Frequently Asked Questions

To maximize the global power of diversity and inclusion to drive superior business results and sustainable competitive advantage.

Excellence in global diversity will ensure our ability to meet the demands of a changing world with a vision worthy of our Credo values and our commitment to be the leader in health care across the globe. When we achieve our Global Diversity & Inclusion Vision, diversity becomes one of our most important competitive advantages.

Our U.S. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs serve as a foundational concept to diversity and inclusion and to our CREDO. U.S. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs are legal requirements that ensure non-discrimination, fairness and equity in the workplace. All employees share the responsibility of creating an open and welcoming work environment that encourages contributions from qualified people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Diversity & inclusion is intended to achieve skilled, high-performing workforces that are reflective of the diverse global marketplace, fostering Credo-based inclusive cultures that embrace differences and drive innovation to accelerate growth.

By providing the tools and resources that help us recruit, develop, retain, and advance and diverse talent across our family of companies, we create opportunities for all employees to bring innovative ideas to the workplace in an environment that cultivates the exchange of broad thinking, helping to inspire innovation. By embedding diversity and inclusion into our business, including strategic planning, we help ensure that we serve patients and customers in ways that best meet their needs.

Though the elements of diversity can vary, the challenges and opportunities arising from differences among employees, customers and business partners are global. Each country is experiencing demographic and societal trends that indicate the need for increasing multicultural awareness, organizational competencies, and skills.

Across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, global diversity is defined as a variety of similar and different characteristics among people including age, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, thinking style, background and all other attributes that make each person unique.

The relevance of differences varies depending on the context, situation and country. For example, individuals could be of the same ethnicity and gender, yet their education, age and family status may differ significantly. These dissimilarities may impact how the individuals relate to one another. Two very important principles of diversity: 1) we do not exclude people based on differences and 2) we do not allow differences to adversely impact our business decisions.

The broad definition includes all of us. It recognizes that we all have differences and similarities. Some of those differences are obvious some not so obvious. Some hold more importance to us than others. The intent is to help us understand and remove barriers that any of us may face due to our differences, and to leverage the advantages our diversity offers.

No, diversity is not a program or series of events. It’s an ongoing strategic process that supports the ethics and business objectives of Johnson & Johnson companies. It is essential for our continued success as an organization.

The diversity initiative has support from the chairman and CEO, the Executive Committee, and senior leadership throughout the enterprise. In fact, our chairman has mandated excellence in diversity, created a Global Office of Diversity & Inclusion, which reports directly into him, and has provided resources to ensure that the Office of Global Diversity and Inclusion achieves its vision.

We all share the responsibility of embracing the principles of diversity & inclusion. Embracing the principles of diversity & inclusion is everyone’s responsibility in the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. Succeeding in today’s business environment requires a global mindset. We understand that and are committed to providing our managers with a variety of resources that can help develop diverse thinking styles. We thrive on our ability to create the environment by providing the tools and resources that continue to recruit, develop, retain and advance diverse talent across the enterprise.

Every associate plays an important role in the success of diversity at the Johnson & Johnson companies. Our diverse workforces require that all employees help create an inclusive environment by demonstrating respect for one another, being sensitive to differences and valuing the contributions of our co-workers.

There is strong evidence that support for work, family and personal life positively impacts recruiting, developing, retaining, advancing and engaging a diverse, multi-generational workforce. One of the reasons relates to demographics. In the U.S. and many countries, the workforce is at gender parity: an equal number of women and men. There are also a rising number of dual working couples/families and single parents. To meet our ongoing business need for a highly-skilled, highly- engaged workforce in an increasingly competitive landscape, our culture must be inclusive and support our employees’ complex and challenging work, family and personal needs. This, in turn, reflects our commitment to being an ‘employer-of-choice.’

To find out more about our company’s diversity initiatives:
Global Diversity and Inclusion Vision Statement
Programs & Activities
Awards & Recognition
Accountable Business Practices