Covid-19 disrupted the world like we have never seen before. But according to the people of Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the silver lining of the pandemic is that it has united them behind their common purpose of advancing better health for all, putting their patients, people and communities at the heart of everything they do.
When Gary Hartnett, General Manager at Janssen Sciences Ireland and lead of the Johnson & Johnson Ireland Crisis Management Team, reflects on the early days of pandemic, he remembers the initial shock and effort that went into keeping the show on the road.
“Our businesses in Ireland are a key part of J&J’s global supply chain network, we had to mobilise quickly to ensure we were able to deliver for the one billion customers around the world who rely on our products, while looking after the safety and wellbeing of our people.
“Our business continuity planning kicked in. Facilities, Environmental, Health & Safety, and onsite teams worked around the clock to create a safe environment for our onsite superheroes, the essential workers who continued to work on site to deliver drug products for patients. While IT and Global Health Services teams worked to set up those that could work from home and support them with work and personal challenges”.
As the weeks turned into months however, and the initial shock wore off, the bigger challenge of supporting a workforce of over 5,000 people as they balanced work, life and family commitments in lockdown presented itself.
Linda Hayes, Head of HR Northern Europe Supply Chain, says that’s when J&J’s strong corporate culture and employee first approach, really came to the fore.
“We have always been proud of our strong culture. J&J is a company aligned by a set of core values, as outlined in our Credo. Our values make us unique. But it is our people that make the difference. We believe that when we fearlessly take care of people, communities, and the planet, business success will follow.
“The pandemic experience, in some ways, has helped us to get to know our colleagues better. Whether it was a child popping up on screen during a Zoom call or dogs barking the house down, it gave us the opportunity to connect and get to know one another on a human level.
“We focused on staying connected to our people, listening to their needs, and supporting them as we worked and lived through the pandemic together. We opened the lines of communication, introducing employee sentiment surveys, townhalls and regular email and virtual updates. We encouraged flexible working and rolled out ergonomic assessments to support those working from home.
“Employee wellbeing has always been important to J&J. We believe that advancing health for humanity starts with advancing the health of our own people. We aspire to have the healthiest workforce in the world. During the pandemic it became even more of a priority.
“Our wellbeing strategy is about looking more holistically at the whole person, encouraging colleagues to care for both their mental and physical wellbeing, while understanding the challenges that our colleagues face in balancing home and work life. We rolled out mental health training for our People Leaders, spotlighted our Employee Assistance Programme and expanded our exercise imbursement scheme to cover virtual memberships and Apps such as the Calm App to support our people as best as we could.”
Fostering a culture of belonging
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). They’re words you may be hearing a lot lately, but they’ve long held enormous power at J&J. The company is committed to creating a culture that allows employees to change the world without changing themselves.
According to Linda Hayes, the shared human experience of the pandemic, put even more focus on creating a culture of belonging and inclusion.
“The pandemic forced us to be vulnerable, to share with our colleagues the very real challenges we were facing whether it be juggling home schooling and work, supporting older family members, or feelings of isolation during lockdown, and support one another in a real and authentic way.
“We got to know our people better and that made us more human as leaders. DEI has always been a huge focus at J&J, but covid made it much more of a reality.
“We really had to think about making sure everyone’s voice was heard, being inclusive and creating a workplace where everyone feels like they belong. In the Covid environment, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion flourished, and it wasn’t just driven by leadership, it was democratised, and our employees took ownership of it.”
Patrizio Fatale, the campus sponsor for J&J’s diversity council in Ireland, says: “Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) form a key part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion network. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that focus on leveraging shared identities, affinities, and experiences to lead initiatives that align with the enterprise Diversity & Inclusion strategic focus areas”.
“Our Employee Resource Group, Women Leadership & Inclusion (WLI), with more than 1000 members in Ireland, is part of a global network, maximising the power of women to drive competitive advantage. There is a strong focus on increasing the representation of Women in STEM with interventions during early schooling through to University and into the workplace.
