How Johnson & Johnson’s People Strategy Powers Game Changers

As Johnson & Johnson develops its Innovation division, the company is investing in its people to accelerate healthcare breakthroughs. 

It is doing this through its “Powering Game Changers” approach – prioritising people and culture to create an environment where employees can learn and develop. 

Kristen Mulholland, Chief People Officer at Johnson & Johnson, discussed the company’s approach to innovation in a LinkedIn post reflecting on her first year in the role. 

She said: “From São Paulo to Shanghai, Toronto to Orlando, every hallway chat, leadership meeting and town hall has helped shape my understanding of who we are and where we’re headed as a company. 

“After two decades with Johnson & Johnson I thought I knew that well – but this role has given me a whole new lens. 

“All those moments of listening and learning culminated in a robust vision built on the concept of 'powering gamechangers,' so that our colleagues can make the impossible possible for patients. It ensures that we never lose sight of why we come to work each day.”

A credo to empower employees

While Johnson & Johnson may need a people strategy that can evolve alongside the company, one of the most defining elements of its culture was first written more than eighty years ago. 

In 1943, the company developed “Our Credo”, which prioritises stakeholders in the company in a specific order: customers, then employees, then communities, then shareholders. 

By putting employee wellbeing above shareholder profits, the company has been able to foster a culture of loyalty and trust in its workforce – with 13% of the company’s employees having worked for Johnson & Johnson for more than 20 years.

Part of the way the company prioritises employee experience is through its Energy for Performance (E4A) programme, which has been developed from more than 30 years of research. 

This employee wellbeing strategy teaches staff to manage their energy across four dimensions – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – to ensure they are caring for themselves both physically and emotionally in the workplace. 

The company found that 91% of graduate employees reported gains in their productivity as a result of this initiative, and workers who took part in E4A training were 25% more likely to be promoted within a year. 

A skills inclusive approach to talent development 

The company is also empowering employee growth and development by taking what it refers to as a skills inclusive approach – looking at employee potential, individual aspirations and personality traits to understand how a person can best develop.  

Using the internal platform J&J Learn, employees are able to map their career paths, connect with mentors and find short-term projects that will allow them to develop their skills.

This allows employees to have more control over the development of their career so it is best aligned with their interests – meaning that they will likely be more engaged in their day-to-day work. 

Juliana Nunes, SVP, Global Head of HR Digital at Johnson & Johnson, says of the company’s approach to learning and development: “The reality is that your development journey really starts with you. 

“What do you want to do? Where do you want to be? And most importantly, what’s your life purpose? Your life purpose has to be aligned with what you’re doing at work. Everything starts with that.”