As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, health care and biopharmaceutical companies are on the front lines of treating victims, advising the public and pursuing effective medicines.
Employees at these organization are putting their bodies on the line to care for patients and working around the clock to find a vaccine to the novel coronavirus.
It’s not surprising that many of the leading organizations during this difficult time are also among the Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma.
Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, just published this list with Fortune.
Texas Health Resources, a health system serving North Texas, ranked #1 in the health care category. It was followed by Southern Ohio Medical Center, based in Portsmouth, Ohio, and BayCare Health System, which serves the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Rounding out the top five were Scripps Health, which operates in the San Diego area, and Baptist Health South Florida, based in Coral Gables, Florida.
Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder is among the leaders at Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma taking a vocal stance to protect employees and the community amid the COVID-19 crisis.
On March 27, Van Gorder issued a statement saying that Scripps expects to be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients in a matter of weeks if stronger actions aren’t taken. Van Gorder called for a reevaluation of which companies are “essential,” urged people to take social distancing more seriously and said the “shelter in place” mandate must be stricter.
“I realize that may mean a more significant effect on our economy,” Van Gorder wrote, “but as a health care provider, my concern is about the health and well-being of my doctors, nurses and support staff, as well as that of my own family. And yours.”
The best in the industry
To determine the 2020 Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma, Great Place to Work analyzed anonymous survey feedback representing nearly 800,000 employees working in the Health Care & Biopharma industry in the United States.
Employees responded to over 60 survey questions describing the extent to which their organization creates a Great Place to Work For All™. Eighty-five percent of the evaluation is based on what employees say about their experiences of trust and reaching their full human potential as part of their organization, no matter who they are or what they do. Great Place to Work analyzes these experiences relative to each organization’s size, workforce make up, and what’s typical relative to their peers in the industry.
The remaining 15 percent of the rank is based on an assessment of all employees’ daily experiences of innovation, the company’s values, and the effectiveness of their leaders, to ensure they’re consistently experienced. To be considered, companies had to meet the Great Place to Work-Certified standard.
The list of the 2020 Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma is based on survey data collected prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
Biotech pioneer Genentech ranked first in the category of Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, followed by Novo Nordisk, AbbVie, Horizon Therapeutics and United Therapeutics Corp.
Not all the companies on the list are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they all have high-trust cultures whose lessons may be helpful now. For example, leaders who demonstrate company values during tough times and difficult decisions inspire employees. And one Best Workplace in Health Care whose leaders have lived their values is Curology.
Curology is a virtual dermatology products company that focuses on acne and anti-aging medications. Based in San Francisco, Curology has just three values: humility; get stuff done; and a team-first attitude.
Humility and generosity in hard times
Lindsay Putzer, vice president of people and culture at Curology, says those values figure directly into the interview process. When you ask the right questions, she says, it becomes apparent whether people are genuinely humble. “My favorite question is, ‘Tell us a time you made a mistake, or about a time you got feedback about how you could be better,’” Putzer says. Candidates with large egos tend to say things like “I hold myself to too high a standard,” Putzer says. People who are a better fit for Curology will be open about their foibles and flaws, or otherwise respond in a vulnerable way, she says.
Curology’s values aren’t just important for hiring. They affect who can stay at the company. Putzer, a former consultant at Great Place to Work, says hitting performance targets but failing to demonstrate a team orientation or a humble perspective isn’t good enough at Curology. “We have let people go because they haven’t shown humility,” she says.
A close relative to humility is pitching in for the greater good. Among the Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma contributing to the broader battle against COVID-19 is AbbVie. The company is donating $35 million to help support underserved communities and healthcare systems working to address the impact of the global pandemic. As part of this donation, AbbVie will support the creation and operation of mobile field hospitals in the United States that will provide capacity and create improved patient flow options as hospitals work to keep COVID-19 patients separated from other patients.
We at Great Place to Work honor the generosity and sacrifice of all the Best Workplaces in Health Care and Biopharma—especially all the employees on the front lines providing care at personal risk. Thank you for all you are doing.
See more: The 40 Best Workplaces in Health Care and The 10 Best Workplaces in Biopharma.
For information from Great Place to Work on how great workplace cultures are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impacts, click here.
Ed Frauenheim is the senior director of content at Great Place to Work. He is co-author of A Great Place to Work For All.
