IQVIA acts on employee ideas to foster engagement

Maria Alkadri joined IQVIA Solutions Canada as an analyst. Over the past 10 years, she has had leadership’s support to help her grow into her current role as principal, consulting and analytics, at the health data science company.

Alkadri first moved to consultant, then senior consultant, to associate principal. She was promoted to her current role while on maternity leave.

“The organization has an appreciation of employees who want to grow, and they give them the tools to do that,” she says.

A leading provider of clinical research services, commercial insights and health-care intelligence, IQVIA (pronounced “IQVia”) offers formal programs, such as the IQVIA Learning Academy, which helps employees build skills necessary for roles within the company. For employees looking for their next career move, Career Connections matches and highlights open roles based on individuals’ profiles. IQVIA also offers a mentorship program, tuition reimbursement and LinkedIn Learning access.

Alkadri was invited to participate in the Emerging Leaders program. It kicked off in New Jersey, where she met with colleagues from across North America and heard from senior leaders. The 12-week program then included virtual, interactive training sessions to advance leadership skills.

“You don't want your people to stand still. You want to foster a culture of growth and innovation,” Alkadri says. “You want people to feel supported, so they are more engaged and motivated. And once they’ve grown, they are going to contribute to the growth of their team.”

In addition to career development programs, IQVIA’s vision of a healthier world starts with its efforts to support the well-being of its employees and their families. It recently added a Healthy You portal, which groups services and benefits in one place to support physical, mental, emotional, financial and social well-being. These include a virtual gym, telemedicine, nutrition and fitness advice, and an employee family assistance program.

President Sylvia Durgerian says these programs are an example of how IQVIA values its employees and their well-being.

“We listen to our employees and are proactive in responding to their feedback. My leadership team has brainstorming sessions based on employee feedback, and we have working groups to look at how we can realize their ideas,” she says.

For example, at a holiday party, an employee mentioned to Durgerian that the company should hold celebrations more often. Within a couple of months, IQVIA had implemented monthly social get-togethers so employees could spend more time collaborating and celebrating achievements. Employees are also encouraged to provide feedback and ideas regarding services and various ways they can improve processes.

“When leadership is listening and acting on employee feedback, employees feel valued and an integral part of the team,” Durgerian says. “This fosters employee engagement, which fosters an emotional connection to colleagues and to the company.

“This means they will come into the office with a positive mindset and passionate about what they do. And ultimately, this leads to wanting to come into work the next day and the next year and the next five years.”

Durgerian believes this is the reason IQVIA has so many employees with substantial tenure who appreciate that what they do contributes to improving patient health.

“Our employees choose to build their careers at IQVIA for various reasons,” Durgerian says. “They feel valued as key contributors and appreciate the supportive culture, the sense of connection to their colleagues, and the company’s mission of enabling healthcare transformation.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Montreal’s Top Employers winners, published March 18, 2025 in the Montreal Gazette. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.