The Imperative of Behavioral and Competency-Based Vendor and Talent Screening: Lessons from Johnson & Johnson for AI Leadership in Health

By: Sherri Douville, CEO at Medigram | Chair, TTIC with acknowledgment to Ed Gaudet, CEO at Censinet for inspiring this blog

Introduction
In today’s leadership landscape, the importance of behavioral interviews and competency-based assessments in the hiring process cannot be overstated. Companies like Johnson & Johnson have long recognized the value of these methods, ensuring that leaders possess not only technical competence but the right psychological makeup. As someone who spent over a decade at Johnson & Johnson including in their world class and rigorous management development program; I was trained extensively on behavioral and competency based interview and selection techniques, and it’s clear how crucial they are. This approach is particularly relevant as we delve into the field of artificial intelligence (AI) governance, where unchecked ambition or detrimental “dark” traits in leadership could have unintended consequences. This article explores how Johnson & Johnson’s hiring practices, which involve psychological screening, behavioral interviews, and competency assessments at all levels, compare to the tech industry and what lessons healthcare CIOs can take away to ensure responsible AI development and selection of talent and vendors that can fit in with medical staff and evidence based medicine.

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Behavioral and Competency-Based Screening at Johnson & Johnson

At Johnson & Johnson, behavioral interviews and competency-based assessments are standard practice across all levels of the company. These methods are used not just for senior leaders but for a wide range of roles, ensuring that every hire aligns with the company’s values and culture. The use of structured interviews, where candidates must provide examples of how they handled situations in the past, allows for a deeper understanding of their emotional intelligence, leadership style, and ethical decision-making. This focus on competencies like collaboration, innovation, and integrity helps Johnson & Johnson maintain a leadership team capable of making decisions that impact both the company and its global customer base.

Is this a widespread practice in life sciences?

Yes, the practice of using behavioral interviews and competency-based assessments is widespread in the life sciences sector, particularly among major pharmaceutical and healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Novartis. These methods are employed to ensure that leadership and key hires not only possess the necessary technical skills but also align with the company’s core values, ethical standards, and leadership competencies.

Life sciences companies operate in highly regulated environments, where leadership decisions can have profound effects on public health, patient safety, and regulatory compliance. As a result, there’s a strong emphasis on selecting leaders who exhibit emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and collaborative leadership, all of which are critical in navigating complex clinical, operational, and regulatory landscapes.

Behavioral and competency-based interviews allow these companies to assess how candidates have handled past challenges and how they are likely to respond to future scenarios, particularly those involving ethical dilemmas, team dynamics, and patient care concerns. These practices also help ensure that leadership can manage the cross-functional collaboration required in life sciences, where departments such as R&D, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, and clinical operations must work in unison.

The widespread use of these assessments in life sciences reflects a broader industry trend of aligning leadership selection with regulatory requirements and organizational values.

Comparison to the Tech Industry

In contrast, the tech industry, particularly in AI development, often places a heavier emphasis on technical expertise rather than psychological and behavioral evaluations. This approach can lead to a narrow focus on innovation and speed while overlooking the broader societal and ethical implications of AI. While some tech companies have begun adopting more structured interview methods, there is still a gap in assessing leaders for emotional intelligence and ethical foresight. As we face growing AI-related challenges, companies leading AI development could benefit from integrating behavioral and competency-based assessments to identify leaders who are not only technically proficient but also equipped to navigate the ethical complexities of AI governance.

Insights from Michael Watkins on AI Leadership

Michael Watkins, in his thought-provoking article “AI is Too Powerful to Leave in the Hands of Tech CEOs,” emphasizes the necessity of rigorous psychological assessments for AI leadership. Watkins argues that the rapid advancement of AI technologies necessitates leaders who are not only technologically adept but also possess the psychological maturity to handle the profound ethical and societal implications.

He states, “Rigorous psychological assessments should be a mandatory part of the selection process for AI leadership, ensuring that individuals with unchecked ambition or dangerous personality traits are not making decisions that affect humanity’s future.” This perspective aligns with the practices of companies like Johnson & Johnson, suggesting that the tech sector could benefit from adopting similar assessment strategies as the life sciences sector specifically in regulated industries.

