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Johnson & Johnson (& Johnson) history A maker of more than just its famous BAND-AIDs, Johnson & Johnson is the largest manufacturer of health care products in the world. Founded in 1885 by James and Edward Mead Johnson, the company's first success was the surgical dressing developed by a third Johnson brother, Robert, who joined them the following year. Early in its history, Johnson & Johnson developed its strategy of teaming up with smaller medical suppliers in partnerships instead of acquiring them outright. The strategy has paid off, enabling Johnson & Johnson to create a product line that includes artificial joints, Neutrogena skin and hair care products, and Tylenol pain killers. Although Johnson & Johnson has a proud history of high-quality products, the company confronted tragedy in 1982, when eight people died in a tampering incident after consuming Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. Though Johnson & Johnson was not responsible for the capsule-lacing, the product recall cost Johnson & Johnson $240 million. The incident was a short-lived setback for the company; Johnson & Johnson's quick and decisive action enabled it to recover rapidly. Three primary units The company splits its business into three major segments. The professional segment, which includes products like surgical instruments and contact lenses (including disposables Acuvue and Surevue), is the company's largest unit, accounting for $8.6 billion in sales in 1998. The company's pharmaceutical segment, maker of anemia drug Procrit and anti-psychotic drug Risperdal, accounted for $8.6 billion. In April 1999, the FDA opened the $5 billion ulcer market up for J&J when they approved Aciphex, the ulcer drug developed by J&J/Eisai Co. of Japan. The products that make up Johnson & Johnson's well-known consumer unit, offering products such as painkiller Tylenol, J&J's baby and adult toiletries, and transparent Neutrogena soap, brought in $6.5 billion in revenues. The company has more than 180 operating companies in 51 countries, and sells its products in more than 175 countries. The growing J&J family A top-tier marketing company, Johnson & Johnson spends more than $500 million annually on TV ads in the U.S. J&J refers to its myriad of subsidiaries as a "worldwide family of companies"; and as a parent company, Johnson & Johnson is known as very pro-family when it comes to its treatment of employees, offering on-site child care at many sites and a child care hotline. Meanwhile, the company continues to expand through new products and subsidiaries. In April 1998, J&J received FDA approval for Sucralose, the first low-calorie sweetener made from sugar. In September of the same year, the company bought DePuy, Inc., one of the world's leading orthopedic products companies, for $3.5 billion. And in April 1999, Johnson & Johnson purchased Aveeno skin care products from S.C. Johnson & Son. The spending spree continued in July as the company reached an agreement to acquire the bio-tech firm Centocor for $4.9 billion in stock. The move was expected to bolster Johnson & Johnson's research and development efforts. Further J&J dealings have included the acquisition of Innovasive Devices, a producer of surgical devices; a collaboration with Delsys Pharmaceutical Corp., a developer of pharmaceutical technology; and a partnership with Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corp., a maker of medical products. Pain relief for Japan Though Japan has been the second largest market for over-the-counter drugs in the world, the government there kept out foreign drug makers for decades. In July 2000, Johnson & Johnson announced that in the fall it would start selling pain reliever Tylenol in Japan. The company has been marketing the drug in partnership with Takeda Chemical Industries.
Because Johnson & Johnson has a de-centralized structure that incorporates more than 180 subsidiaries worldwide, hiring processes are not uniform throughout the company. Applicants should consult Johnson & Johnson's web site, located at www.jnj.com, for an extensive list of job openings, including international opportunities. Each office has different resume requirements, though nearly all accept resumes by either regular mail, e-mail, or fax. Johnson & Johnson, which has been known as a top employer of MBAs for brand management for years, is also beginning to look at business school grads to fill finance positions. Says one financial analyst: "They're starting to hire more MBAs, shifting their work from routine tasks to analytical roles." Says one summer intern in the finance department: "J&J welcomes MBAs and is always looking for good people." Still, Johnson & Johnson remains a marketing-heavy company. Marketing MBAs enter the brand management function as assistant product directors or product directors, according to their previous experience. The company offers internships to MBAs in both brand management and finance.
Family-friendly perks As might be expected of a company whose products are concerned with child care and health care, Johnson & Johnson is described as having a "very family-friendly" culture, with a somewhat "slow pace." "It is a great company to work for," says one insider, and another concurs, saying there are "good benefits, great employees perks, and a conscious responsibility to the community." Among its family friendly perks are more on-site childcare centers than any other company, $3000 reimbursement for adoption expenses, a 75 percent match of up to 6 percent of salary for its 401(k) program, and even a hotline that provides employees with childcare advice. The child care center at the company's New Jersey headquarters was designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. The dress code is "strict" for some employees at J&J's headquarters in New Jersey, but most corporate personnel "wear business casual every day." Most affiliate offices are informal as well. Autonomy, for better or for worse While insiders say the corporate structure "encourages individual autonomy," many employees say that the "strict rules and procedures" are "cumbersome." In addition, the "unusual level of freedom" often requires recent hires to "take initiative in seeking out feedback." Several Johnson & Johnson employees comment that the "diverse" workforce is benefiting from the company's "new emphasis" on hiring women into "more visible management positions." For those employees who join one of J&J's smaller organizations, the company's strategy of keeping subsidiaries intact pays immediate dividends. "It was a small and lean company, so there was lots of responsibility and exposure to senior management," reports one brand management summer hire.
Professional products;Pharmaceuticals;Consumer products
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