Words by GOLD newsdesk
A new report on how pharmaceutical companies promote equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in their organisations has crowned Bayer as its winner. Gilead and Sanofi were not far behind in the rankings, taking second and third place respectively.
Conducted by stakeholder intelligence firm Alva, the report analysed company output on EDI issues on traditional and social media as well as NGO reports and regulatory data. The scores were ranked between -100 and 100 with Bayer scoring an impressive +67, Gilead +65 and Sanofi +63.
Bayer claimed the top spot due to its “innovative initiatives” in EDI such as quality resource groups, interactive workshops and allyship dialogues on LGBTQ+ issues. Another factor was its perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates workplace equality in the US.
Discussing the overall message of the report, Siera Torontow, Managing Director, Healthcare and Consumer, Alva, said: “More diverse companies are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction and decision making.
“By allowing more room for different opinions, and listening to them, pharma companies can better understand the patient voice, which informs and drives creativity and innovation in the long run.”
While the report was cause for celebration for some, it highlighted opportunities to improve for others. Teva Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Astellas were all at the bottom of the list, showing they have the most work to do in promoting EDI within their organisations, according to the report’s parameters. Nevertheless, all three companies avoided drop zone of -0, achieving scores of +28, +21 and +11 respectively.