“Open & Out (O&O) supports our LGBTQ+ colleagues and supportive allies who are open-minded and out to make a difference in the workplace and in the community. Generation Now is one of our fastest growing networks connecting our early in career associates, promoting talent development, knowledge sharing and networking.
“Alliance for Diverse Abilities (ADA), is our newest ERG and leading the way by actively creating an enabling culture for people with diverse abilities, their caregivers and advocates.”
“J&J is also very active in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. For our operations in Ireland, we are working to understand how best to respond in a way that resonates and connects with the workforce here and that our programme addresses the areas in which we can effectively support the needs of our colleagues.”
Attracting diverse talent
Looking to the future, Linda Hayes says that it’s crucial that life sciences companies attract diverse talent and embody a culture of inclusiveness.
“We know that bringing our diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives together drives innovation to solve today’s complex health problems. At J&J, it is important that we embody a culture of belonging, where we feel valued, where our ideas are heard, and where we feel included in the work we do. A diverse and inclusive workforce is central to delivering on Our Credo and to deeply connecting to the needs of our customers, patients, and partners”.
Developing, retaining, and attracting talented and skilled workers, from diverse backgrounds and experiences, has always — and will continue to be — a key priority for the company.
One way that J&J is nurturing this idea is by helping STEM2D professionals return to work after an extended break through the Re-Ignite program, a paid “returnship” initiative that launched in 2017 for professionals in science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing and design (STEM2D) who’ve been out of their field for at least two years and want to return to that line of work.
J&J is also a known leader for advancing Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design – what the Company calls WiSTEM2D careers. In its 5th year, WiSTEM2D is a high intensity programme reaching over 150 undergraduate women to date in University College Cork & University of Limerick. The aim is to expose young women to the endless possibilities of a career in STEM by providing the participants with 1:1 mentors, visits to company sites, career workshops and the potential for a long term career opportunity.
The J&J Apprenticeships and Graduate programmes also play a key role in attracting diverse talent.
Building a career with purpose
Hayes believes that the role the life sciences community has played in responding to the pandemic will attract people who want to build a career with purpose in the sector.
“In J&J Ireland the feeling is that the pandemic experience has galvanised the campus, brought us closer together as an organisation, closer to our people and ultimately to our patients”.
“The pandemic forced many people to ask themselves questions about how we live and work. Purpose and purpose in your work has become increasingly important to people. We are lucky at J&J that purpose is inherent in what we do. The pandemic has demonstrated to us the importance of health and wellbeing in our society, at J&J we are working every day to improve human health, our work has the potential to impact billions of people around the globe. That makes a career at J&J a very attractive prospect”.
Behind the scenes
Meet four employees who talk about their passion for life sciences and why they feel they belong at Johnson & Johnson
Name: Tomás Cotter
Role: Director Quality Systems Commercial Quality EMEA
Company: Janssen Sciences
After returning from a year in Australia, Tomás joined J&J in 2004 at 24 years of age. Tomás started his career with DePuy Ireland as part of the Quality Engineering Team.
In 2011, Tomás took advantage of career development opportunities within Johnson & Johnson and changed path joining the Global Supply Chain in Product Variant Management and Distribution. Since then, he has grown from strength to strength, taking advantage of Johnson & Johnson’s global status, moving to Philadelphia in the US in 2013 as US Quality Systems Manager before assuming a Global Role. Through Johnson & Johnson’s Internal Development programme (GROW) he took up a 12-month personal and career development role as Quality Head for DePuy Palm Beach Gardens site in Florida.
Eventually the call of home became too strong to ignore and he moved back to Ireland in 2018, challenging himself once more with a move from the Medical Device Sector to Pharmaceutical Sector joining Janssen as Director of Quality Systems for the EMEA Region commercial quality team.
What attracted you to a career in Life Sciences?
