Diversity In the Workplace

We’ve made it our mission to improve diversity of all kinds and at all levels. Today diversity and inclusion are a global goal, with visible CEO and executive leadership support, engagement and accountability.

Our Gender Diversity Strategy

Our goal for 2010 - 2015 is to bring more women into leadership positions at Genentech. To that end, we’ve developed and implemented a gender diversity strategy, with strong support from our Executive Committee.

The strategy is based on the E.D.G.E. (Empowerment, Diversity, Growth, Excellence) in Leadership study conducted by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) and Booz Allen Hamilton. This research was the first to identify best practices in recruiting, advancement and retention of women in the pharma and biotechnology industries.

Our strategy guides our work in six areas as defined by the report:

• Visible senior leadership support
• Merit- and performance-based systems to ensure equity
• Measurements and accountability to drive behavior and results
• Recruitment practices to support the representation of women
• Advancement programs for high-potential female employees
• Career and work flexibility models to retain top female talent

DNA Groups (Diversity Network Associations)

Since the early 1990s, DNA groups have been an integral part of the Genentech culture. Open to all employees, they offer connection and camaraderie for people with similar interests and or experiences, as well as opportunities to build leadership and professional development skills. Today, more than 4,500 employees are members of DNA groups.

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Veteran Outreach and Recruitment

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion extends to veterans of the armed services. With many service members coming home we are creating a framework to invite them to learn about our culture and opportunities for careers at Genentech. We will partner with hiring managers to identify areas within Genentech where veteran skills will further our business objectives.

"To be in the military is to be in the most diverse organization there is — people come from so many different places, and when you deploy overseas you are exposed to many different cultures. To get the job done well, you have to count on each other, and you have to help each other know what information is essential for success."

- Senior leader and member of Genentech Veteran’s Diversity Team

Workplace Inclusiveness

Collectively, we are leading Genentech to developing a new mindset. To arrive at our destination, we are providing support to our leaders to create a greater self-awareness of inclusive leadership behaviors, our mindsets and in some cases our blind-spots.

Our aspiration is to evolve our organizational culture as the world and workforce needs change. Effective career development today within Genentech and outside is less linear; rather, it is about building the right skills and experiences to arrive at your ultimate career goal. It’s about building a career lattice, not a career ladder. We need to adapt our organization and the leadership mindset to view flexibility, career development as retention strategies for our workforce.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Genentech employs, promotes, and otherwise treats any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, gender, religion, color, national origin, ancestry,mental or physical disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, veteran status, or other protected status.

Our Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Program, through policies, practices, and analyses, guides our efforts to attract and retain the most qualified people for the job. Simultaneously, it helps us remove barriers to equal opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship including hiring, promotion, assignments, and compensation.