“What truly informs and drives DE&I at Johnson & Johnson is our enterprise-wide, evidence-based strategy,” says Wanda Hope, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office at Johnson & Johnson. In an exclusive interview with The HR Digest, Hope calls for a commitment to flexible working, diverse recruiting, and leadership in creating cultures of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The HR Digest: JNJ takes great pride in its DEI programs. Can you tell our readers more about these programs and how they’ve promoted change within the company in practical terms?
Wanda Hope: For more than 135 years, the values of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have been part of our culture at Johnson & Johnson and woven into how we do business every day.
When sharing our work around DEI, we are often asked about the programs we are creating and expanding. What truly informs and drives DEI at Johnson & Johnson is our enterprise-wide, evidence-based strategy.
We see our evidence-based strategic approach to advancing DEI as a business imperative and an essential part of our success. It has enabled us to prioritize and invest in global- and country-level initiatives that drive impact, including building teams that reflect the communities we serve and a culture of belonging.
And we know that in our rapidly changing world, our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion matters more than ever. To meet these demands, we have evolved our DEI strategy to better reflect our global approach, our diverse communities and our commitment to ensuring equitable access and outcomes.
As we continue our DEI journey at Johnson & Johnson, we challenge ourselves to be even more transparent and accountable in driving action, continue to foster a culture of belonging, learn from our experiences to course correct as needed; and transform talent and business processes to achieve equitable access and outcomes for all.
From your perspective, what are the most immediate opportunities for companies to cultivate a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into its fabric, both internally and externally?
At Johnson & Johnson, we know it’s critical to drive increased accountability and transparency to execute and deliver on our DEI commitments. We measure our impact and transparently share our progress in our annual sustainability report, Health for Humanity, and through our annual DEI Impact Review.
In addition, we have identified five key success factors that enable organizations to execute on a DEI strategy to achieve tangible outcomes and impact internally and externally.
- You must have the right tone at the top. Your CEO and senior leaders must demonstrate their commitment and drive DEI as an organizational priority.
- Second, it’s important to embed your evidence-based DEI strategy into your systems and processes to drive equity.
- Third, you must have a strong communication and change management plan to engage all employees across your organization.
- Fourth, you must measure progress to drive accountability and deliver on business outcomes.
- Finally, it is critical to focus on DEI long-term outcomes, not short-term activities and programs.
Collectively these key success factors help to propel our organization to take bold actions to solve today’s complex health problems and to create a healthier, more equitable world.
“Achieving equitable access and outcomes requires tailoring our tools, resources, and mindsets to meet the unique needs of individuals, so everyone has a fair and equitable opportunity to participate and contribute to their fullest potential at Johnson & Johnson.”
What experiences, people, or philosophies have most influenced the way you view and practice diversity, and why?
My mother always taught me about the importance of equal rights for all. She was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, working to ensure her children and future generations would have an equal opportunity to realize their potential in a more just society.
I grew up looking at this roll of toilet paper, proudly displayed in our china cabinet, and learning about the value of fairness, equality, diversity and inclusion through my mother’s stories and those of other civil rights heroes. Those leadership lessons shaped who I am today, helping me to be a successful leader in business and in my community.
Do you have any initiatives or areas you plan to focus on in the coming years?
We evolved our DEI strategy this year to better reflect the unique experiences of our global workforce and our commitment to ensuring equitable access and outcomes.
Through programs like Blacks in Brazil and women-focused initiatives in Japan and India, we are developing DEI strategies at the regional and country level to continue engaging our employees in meaningful ways that highlight our DEI commitments – and in ways we can listen and learn together.
Our strategy also embodies our commitment to championing fair and equitable access for all — in our systems and processes as well as in the ways we engage and collaborate with one another.
“We challenge ourselves to be even more transparent and accountable in driving action, continue to foster a culture of belonging, and learn from our experiences to course correct as needed.”
Achieving equitable access and outcomes requires tailoring our tools, resources, and mindsets to meet the unique needs of individuals, so everyone has a fair and equitable opportunity to participate and contribute to their fullest potential at Johnson & Johnson.
If The HR Digest readers would like to get involved in advocating for more women in the boardroom, what do you recommend they do?
It is important to advocate for increased diversity on corporate boards, so boardrooms reflect the full diversity of the communities and consumers we serve. 86% of our board are independent directors, with 35.7% of the board identifying as women and 21.4% identifying as ethnically/racially diverse (2021 Health for Humanity Report).
The importance of board diversity is supported by Deloitte’s 2022 Women in the Boardroom report, which confirmed that companies with the most diverse boards tended to have diverse women in executive leadership roles.
To this end, we prepare diverse talent in our business and functions for future leadership – by creating equitable access to key leadership roles. One example is our Enterprise Sponsorship Program, in which our senior-most leaders sponsor diverse talent and build relationship capital. Since 2016, over 1,000 sponsees have participated in the program; with an overall retention rate of more than 93% to date as we build a pipeline of future leaders. Notably, more than two-thirds (67%) of sponsees experienced positive career movement within two years of the program (2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Impact Review).