Alvin Raskina of Roche Canada: ‘I still feel so excited about the HR profession’

After 20 years in human resources, Alvin Raskina says his passion for the industry has not dwindled.

“I still feel so excited about the HR profession... in the last 20 to 30 years, there's been tremendous external scientific research being done in the area of leadership, culture, talent, skills, and all of that research actually has a strong correlation to positive business success,” he says.

“That research has actually [shone] a light on the importance of HR and the HR profession in the organization.”

Being at the heart of organizational strategy drives the excitement, says the head of people and culture at Roche Canada, noting that organizations both in Canada and globally are “challenging traditional paradigms of the HR profession.”

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a multinational organization with a 93-year history in Canada. The biotech company has roughly 2,000 employees across the country and 110,000 employees worldwide.

Appeal of Roche: science, research and HR

Before Roche Canada, Raskina attained an MBA in human resources and organizational behaviour from the Xavier School of Management in India.

He then spent over six years at Axis Bank in India, where he rose to the position of assistant vice president for organization development.

“Working at the bank early in my career, and being able to get what I call a foundational experience across multiple facets of HR, was invaluable,” he says. “The fast pace of the organization really helped me also be prepared for Roche.”

But in 2013, Raskina was drawn to Roche thanks partly to its focus on science and research — values that align closely with his own approach to HR.

“If you look at it from a macro perspective, the life sciences sector is super dynamic globally. And then when you look at Roche within the life sciences sector, it has a strong reputation of being focused on innovation, and that innovation translates to long-term thinking and ability to take risk.”

The company holds scientific research in very high regard, and that same research also comes to HR as a function, he says: “A lot of the tools and practices are deeply embedded in… multiple decades of research, not just the latest fad.”

Raskina saw Roche as a company with a focus on sustainability and a strong sense of purpose in helping improve the lives of patients.

“Roche seemed to check all the boxes,” he says.

Building a global hub in Canada

Raskina also saw the company as a place where he could build global HR leadership experience. His career at Roche has included five roles in four countries across three continents, from Mumbai and Manila to Basel and Toronto.

“I'm naturally curious about the world ... and what's really helped me is to take that curiosity and leveraging it into cultural integration,” he says.

Raskina credits Roche’s support for making international transitions smoother.

“Moving countries can feel very overwhelming ... but Roche has found a way to really build its infrastructure around the location, making sure that employees and their families are supported on all the foundational steps, whether it's visas, housing, education, etc,” he says.

“There's a lot of resources, mentorship, training provided to integrate into the culture, and that helps with high performance early on in your career experience in that country.”

Raskina’s international experience definitely helps in building Roche Canada’s status as a global hub, bringing in teams who are housed in Canada.

“That actually gives Canadians an opportunity to work across multiple functions, get new skills, but also do all of that without necessarily having to leave Canada,” he says.

“I’m extremely proud of the fact that we’ve been able to build the culture and the reputation for Roche Canada as a unique global hub and a very attractive investment destination.”

Leadership development at Roche Canada

Developing Canadian leaders to lead global teams is another key focus for Raskina.

“A significant amount of investment has been put in place for developing leaders who have systems thinking, who can see the global systems and the organization and making sure that they are providing a great experience for our employees.”

He believes leadership development is about more than just training.

“The more important part is the networks and connections. A leader is as strong as his or her networks,” he says. “We actually help leaders in Canada build networks, not just within the country, but also from the country globally.”

Embracing AI with scientific mindset

Looking ahead, Raskina identifies artificial intelligence and future-oriented skills as a top priority.

“We are looking at further developing skills and capabilities and jobs in the area of AI machine learning, and what I call future-oriented capabilities.”

He points to a partnership with the government of Ontario to support the establishment of a Global Informatics Hub and create 250 new jobs in Canada, most of them highly skilled positions in AI, machine learning, computational biology and data science.

Raskina notes that Roche’s scientific mindset makes embracing AI less daunting.

“We have ... the habit of looking into the future and preparing for it, being a science-based company, so we always are looking into the future,” he says.

“It's very, very clear that AI is absolutely needed to solve some of our healthcare challenges, not just in Canada, but also globally — whether it’s about better or more effective diagnostic testing, whether it’s about faster processes to bring medicine to life through the drug testing [processing] or just improving access to healthcare in remote parts of the world.”

As for any concerns about the big changes, Raskina says the company works hard to make sure people are prepared for the “disruption.”

“The technology is really moving so quickly, so we have to make sure that we are helping our employees come up to speed.”

AI transforms people and culture

He describes Roche’s “everyday AI” initiative as an example of practical engagement, which is a training program that's run globally across the company.

“There's a whole lot of experimentation, gamification of AI to make it more fun and enjoyable to use.”

AI is also transforming people and culture at Roche, with investments in the capabilities of people insights and technology, “tapping the tremendous talent that’s available in Canada,” says Raskina.

“We're seeing AI being used in recruitment, in talent analytics. We're using predictive analytics to look at turnover and retention. We're using AI to also improve our employee experience when they engage with people and culture,” he says. “So, it’s really part of the work that we’re doing every day.”