How we are becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization
At GSK, we are embracing and elevating different voices. We appreciate the richness that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds and lived experiences can have on our business. There is value internally and externally when people feel a sense of belonging, are empowered to lead and move through the world with empathy and support. The approach is how we get ahead of disease together.
Our ethnicity aspirations
We're continually building on our approach to inclusion and diversity for our people, in the way we do business and in the communities in which we operate.
Diversity, equity and inclusion inside GSK
We expect our organization to represent the population we serve by leveraging qualified, talented individuals who represent a variety of ethnicities, genders, disabilities, ages and sexual orientations. When our workforce reflects the patients and communities we serve, we gain perspective and insight internally to deliver informed and improved outcomes. For our most senior roles we start with a diverse shortlist of qualified candidates, including ethnically diverse representation (defined by country). In the US, we set a diversity aspiration at the VP level of at least 30% by 2025. We exceeded our expectations three years ahead of schedule.
We have set appropriate and ambitious aspirations for ethnic diversity in our US Early Talent Program for apprentices and graduate trainees. Working closely with our employee resource groups, we launched the Accelerating Difference - Ethnic Diversity development program. This effort supports employees by enhancing their strengths and addressing any development gaps through individual and group coaching and sponsorship.
The recruitment process is key to starting off on the right foot. Our HR team works with external experts to define best practices. The results included enhanced training for recruiting managers, a thorough review of job postings and more direction on the channels used to reach and attract candidates.
GSK has been focused on diversity, equity and inclusion for more than 30 years. That's because we have long seen the solution and innovations that come from a collective of unique minds. We are delivering value to the people and patients we serve but we're also invested in the health and well-being of our employees. From the day one joins the company, we want them to feel welcomed, valued and heard. DEI is the foundation on which our corporate culture is built."
We want GSK to be a workplace where everyone can feel a sense of belonging and can thrive. Being a diverse organization at all levels also brings greater opportunity to create better health outcomes for the patients who rely on us.
We want our leadership to reflect our GSK people and our people to reflect the communities in which we work and hire. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination is the foundation for these aspirations, supported by fair and equitable recruitment and selection processes.
Our ethnicity aspirations:
In the UK at the end of 2023, we had 18.4% ethnically diverse leaders at VP-and-above, compared with 14.3% in 2022. We had 1.9% Black leaders at VP level and above compared with 1.6% in 2022.
In the US at the end of 2023, we had 35.7% ethnically diverse leaders at VP-and-above, compared with 31.3% in 2022.
We had 8.1% Black or African American leaders at VP-and-above compared with 8.6% in 2022. We had 6.4% Hispanic or Latinx leaders at VP-and-above compared with 6.4% in 2022.
We have reviewed our recruitment processes and have worked with an external partner to ensure we're implementing best practices and ensuring fair and equitable opportunities. This includes enhanced training for recruiting managers before the selection process starts, and a review of job postings and channels to make sure we’re reaching and attracting diverse candidates.
We strive to foster a culture of empathy and acceptance where we embrace each other's differences and identities, and we aim to be recognized in global LGBTQ+ indices to ensure best practice. We work with a number of groups on this including:
We are addressing gender equality at all levels within our organization.
We are making great strides with the support from our Global Gender Council and our Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) employee resource group.
At the end of 2023, women held 45% of VP-and-above roles globally, compared with 42% in 2022. Women made up 48% of all employees in 2023, and 50% of all management roles.
We have been recognized in The Times Top 50 employers for women, and our colleagues have been recognized by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association for their work to advance the impact and influence of women in healthcare.
With support from our Global Disability Council and our employee resource group, the Disability Confidence Network, we are working hard to create an inclusive workplace.
Since 2020, GSK has been an active member of the Valuable 500 pledge, a grouping of 500 global companies all committed to placing disability inclusion on the leadership agenda. We are delivering on its objectives through our disability confidence plan.
We continue to invest in an accessible workplace, including our award-winning Workplace Adjustment Service.
We educate our people on disability confidence as part of our long-term, measurable, strategic disability confidence plan.
We are members of the UK Government's Disability Confident Scheme and signatories to the UK Department for International Development's Charter for Change.
To reinforce our long-standing commitment to fair and equal pay, we conduct country-based reviews and ensure all markets have clear guidance, tools and support to ensure pay equity. If unexplainable differences are detected, these are addressed through our compensation processes.
Our Employee Resource Groups
Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) run events, workshops and initiatives where everyone is welcome to learn, contribute and feel connected. The lead volunteers meet regularly with our Global Diversity Councils and GSK Leadership Team members to share ideas, priorities and perspectives.
Driving religious diversity in the workplace and leveraging faith-based beliefs to compassionately serve our business and patients.
Foster an environment that supports and cares for employees affected by cancer where all are treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
Supporting our colleagues in reaching their full potential by providing career growth and networking opportunities that will empower them to develop professionally.
Celebrate the Latinx-Hispanic culture, collaborate on talent acquisition and leverage external partnerships for community outreach.
Promote access to workplace adaptations while creating a safe, empathetic space for people with disabilities and their allies to openly address issues facing them.
Driving awareness of Asian perspectives, appreciation of Asian culture and celebrating contemporary contributions.
Increase education about the diverse populations, perspectives and experiences of people of Indigenous descent.
Founded in 1994, Mosaic was the first ERG formed at GSK and serves as a voice for Black employees at all levels. Mosaic helps guide business goals, strategy and performance in positive ways.
Establish a culture that respects the skills and contributions of veterans, reservists, guardsmen and their friends and families. Solve challenges and ensure GSK is the employer of choice for the veteran community.
Build a supportive forum for staff across the spectrum of sexual orientation or gender identity. Advancing visibility and awareness of issues while assisting in the identification and clarification of policies and practices that create an equitable, inclusive and supportive environment.
Maximize and enhance understanding of a multi-generational workforce and customer populations. Leverage knowledge and experience of seasoned staff, to mentor all generations of employees, and promote cross-generational collaborations.
Accelerating the personal development and professional advancement of women through transformational learning and leadership opportunities.
Diseases and medicines can affect people differently depending on their race, ethnicity, sex or age, so it is vital that we represent the real-world disease population in our clinical trials to advance our understanding of new vaccines and medicines. We’re doing this by building demographic planning into our clinical trials, so they reflect the real-world population that’s affected by the disease we’re studying.
We have set targets for at least 75% of our Phase 3 trials in 2022 to include a demographics plan in their design.
We support communities around the world through our global health partnerships, local community investment, response to humanitarian emergencies and STEM education programs for under-represented groups.
In the US, in 2020 we made a commitment of US$10 million over 10 years to help Black, Latinx and female students in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, overcome obstacles to their pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through the creation of the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective.
Through our supplier diversity program, we seek to provide opportunities to under-represented groups, including women, ethnic minorities, members of the LGBT+ community, people with disabilities and military veterans.
These partnerships can also provide an economic boost to the wider community. So as well as measuring how much we're spending with diverse-owned suppliers, we’re also looking holistically at the positive economic benefit that GSK and our partner suppliers will bring to the communities that we all live and work in.
We’re also engaging with key advocacy organizations for diverse suppliers by speaking at their forums, joining their boards, and sponsoring appropriate conferences. These organizations include National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), and Minority Supplier Development UK (MSDUK).
GSK’s Global Diversity Councils
We're supported by the great work our Global Ethnicity, Gender, LGBTQ+ and Disability Councils provide. Each council is chaired by members of the GSK Leadership Team and includes senior leaders from across the company as well as representatives from our Employee Resource Groups.