“Life Sciences is my passion; and core to who I am, we continue to see the differences we can make in the world day in and day out and how we can improve the lives of people around the globe.”
“No more so in the year since the pandemic hit us, every person has been directly impacted and the life sciences industry through vaccine development is getting us to see the light at the end of the tunnel and a return to normal.
“The science is fast moving, and I am continuously amazed at the creativity, innovation and new products that are being developed to improve our lives. Knowing you are part of something so special and important is an incredible way to spend your professional life and gives me unparalleled job satisfaction”.
Why Johnson & Johnson?
“As I have been with J&J for 17 years, I can safely say it is an incredible company to work for. Our northern star is our “Our Credo”, this ensures the patient, doctors/nurses, employees, and community are at the centre of all we do and our decision making. I saw this year how Johnson & Johnson ensured that all their employees were supported to ensure life/work balance was priority as the world changed around us and how we could accommodate all the different scenarios people were going through based on personal circumstances whether that was childcare, time off or health and wellbeing.
As someone who is passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, J&J puts this to the front and centre not as just a slogan but by true action. As I lead Open and Out (our LGBTQ+ Resource Group) for Campus Ireland and also DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) for Commercial Quality in EMEA, I’ve seen first-hand our leaders’ commitment to an equal and equitable world for everyone including all our employees. As you can see by my career path opportunities are plentiful, whether that is changing career path, sector, travelling or even moving to a new country there is so much choice all under the one J&J umbrella. I am truly proud to say Johnson & Johnson is #MyCompany.”
Name: Shane Sexton
Role: Manufacturing team lead
Company: Janssen Sciences Ireland
From a young age Shane Sexton from Donoughmore, Co Cork, was interested in science and how things work. This led him to pursue a Degree in Chemistry and Forensic Science in UCC. Followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the University of Limerick.
After graduation Shane applied and was accepted to the Johnson & Johnson Graduate Engineering Programme. He took up a role in Johnson & Johnson in Scotland working across New Product Introduction, Operations, Supplier Quality and Advanced Engineering.
In 2017, Shane joined the Global Operations Leadership Development (Gold) programme — . The Program i a two-and-a-half-year supply chain rotational programme that empowers students and recent grads to accelerate their career growth.
Combining challenging work rotations with classroom and online training in a highly structured framework, the program is designed to develop the next generation of leaders for the engineering, operations, and quality and control functions within Johnson & Johnson.
Shane took part in three rotations over the course of the program, gaining exposure to a wide range of functional areas. His rotations included Business Transformation Specialist at DePuy Ireland, Manufacturing Product Specialist, Janssen Sciences Ireland and Manufacturing Team Leader at DePuy Ireland.
Following completion of the Gold programme, Shane remained at DePuy Ireland in the Manufacturing Team Lead role before taking the opportunity to return to Janssen Sciences Ireland as a part of the GROW initiative in March 2021. GROW is a short-term job experience programme within J&J that enhances development through rotations and stretch assignments. The goal is to provide learning experiences that facilitate enhanced career development, broadened functional experience, cross company exposure, and ultimately generate a more robust and diverse talent pipeline for future growth.
What attracted you to a career in Life Sciences?
“I have always had an interest in science and how things work which initially inspired me to pursue a degree in chemistry. This interest expanded into engineering and ultimately undertaking a career with J&J.”
Why Johnson & Johnson?
“The Initial attraction to J&J stemmed from the impact their products have on millions of people around the world and the opportunity to be part of this excited and motivated me. Since joining I haven’t been disappointed. Over a six-year period I progressed from a graduate to a full-time role and have had the opportunity to work across multiple companies, sectors, plants and geographical locations and see first-hand the positive impact we make on people’s lives every day. The breadth and depth of experience and career develop opportunities available at J&J is incredible and I look forward to growing my career here.”
