We are committed to educating all associates on inclusivity and providing equal opportunities for them to contribute to our company and advance their careers.

Team of scientists

"Inclusion in Action" Training Programs

To support an environment where every voice is heard and diverse thinking is respected and valued, we require that our associates gain knowledge and develop behaviors that foster inclusivity. We offer all US associates “Inclusion Acumen,” a training program designed to create an understanding of the impact of unconscious bias and micro-inequities. In addition, our leaders and managers complete a series of three, more in-depth courses that reinforce the importance of inclusivity and help associates develop an inclusive leadership profile.

D&I Councils and Employee Resource Groups

There is no better way to embed D&I into our corporate culture than to engage our associates. D&I Councils provide a link between associates and leadership and help inform each division and business about relevant opportunities and challenges relating to diversity and inclusion. Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) provide opportunities for associates to connect with colleagues from across the organization who share common backgrounds, visions and interests, and to keep their peers educated and informed. Supported by the US D&I and Novartis leadership teams, ERGs are open to all associates. They help promote our corporate values and foster an inclusive environment that is welcoming, collaborative and impactful.

Our 30+ ERGs in the US provide more than 4500 members opportunities to hone their leadership and communication skills in a safe, nurturing environment. They offer the organization inspirational and motivational programming that informs, educates, and assists with proactive career development planning. They also are active in community outreach projects. Initiatives they are involved in include activities related to:

  • PRIDE and Transgender Awareness Month
  • Women’s History Month
  • Black History Month
  • Juneteenth
  • Hispanic Heritage Month
  • Disability Awareness Month
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
  • Native American Heritage Month

Hiring, Developing and Retaining Diverse Talent

We believe it is important to recruit and develop a workforce made up of people with varied perspectives, ethnicities, races, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, ages and abilities. In an effort to foster a more diverse hiring pipeline, we partner with diverse organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders, the National Black MBA Association, and others. Additionally, to reduce the influence of unconscious bias, in 2020 we introduced new, company-wide hiring guidelines that support both diverse interview panels and candidate slates. We also implemented a Multicultural Engagement Program (MEP) that provides comprehensive training, mentoring and career coaching for a select group of high-potential associates of color. We already are seeing results with this initiative: Half of all participants in the 2020 pilot program went on to earn promotions and/or be assigned to special projects, and the MEP has doubled in size for 2021.