Billboard recruitment

September 12 2002 - A Toronto pharmaceutical company is targeting their competitors' employees on their way to work in an attempt to fill 400 job openings. The Apotex Group campaign uses billboards across the Greater Toronto Area which are strategically placed near their competitors'facilities.

The billboard campaign strategy is simple, says Ron Davidson, V.P., Human Resources. "We will use every means at our disposal, including billboards to communicate our job openings directly in locations where we know potential candidates can see them."

"We believe that this is a very unique way to find employees. We have a multi-million dollar expansion, and without the people, we can't grow our business", continued Mr. Davidson.

The majority of the jobs are for technical professionals required to work in manufacturing and R&D areas at some of Apotex Group's 14 facilities across Toronto. The Apotex Group is the largest Canadian owned pharmaceutical company. It employs nearly 5000 people has an R&D budget of $1 billion over the next ten years.

Having taken on 1,000 employees over the last 12 months and 2,000 over 3 years, Apotex is finding it more and more difficult to find qualified candidates.

Toronto residents can see the billboards at:

- Markham Road & Sheppard Avenue
- Erin Mills Parkway & Battleford Road
- Steeles Avenue East & Midland Avenue
- Lawrence Avenue East & Pharmacy Avenue
- Bayly Road and Brock Road
- Steeles Avenue West and Highway 27 (October)

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