Diversity & Inclusion / Fostering Belonging

FOSTERING BELONGING

We know that when we encourage diversity of background, thought and experience, we are far more likely to uncover new insights and unique approaches to addressing a challenge. This is particularly critical for Genentech as we work to discover and develop medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. We are committed to sustaining an environment where scientific discovery can thrive, where the industry’s most talented people can do their best work, and where we can bring innovative medicines to those who need them most.

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing and advancing our people to their full potential by rewarding bold ways of thinking and integrating inclusive behaviors into every aspect of our work. See below for just some of the ways in which we are bringing this vision to life.

Attracting the Best & Brightest

To find the best possible solutions, we know we must embrace ideas that are new and different. This starts with attracting and hiring a diverse mix of the best and brightest people. We look for candidates who are smart, resilient, willing to question the status quo and motivated to make a difference. Our employees love to solve problems, persevere through failure and work collaboratively across teams to drive progress.

Our commitment to cultivating a diverse workforce begins with developing robust diverse candidate pipelines of the talented individuals we’ll need to revolutionize medicine and change patients’ lives for the better. We work with managers to address unconscious bias and help ensure hiring decisions are based on demonstrated competencies, not just previous experiences.

Learn more about careers at Genentech

We are proud to be recognized for putting our values into action.

Our Gender Diversity Commitment & Progress

Over the last decade, we’ve applied a multi-pronged, long-term gender diversity strategy to increase gender representation in leadership. These efforts have included research, senior leadership commitments, programs and initiatives to drive professional development and open up opportunities for career advancement, as well as thriving internal communities and external partnerships. Since 2007, we’ve more than doubled the percentage of female officers at the company from 16% at YE 2017 to 43% at YE 2020. 53% of directors and 52% of managers/supervisors are women at YE 2020.

We are proud of the progress we’ve made in advancing gender representation in leadership, but our work is far from done. We continue to apply these and other strategies to move the needle on diversity across the board — now with particular focus on increasing people of color representation in our leadership ranks.

We recognize that our current gender diversity strategy must expand past the gender binary. Current work on the inclusion of transgender and gender non-comforming representation in our employee population focuses on pronoun usage, allyship, and educational training, while future work is evolving to advance transgender and gender non-conforming representation in our leadership.

DNA Groups (Diversity Network Associations)

Our Diversity Network Association (DNA) groups drive and support employee professional development, business partnerships and community educational outreach and support.

As a member or leader of a DNA group, you:

Gain and build leadership and project management skills to advance your career
Participate in strategic projects, often connected to helping Genentech be more inclusive in our business practices;
Engage in activities to recruit underrepresented talent to Genentech and mentor and develop your fellow employees

Today, we have 16 unique types of DNA Groups representing a variety of affinities and in total we have 39 DNA Group chapters which span multiple Genentech locations and geographical regions in the United States. In total, approximately 67% of Genentech employees participate in DNA Group activities! You can be a member of any group — come to participate, learn and be an ally.

AAIB was our first DNA group. Their mission is to provide support and visibility for Genentech employees sharing of Black heritage by leveraging the distinct strengths and abilities of members that will promote inclusiveness internally throughout Genentech and externally in our communities.

APAC^2 is on a mission to enrich diversity, support health education in our communities, elevate cultural awareness and enhance personal and professional development to the Genentech community and its partners through inclusion, outreach efforts, and cultural events.

The mission of this group is to provide opportunities for professional and personal growth for employees new to the workforce in order to cultivate the next generation of Genentech’s leaders.

Oceania represents the islands that span across Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. The mission of ECO is to promote cultural awareness and cultivate relationships that will create access to a stronger education, improved healthcare and greater career opportunities for marginalized communities. We stand in solidarity against racism, with our LGBTQIA+ community, and support efforts to reduce the impact of climate change.

The gAbilities mission is to advocate for Genentech employees with disabilities and dependents with special needs by identifying and driving workplace solutions that foster an accessible, inclusive, and equitable environment, while strengthening our company’s reputation as a Great Place to Work.

gNA seeks to promote the heritage of Native Americans through offerings of educational opportunities, networking, and cultural events.

An organization for Genentech employees sharing Persian heritage or an interest to learn more about the Persian history and culture. Networking, education and community outreach initiatives are some of the areas we focus on to enhance personal and professional development opportunities for our members. We also align our efforts to support Genentech’s business objectives and diversity and inclusion strategies.

The mission of this group is to develop and maintain a strong LGBTQIA: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersexed and Allies – community at Genentech that fosters inclusion of all people. gPRIDE strives to set the standard in the biotechnology industry for an LGBTQIA+ friendly workplace. We empower community members to advocate for civil and human rights; embrace and support the diversity in everyone.

gVETS mission is to provide a place where people can give back to the Veteran community, support Genentech’s Guard, Reserve, Veterans, and military family members, build camaraderie and help educate others on Veteran issues while advocating for policies and benefits to support this community at Genentech.

GWP supports the women of Genentech through professional development, recognition, and the support of a robust network that interacts with senior leadership. We strive to bring women and male allies of all backgrounds, experiences, tenure, geography and functional affiliation together to learn from one another, to grow as individuals and to support each other in cultivating an environment that supports and celebrates success.

HyeGene is a community of people sharing Armenian (Hye) heritage or an interest in Armenian culture. We welcome everyone who shares our love of life, science, and community. Our mission is to elevate awareness of Armenian culture and history, enrich diversity, and enhance professional development of Armenians in STEM through outreach initiatives, cultural events, and partnerships.

The Diversity and Awareness Teams at Hillsboro Technical Operations (HTO) and Portland (PDX) strive to educate and celebrate our diversity, foster a culture of collaboration, and continue to make Genentech a great place to work.

SACNAS is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.

SANG is focused on promoting awareness of the South Asian culture on the South San Francisco campus, providing a forum to enhance career growth and actively participating in Genentech’s diversity initiatives.

The STAGES group promotes an age-friendly work environment at Genentech. It provides opportunities for experienced employees to network, mentor new employees, receive information and resources for changing lifestyles (such as retirement planning) and participate in collaborative diversity events and programs. STAGES is active in South San Francisco.

Vision, Integrity, Development, Action (VIDA) is committed to sharing Latinx culture, and our commitment to life (Vida), promoting professional success and recruiting diverse talent to Genentech. We also educate people in local underserved communities about the science of biotechnology, as well as promote health education and awareness. VIDA has four chapters as of 2020: South San Francisco, Oceanside, South (field), and East-West (field).

The Change Sequence

To further foster community and celebrate diversity, we host Change Sequence events, inviting partners and community members to hear from internal and external thought leaders to celebrate diversity during important cultural moments, such as Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month. If you'd like to sign up to be invited to the Change Sequence, please join our Talent Community.

Disability Inclusion

We recognize the potential of people of all abilities, and we make accessibility a priority. We explore ways to identify and hire people and suppliers of all abilities and we have a dedicated, cross-functional task force focused on enhancing employee awareness, accessibility and talent.

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.

Our People

These are the stories — of obstacles and opportunities — that celebrate the people who work here.

WE’RE HIRING

The little things we do every day add up to big breakthroughs. Making a difference in the lives of millions starts when you make a change in yours.

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Our Diversity & Inclusion Report is now available! Click here.

FOSTERING BELONGING

Attracting the Best & Brightest

Our Gender Diversity Commitment & Progress

DNA Groups (Diversity Network Associations)

The Change Sequence

Disability Inclusion

Equal Employment Opportunity

Our People