May 15, 2019 -- A commitment from Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken still endures today – nearly 60 years later.

Bakken penned the Medtronic Mission in 1960. It centers around the company’s dedication to improving the lives of patients, but also includes a commitment to “recognize the personal worth of all employees” and to “maintain good citizenship as a company.”

These two ideas — progressive for the time — provided the foundation for how Medtronic operates today. And that commitment has been nationally recognized.

For the third consecutive year, Medtronic is listed as a 100 Best Corporate Citizen by Corporate Responsibility Magazine. The ranking recognizes companies that show transparency in their reporting of environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. For the first time, Medtronic has been named among the top 40 companies, taking the number 39 spot on the list.

“Citizenship is about our social, environmental, and economic impact — and it’s an important part of how we do business and serve our Mission,” said Medtronic Chairman and CEO Omar Ishrak. “We are a business inherently founded on purpose, determined to make an impact by using technology to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend the lives of patients. Our employees are working every day to create a better, healthier world for patients around the globe. Last year, we improved the lives of more than 71 million people — the equivalent of two people every second — and that number continues to grow.” 

Our employees are working every day to create a better, healthier world for patients around the globe.

Omar Ishrak Medtronic Chairman and CEO

Transparent Support for a Global Workforce 

Within the seven categories, Medtronic captured the number one spot for efforts in employee relations. Specifically, Corporate Responsibility Magazine honored Medtronic for its transparency in employee equity, inclusion and workplace diversity policies and programs — something the company takes pride in.  

“The diversity of our workforce – and fostering an inclusive culture where employees have opportunities to grow, advance, and be heard – is our model for success, and clearly articulated in the fifth tenet of our Mission, “said Carol Surface, chief human resources officer at Medtronic. “We prioritize being transparent about how we support our global workforce. Through a culture of inclusion, we are fostering a vibrant, healthy, and diverse Medtronic community that truly reflects the world in which we live and work.”

To ensure accountability, Medtronic publicly shares aspirational goals and progress related to inclusion, diversity, and employee engagement. For example, in 2018, the company publicly reported that women represented 54% of global new hires and held 37% of the management level or above positions globally, working toward an aspirational 2020 goal of having at least 40% female representation in leadership roles globally. Medtronic also reported ethnically diverse talent held 21% of positions at the management level and above in the United States — surpassing its 2020 aspirational goal of 20% or more.

“Sharing this information – not just with our employees, but outside of the company too – provides new opportunities to demonstrate our commitment, and identifies areas where we can improve,” explains Surface.  

That kind of transparency has contributed to the development of programs to attract, develop and retain talent. In the last few years, Medtronic has launched a new Family Leave benefit, a Careers 2.0 Returnship program for engineers, expanded employee referral programs, and an Experience Café resource for employees looking for internal career development opportunities. 

2018 Environmental Stewardship Highlights

Making the world a healthier place means addressing our environmental impact holistically — from innovating operations to minimizing our footprint related to product design, manufacturing, and disposal.