Introduction and Demographics

REPORT: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Life Sciences 2021

In 2020, diversity and inclusion was thrust front and center of the conversation for many organizations in the life sciences industry. Hard conversations began with hope for genuine change. However, just how diverse and inclusive is the global life science industry at the moment, what changes are underway and what does the future hold?

In March 2021, Informa Connect Life Sciences conducted one of the biggest studies of its kind, asking life sciences professionals around the world how diverse and inclusive you feel your industry truly is. With 483 respondents across the spectrum of organization types, job roles and seniority – over one third of whom identify as a minority in the workplace – the results are chastening and overwhelmingly point towards a lack of representation. From this starting point, many organizations are now taking steps to improve diversity throughout their ranks.

Introduction by Pharma Intelligence

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Key Insights

34% see lack of minority leadership representation as the life sciences' biggest problem with diversity and inclusion
63% think women are under represented at the most senior levels in their organization, and 73% think cultural/ethnic minorities are
32% of organizations have outreach programs to encourage a more culturally/ethnically diverse workforce
41% claim to have faced workplace bias due to their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other factors

More positively, most employees report a sense of equal opportunity and an inclusive culture in their workplace. This cannot be fully reconciled with the constitution of senior management and executive teams in the life sciences industry, providing yet another example of the ingrained societal challenges that act against minority groups.

Conversations around diversity and inclusion are highly complex and nuanced, although the issue can become simple when viewed through the lens of minority leadership representation. This was consistently identified in the survey to be the life science industry’s biggest problem, ahead of the wider societal challenges surrounding socio-economic and educational opportunities. Almost three quarters of respondents indicated a lack of representation for cultural or ethnic minorities at the top of their organizations, while over half felt women were similarly underrepresented.As can be expected, it is these groups that report the greatest sense of discrimination, while those in the majority are comparatively short-sighted and fail to recognize biases that work in their favor. More encouragingly, many organizations are focusing and investing in addressing this imbalance, through schemes spanning recruitment strategies, career development pathways, internal education and financing of diverse groups.

Size of organizations: 44% of respondents work for large companies with more than 500 employees

Respondent organizations: More than a third of respondents work for pharma or biotech companies

This is becoming a strategic imperative for the largest companies (501+ employees), where 78% of respondents can identify such outreach programs.

Disentangling equity and inclusion from the complex discussion on diversity, the life sciences industry performs more favorably. Two thirds of the survey participants believe their employer provides fair treatment and equal access to opportunities, while three quarters report an inclusive workplace environment. Nevertheless, discrimination when it comes to career opportunities affects one in five, while 41% of life science professionals claim to have faced workplace bias due to their gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

It may be tempting to suggest that the events of 2020 will leave such issues firmly in the rear-view mirror, although three in ten of those that report professional bias against them do so on at least a weekly basis. It is therefore clear that this is not a historical issue, but one that continues to harm life sciences professionals and society at large. Industry leaders should take heed of these findings and consider whether they are going far enough in advancing conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion.

Introduction by Pharma Intelligence

Product types: More than half of respondents work with biologics

Regions: 88% of respondents are based in North America or Europe

36% of respondents identify themselves as a minority in the workplace

Seniority: Respondents tend to be more senior, with 90% at manager/lead level or above

Area of responsibility: Almost a third of respondents have scientific or research roles