Inclusion on Purpose
Our Commitment
At Lilly, our mission is to create medicines that make life better for people around the world.
Cultivating an inclusive culture enables us to attract and keep the best talent, fuels innovation necessary for the next breakthrough medicine, and strengthens our understanding of the patients who depend on us.
We deeply value diverse backgrounds, skills and global perspectives, and will continue to be guided by our core values of integrity, excellence and respect for people.
Our Workforce
Our workforce remains a dynamic and diverse community. Our team spans the globe, with employees contributing to our success in various countries.
From the end of 2020 through the end of 2024, we have seen positive trends in representation across many areas of our workforce. Women in our global workforce, including in management positions, are approximately at parity with men.
At Lilly, we're committed to attracting and retaining the very best talent the market has to offer. We employ an inclusive recruiting process focused on finding qualified individuals with the skills, experience, and passion to drive innovation. We recognize the importance of proactive outreach and casting a wide net to find top talent. We believe that recruiting in this way ensures we build an inclusive and high-performing workforce that strives to understand and meet the needs of the diverse patients we serve.
Inclusion for All
Building an Accessible and Supportive Workplace for All
Advancing disability inclusion remains a priority as we continue to create an accessible and supportive workplace. This includes recognizing the various resources that can contribute to individual and team success but also understanding employees may choose not to disclose a disability for various reasons, including concerns about privacy or stigma. This is why our continued work on creating a disability-confident culture is grounded in trust and respect for people.
Using assistive technologies, reasonable workplace adjustments and accommodations when requested and continuous education on disability inclusion for all employees, we continue to foster a workplace where everyone can contribute to our mission.
In 2024, we completed the EnAble Employee Journey, guided by feedback from employees with disabilities and caregivers, to deepen our understanding and design a strategy that promotes barrier-free experiences and empowers productivity for all employees and customers. This strategy resulted in significant advancements, including the incorporation of best practices learned from the EnAble Journey into our employee engagement initiatives, the embedding of “accessibility” into our Respect for People policy, and the creation of a new leadership role—Head of Disability Inclusion & Accessibility. This dedicated leader continues to develop and drive Lilly’s strategy for advancing disability inclusion both within Lilly and beyond, championing our efforts and collaborating with external organizations to influence positive change in our communities.
Veterans have always been an integral part of our workforce, bringing invaluable skills, leadership and experience to our organization. Our dedication to supporting this community remains unwavering. We continue to focus on creating opportunities for veterans, providing them with access to meaningful professional development and resources to support their success.
In addition, we recognize the invaluable role of spouses and family members of veterans and active-duty personnel, who often bring their own experiences of resilience, adaptability and leadership, yet may not be counted in traditional self-identification metrics. By refining our veteran outreach efforts and enhancing recruitment strategies, we aim to attract and retain qualified people with military backgrounds. Our commitment to inclusion and diversity helps us honor their service while strengthening the fabric of our organization.
The Skills First Apprenticeship program provides career opportunities for qualified individuals who have not obtained a traditional four-year degree. Serving over 155 apprentices to date, this program provides education, training and mentorship to develop expertise in key areas, offering a pathway to meaningful careers. As the program evolves, we will introduce new training opportunities and explore the ways we can best connect apprentices with high-demand job roles, breaking down barriers and creating pathways to success.
See important information about our Sustainability report.
