration. Her team stands at the intersection of all Roche Diagnostic’s training and development efforts. Her time with Roche has brought her great pride and joy.

“Roche is an incredible company,” she said. “The way they treat their employees and the things that they do are probably the two greatest parts of it. The work that we do matters. Everything that we build or produce or manufacture is making a difference in patients’ lives.”

In other words, Mangin and Roche are always looking for ways to improve and innovate. The same goes for their workforce. The paramount challenge their people faced was going to multiple places to complete their training and learning initiatives. Mangin knew they needed a platform that was as intuitive as it was efficient.

Roche’s learners comprise a diverse group, from new employees embarking on their journey with the company to long-time veterans. Each team member has a unique background and story to tell, not to mention a distinct role to play in the organization. Still, they all shared a common need: a more simplified, streamlined learning experience.

Before Cornerstone Learning Experience, they grappled with an intricate and overwhelming learning system. Mangin candidly admits, “What we had was incredibly confusing, especially to our new learners and to our customers, which are the two people that we were trying to address the most.”

The Cornerstone partnership had a soft launch of sorts — namely, when Roche decided to add the Learning Experience to their existing platforms.

Mangin recognized early on that Cornerstone could streamline the entire company’s learning experience. This wasn’t just appealing — it was essential for a business that aims to equip its engineers and specialists with the latest and greatest skills to, in turn, build the latest and greatest biotechnology.

As such, speed to competency was one of the main areas Roche wanted to improve. As just one example, Mangin remarked, “The faster we can get a new engineer up and able to install a new piece of equipment that a customer bought, the better turnover is and the happier our customers are.”

Cornerstone simplifies the learning experience by allowing learners to simultaneously engage in both mandated and skill-based training, with clear pathways and checkpoints throughout the journey. It’s not just about individual learning but also about ensuring competence.

Mangin adds, “And along the way, we have checkpoints built-in and maybe some locks and leaps and some other things built in that are very dependent upon the LXP as a whole. So that person can get through that training successfully and feel confident.”

But the company’s strategy extends well beyond just selling equipment — it also focuses on ensuring the customer’s investment is well-supported. Speed to competency ensures that Roche’s salespeople can make the sale and their customers can use the equipment effectively.

To Mangin, the beauty of Cornerstone also resides in how transparent it is for everyone involved in the learning process. The learning experience is comprehensive and collaborative. It involves mentors and fellow learners, fostering a holistic approach to competence. Multiple stakeholders can engage with learners and their journeys, creating a collective learning experience.

“We know that they've gotten through,” Mangin says, “we can test them along the way, and multiple people can view that journey along the way as well, not just their frontline manager.”

The comprehensive approach extends to mentors, trainers and fellow learners who can collectively contribute to the success of the learning journey. Just as a network of healthcare providers collaborates to ensure a patient’s well-being, Cornerstone helps support a robust and far-reaching approach to competence within Roche.

Roche’s transition with Cornerstone was marked by profound changes that have significantly improved the learning experience and pipeline for everybody. “I think the biggest shift has been the acceptance and excitement around it and the stakeholders' desire to want to use it,” says Mangin.

The journey towards this level of acceptance was marked by Roche's shift from mandating the use of the platform to becoming a place where individuals actively seek to engage themselves.

“We don't mandate the use of it,” she explains. “You know, we don’t say you have to put your stuff in there. Now, it’s more people reaching out and saying, ‘When can I get my stuff done? When can I do my custom journey?’ I think that’s because we develop these personalized journeys where they can test out things and focus on where they really need training. We want them to know, ‘We listen to you, we can hear you, and we want you to succeed where you’re at.’’’

In other words, the platform has become a trustworthy guide, ensuring new hires and employees have a clear path to navigate their training and a wide swath of territory they can explore independently. This has led plenty of people — including Mangin herself — to be surprised at how much there is to explore in Cornerstone.

“There’s constantly something in there that you’re like, I didn’t know it did that,” she says. “That adds another layer of excitement to the process.”

The story of Roche’s journey with Cornerstone is one of the transformative outcomes marked by a change in how learning is perceived, sought after and utilized. Stakeholders have embraced the new learning platform and actively sought opportunities to engage with it. The evolution from mandating usage to enthusiastic participation is emblematic of the positive change. This transformative experience is not confined to the organization’s walls either. The impact cascades to the relationships Roche has with its customers.

“Happy employees make for happy customers,” says Mangin.

Through partnering with Cornerstone, Roche has revolutionized how their team approaches learning. The future is even brighter than before for a forward-thinking company like theirs. It’s a shining example of how technology, paired with the tools necessary to bring someone to their greatest potential, can make a difference — whether for a patient on the road to recovery or for a workforce on the way to maximum efficiency and success.