Name: Catherine Walsh
Role: Mechanical apprentice
Company: Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences
Catherine Walsh, 19, from Dungourney, Co Cork, is passionate about motorsport, tractors, and camogie. She is also Janssen Pharmaceutical Science’s first female mechanical apprentice.
Catherine’s agricultural background meant that she has been obsessed with tractors and cars from an early age. Her summers were spent driving tractors and drawing silage. Now motorsport is her pastime, as she juggles her dream of being a rally driver with her mechanical apprenticeship at Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences.
What attracted you to a career in Life Sciences?
“I always knew I wasn’t going to take the conventional route after school of going to college. That’s why, early on, I decided that apprenticeship with hands-on work experience was for me. I knew what I wanted, my interests and background definitely influenced me, and I knew the mechanical apprenticeship was the one that suited me best”.
Why Johnson & Johnson?
“I wanted to work for Johnson & Johnson because of the company’s great name and reputation. Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences is the first company I’ve seen who actively look for and encourage female apprentices as well as male. Now I am a couple of months into serving my apprenticeship as a mechanical fitter, and I’m loving it. I’m looking forward to getting more hands-on experience, understanding the industry and whatever else the next few years has in store for me while here at Janssen. This is the dream job for me, and am looking forward to the years ahead”.
Name: Susan Shalloe
Role: Senior manufacturing engineer
Company: DePuy Ireland
A manufacturing engineer with a master’s degree in chemistry, Susan Shalloe had more than 10 years of experience in R&D and technical and process improvement roles based in Dublin when she and her husband decided to return to Cork.
After relocating home to Cork Susan decided to take a short-term break from her career.
However, what was meant to be a two-year break for new motherhood turned into 14. Then when her youngest child turned 12, Susan decided to go back to college for a certificate in biopharmaceutical processing, which involves taking potential drug molecules from discovery to market.
After she finished the coursework, Susan applied to multiple roles and received several offers, including one from the Re-Ignite programme at Johnson & Johnson. She was accepted into a returnship in Cork, at DePuy Ireland, a Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Company.
What attracted you to a career in Life Sciences?
“From a young age I have always been interested in Maths and Science, knowing how things work and solving problems, so I was probably always destined to follow a career in science or engineering. My chemistry teacher in secondary school ignited in me a real interest in the subject which led me to following an Honours Degree course in Chemistry in UCC followed by a Masters degree combining Chemistry and Microelectronics.
“Looking back, I can see that my university courses opened the door to a wide variety of career opportunities. I gained experience in many different fields throughout my career including microelectronics, adhesives R&D and manufacturing, IT, database design and development, and now as part of an engineering team in the manufacturing of medical devices.”
Why Johnson & Johnson?
“After returning to college and completing a certificate in biopharmaceutical processing, I applied to multiple roles and received several offers, including one from the Re-Ignite programme at Johnson & Johnson. I wasn’t sure which one to choose, until my Re-Ignite interviewer reached out to me by phone, carefully laying out the support structure of the programme and pointing out that it included access to a peer buddy, hands-on mentoring, and more. My gut feeling was that I might need some extra supports so I opted to join the Johnson & Johnson Re-Ignite programme.
“Support was available throughout the programme. Whenever I had important questions to ask—who I need to know to get my job done, how to get introduced to the right people and so on — my manager and peer buddy were always there to provide answers.
“From the get-go, I was asked to take on new challenges, and be challenged to grow, at Johnson & Johnson. I was put on a high priority project for the business, introducing a change in a process used in the hip and knee implant manufacturing facility. Contributing to time sensitive and big projects like that helped me to quickly acclimatise to being back at work. I really enjoyed the intensity, sense of ownership, and responsibility I was given.
“The time I spent away from the workplace gave me a valuable perspective. Only now do I understand how resilient I am, and how all the work that I’ve done — both personally and professionally — has shaped me. I have no regrets in coming back to work. What I would have regretted is not taking that opportunity.”