Medications that better target a patient’s individual needs, thanks to clinical trials that include participants from diverse backgrounds. Improved opportunity and economic outcomes for businesses with diverse ownership, control or operations — a reflection of a diverse supply chain. A more innovative and productive workforce, due, in part, to an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. These are just some of the reasons Johnson & Johnson champions diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at work and in communities worldwide.
The company’s just-released fifth annual We All Belong: DEI Impact Review highlights how DEI is accelerating innovation to create a healthier, more equitable world. “For more than 135 years, the values of diversity, equity and inclusion have been part of the culture at Johnson & Johnson and woven into how the company does business every day,” says Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Johnson & Johnson. “For the company, DEI is a business imperative that helps Johnson & Johnson meet the needs of patients, providers and communities around the world.”
Read on for the key takeaways from the review.
Accelerating impact for patients and customers to advance health equity
A dedication to innovation is at the heart of Johnson & Johnson’s quest to solve the world’s toughest health challenges. On the innovation front, the company continues to invest in diverse small business suppliers and early-stage innovators through JLABS, its startup incubator that supports scientists and entrepreneurs and their healthcare innovations. In 2023 alone, the company awarded $11.9 million to 35 innovators from its JLABS network for their ideas that advance health equity in innovation.
Diversifying clinical trial research is another area of focus for Johnson & Johnson. Adding patients of color to the company’s clinical trial enrollment enables its innovation teams to create medicines that specifically target those disproportionately affected by a given disease. By the end of 2023, 84% of actively recruiting Johnson & Johnson studies were on track to help the company meet its goal of enrolling more diverse patients. Last year, Johnson & Johnson also announced a first-of-its-kind transgender-inclusive oncology trial; nine countries are participating in it.
Johnson & Johnson’s focus on DEI also extends to how the company does business with others. In 2023, Johnson & Johnson spent $4.9 billion with Tier 1 diverse suppliers (which include minority- and women-owned businesses), to ensure the company helps create wealth and opportunity across its network of partners. The company also invested $80 million in programs that provide health services and information to people of color through Our Race to Health Equity, an initiative that focuses on closing the racial health gap in the U.S.
Advancing inclusion and equity for Johnson & Johnson’s workforce
The We All Belong: 2023 DEI Impact Review also offers insights on Johnson & Johnson’s employee experience and the company’s efforts to ensure a culture of belonging.
The recent Our Credo employee survey shows that the company’s attention to diversity and inclusion hasn’t gone unnoticed: 85% of employees agree that Johnson & Johnson provides an inclusive work environment. Its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which bring employees together based on shared identities, affinities and experiences, are just one example. Last year, more than 24,800 Johnson & Johnson employees participated in 12 ERGs across more than 500 chapters globally.
These highlights demonstrate Johnson & Johnson’s continued focus on incorporating DEI into all areas of business. The We All Belong: 2023 DEI Impact Review illustrates how the company is continuing to advance the power of DEI to create a healthier, more equitable world.
