"It's a Constant Journey:" New Pronouns, New Mindsets
Something you should know about Laura: She’s the kind of person who knows what she’s looking for and passionate about what she believes in. She also gets right to the point: "Our Credo is a huge part of the reason I joined Johnson & Johnson in the first place." And, she added, "It's a big part of the reason I've stayed here, too—especially with the recent addition of our solid commitment to diversity and inclusion."
Plus, Laura thinks that commitment has taken on a special resonance of late.
"Whether it's Black Lives Matter, COVID-19 or mental health—which disproportionately impacts the LGBTQIA+ community—we're doing great things and starting important, if sometimes difficult, conversations across our company."
Laura Devaney, Applied Science Lead, Medical Affairs EMEA
In those conversations—as in all conversations—language is the essential building block that we use. And with that in mind, Laura and her colleagues in Open&Out, an employee resource group (ERG) at Johnson & Johnson for the LGBTQIA+ community, have been educating their teammates on the use of inclusive pronouns. "Being non-binary, for example, isn't something we were necessarily thinking about in such a big way 18 months ago," she said. "But we recognize how important it is and are committed to ensuring we are proactive about making changes. It's a constant journey, and a journey that Johnson & Johnson is consciously embracing."
The goal, in Laura's words, is all about "seeing people as individuals."
"As Open&Out continues to spread around the world, I'm hearing personal stories from many of our employees, which has been an incredible learning experience," she said. "There's something about the power of personal stories—you need to hear about it from people who have experienced it in order to understand the impact."
Laura added, "These are really encouraging conversations. And while it's not as if this is the ideal way for these conversations to start, I think it's still positive that they're happening. Conversations like these are incredibly important."
"Coming Home:" Laura's Journey With Johnson & Johnson
Laura initially came to Johnson & Johnson in 2001 as a junior in her third year of university, a term which is known in the U.K as a "sandwich placement year" or "year in industry." Once back at school, she completed her undergraduate degree and began to build her career.
Yet Laura's journey nonetheless came full circle: In 2007, she returned to our company. The feeling she had at the time was of "coming home.”
Today, Laura is Applied Science Lead, Medical Affairs, EMEA, in addition to being the co-lead of our Open&Out UK chapter. She believes her progression to both leadership positions is powerfully linked.
As she explained, "When I first came in, I was very junior, but I quickly grew into roles with regional and then global responsibility. Open&Out helped make that possible. I built networks. I started taking on more responsibility. I met people who inspired me on an entirely different level—and I had the opportunity to hear their authentic voices and totally unique thoughts and perspectives. That's what has made this a very special journey for me."
There's something about the power of personal stories—you need to hear about it from people who have experienced it in order to understand the impact.
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Join Our Team Today—and Be Your Authentic Self!
For anyone interested in a career at Johnson & Johnson, Laura had this to say about employee resource groups like Open&Out. "Participating in these groups is much more than just something you do, say, once or twice each month in the evening. It's about us—all of us—living in our authentic skin. It’s about finding a sense of true belonging."
Ready to team up with Laura and positively impact the future of health with an inclusive company where you belong? If so, be sure to sign up for our Global Talent Hub. It’s a great way to stay in touch, learn more about life at Johnson & Johnson and get updates about jobs that might interest you in the future.