BASF reviews

3.8

71% would recommend to a friend

(2,751 total reviews)
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Michael Heinz

77% approve of CEO

37% positive business outlook

BASF has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 2,751 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The BASF employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Manufacturing industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
2.0
Nov 4, 2018

Intern

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

great enviroment, good balance between school and work

Cons

hard to get promoted, too much politics

2.0
Nov 3, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

All the pros are for BASF, and not their San Diego location. - BASF has a positive name recognition in the Chemical industry (none in biotech though), which may help in future moves. - Benefits (NOT salary): Top notch for the chemical industry, and pretty competitive in biotech - Large company provides opportunity to move to different functions if you are willing to relocate. - If you are a chemist, BASF is a good start after school. - Location: If all you care about is where you live, and not what you do, San Diego beats everywhere else.

Cons

Most are specific to the San Diego location. - BASF Enzymes is a subsidiary of BASF. It's still the same old, poorly run startup (Verenium-acquired by BASF) that it once was. - Low pay: San Diego salaries are significantly below biotech industry standards. - No professional development: This is where innovation goes to die. New ideas are shut down unless they come from the very top. Bench level scientists are expected to be a pair of hands, no brain needed. You will be micromanaged to death. Any deviation from the department director's will (no matter how reasonable) is punished. - The desirable location in San Diego means there's always a long line of over-qualified people out the door, willing to work for pennies. Therefore, you see people with grad degrees becoming dishwashers or replacing robotic arms. It's a revolving door for new hires, while Verenium lifers stick around as they have nowhere else to go. - As big a name as they are in chemicals, BASF is a nobody in the enzymes business. The big goal is to garner 3% market share, and being a comodities company, they need to get there cheap: No need for innovation, just try to copy someone else and sell it cheaper. - Massive size: It's like working for the government. Things move at the pace of continents and nothing gets done in human years.

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BASF Response
7y
We appreciate your candid feedback and hate to hear that you experienced such an unfavorable situation at our San Diego site. At BASF we are dedicated to empowering and developing our workforce while compensating in line with market levels. Therefore we would like to understand more about your experience with BASF and invite you to get in touch with us to have a meaningful discussion on how to improve the situation. Please contact the site management or the HR representative to initiate the dialog.
4.0
Nov 3, 2018

Dual studies programme in Ludwigshafen

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Good payment - Good social benefits - Multi-national teams - Offers many opportunities -Work-Live Balance is fine

Cons

- Slow decision-making processes - Corporate culture - Integration into team differs vastly

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