Leveraging Leadership Screening: Lessons for Healthcare CIOs

For healthcare CIOs, there’s much to learn from the structured and comprehensive screening processes at Johnson & Johnson. By incorporating these techniques into the selection of leadership talent including vendors, CIOs can ensure that their organizations are well-positioned to manage both the technical and ethical challenges posed by AI in healthcare. Competency-based assessments allow CIOs to build teams and select vendors that not only meet regulatory standards but also drive innovation with a strong focus on patient safety and data integrity.

Strategies for CIOs to Implement for Hiring Talent and Vendors:

1. Incorporate Competency Based Assessments of Talent and Vendors: Use competency-based interviews to evaluate not just technical skills, but leadership traits such as ethical judgment, collaboration, and problem-solving.
2. Focus on Ethical Leadership of Talent and Vendors: Invest in assessment and screening focused on ethical decision-making in technology leadership, similar to how life sciences companies assess the ethical perspectives of potential hires.
3. Collaborate with Organizational Psychologists to Assess Talent and Vendors: Develop tailored assessments with experts to identify leaders who align with both the technical needs and ethical values of the organization.

Conclusion
Companies like Johnson & Johnson offer valuable insights into how to build a leadership team that is not only competent but aligned with the values needed to tackle the challenges of AI governance. For healthcare CIOs, adopting behavioral and competency-based assessments can create a culture of responsibility and innovation, ensuring that leadership decisions are made with both technological and ethical considerations in mind. By learning from life sciences companies, CIOs can steer their organizations toward responsible and effective AI integration in healthcare.

Call to Action: Ask “is this person or vendor fit for healthcare” — by what standards?

References

1. Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. (2017). Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures (5th ed.). Retrieved from https://www.siop.org/Portals/84/docs/SIOP%20Principles%202018.pdf
2. Johnson & Johnson. (2021). Our Leadership Approach. Retrieved from https://www.jnj.com/leadership
3. Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) Professional Manual. Psychological Assessment Resources. Retrieved from https://www.parinc.com/Products/Pkey/4200
4. Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It Right (7th ed.). Wiley. Retrieved from https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Managing+Business+Ethics%3A+Straight+Talk+about+How+to+Do+It+Right%2C+7th+Edition-p-9781119194309
5. Watkins, M. (2023). AI is Too Powerful to Leave in the Hands of Tech CEOs. LinkedIn. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-too-powerful-leave-hands-tech-ceos-michael-watkins-3ko2e
6. Reuters Events Sustainable Business. (2019). The Importance of Ethical Leadership in Life Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/importance-ethical-leadership-life-sciences

Sherri Douville
Sherri Douville is the CEO of Medigram, a company driving secure, real-time healthcare communication technology that drives safety, efficiency, and profitability. She is also the Chair of the Trustworthy Technology and Innovation Consortium (TTIC). With deep expertise in healthcare technology, AI, and governance, Sherri drives Medigram’s mission to advance secure communication and data integrity in healthcare. She is recognized for her leadership in AI governance, contributing to industry standards such as IEEE UL 2933, and has co-authored several books on healthcare IT.

Medigram
Medigram is a platform for AI driven real-time, secure communication in healthcare, designed to improve clinical workflows and patient outcomes. Medigram integrates AI and medical IoT to facilitate secure data sharing between healthcare teams, helping hospitals and health systems manage communication in a compliant and efficient manner. Its focus on security, interoperability, and real-time decision support positions Medigram as a vital tool for improving clinical outcomes and streamlining hospital operations.

Trustworthy Technology and Innovation Consortium (TTIC)
TTIC is an industry consortium focused on developing and implementing trustworthy technologies in healthcare. Led by Sherri Douville, and industry leaders, Chuck Podesta, CIO at Renown Health, Ed Gaudet CEO at Censinet, Mitch Parker, CISO at IU Health, and Dr. Apurv Gupta, VP at Premier; TTIC brings together leaders in healthcare IT, AI, and governance to advance standards and frameworks for secure and ethical innovation. TTIC plays a critical role in shaping the future of healthcare technology by promoting interoperability, privacy, and data integrity, with a focus on advancing standards like IEEE UL 2933 for medical devices and OWASP Large Language Models Top 10 for Gen AI in healthcare.