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      Genentech

      Part of Roche

      Engaged Employer

      Genentech reviews

      3.9

      73% would recommend to a friend

      (3,708 total reviews)
      avatar

      Ashley Magargee

      81% approve of CEO

      55% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.2

      Compensation and benefits

      4.1

      Diversity & inclusion

      3.9

      Culture & values

      3.9

      Work/Life balance

      3.5

      Career opportunities

      3.2

      Senior management

      Genentech has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 3,708 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Genentech employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      4K reviews
      2.0
      Jan 28, 2017

      Not what it used to be. Beward of Device Development

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Genentech had a reputation for being leaders in the field. People there work hard and play hard. It really depends on the group you work in whether this is true. Like begets like, and it starts from the top. Some groups are tight knit, communicate well, and play nice with each other and those who interact with them. There are more little perks than anyone will ever know of. Free admission to some museums. A concierge service to help with errands. The list goes on.

      Cons

      Device Development management is constantly traveling and oblivious to what is going on in projects and with the people they manage. Most are petty and looking to only advance their own careers. They do not take their duties as managers seriously. Make one wrong move and they will make you regret it. This trickles down to co-workers who are also just out to advance themselves. It's very telling that most people (especially management) don't even say hi to each other in the hallways. There is constant swirl in Device Development. Decisions can't be made or get rescinded easily. It's a never ending "alignment" between US and Swiss counterparts which ends up just being a power struggle. I've never seen people work so hard and yet accomplish so little. There are so many meetings, people have to work 50+ hrs a week to get their busywork done. These may sound like generic criticisms, but Genentech wasn't always like this, and some groups still aren't as bad. Device Development has rightfully earned a bad reputation for accomplishing little and not playing nice within the company.

      avatar
      Genentech Response
      9y
      Thank you for taking the time to leave this review. We’re sorry you had a bad experience working within the Device area. As a company we are always striving to improve the experience for our employees. We want to provide a space where everyone feels their work is valuable and their managers are transparent, supportive and not taking advantage. While you may have had a different experience, we do value the career growth and productivity of all Genentech employees. We appreciate your candor and honesty about your experience and are taking you feedback very seriously. Thank you again for your thoughts and sharing your feedback.
      3.0
      Sep 25, 2015

      Research Associate

      Research associate
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Resources Patient driven Past History of success Past history of visionary leaders

      Cons

      Management-Especially mid level management that is incompent and untouchable due to race or seniority. Politics-it's a dog eat dog environment. Everyone is stepping on each others toes to get somewhere. It can be a very selfish environment to work in. Recognition-recognition goes to those that play the political game the best and the people doing the hard work are left in a careerless positions with minimal advancement opportunities. Career opportunities- very little room to switch groups or make lateral moves. The position you start in is the one you'll continue to have unless you leave and gain the experience at a different company then try to come back.

      4.0
      Aug 13, 2014

      Still have work to do to be "great" place to work.

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Company truly does stick to values in terms of following science and doing what is right for the patient. Great benefits and stable organization (excellent pipeline). Work with great people. Great resources to get the job done.

      Cons

      Very difficult to get promoted from within. Can get exceeds expectations multiple years in a row, but still not be perfect enough. There is quite a bit of politics at play in deciding on promotions. If you are not in with the right leaders, criteria changes and you don't get promoted. Easier for people to come in at those higher levels externally. They also come in with higher compensation. People who have been with company for many years tend to fall behind in salaries. Becoming overwhelmed with process. It seems every week, there is a new process or SOP to adhere to that really doesn't affect quality of work.

      Viewing 55 - 57 of 3,708 Reviews
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