Working life at Genentech has proved to be one of my worst career disappointments. Upon my entry into the company, I had anticipated an innovative and people-oriented environment with a strong focus on science. However, the truth could not be farther from what I had imagined.
Senior leadership in this place is surprisingly out of touch with what's really going on on the ground. There's an ongoing reluctance to listen or even take seriously employees' input, with it being apparent that they really don't care about the issues or welfare of the staff. Regardless of repeated efforts on the part of teams to speak out against problems, management will ignore input to the point of inexorable status quo.
Morale has hit an all-time low because it's like screaming into the void. Management decisions are becoming more and more misguided and taking the company down paths that overlook and undermine our key strengths. This failure to lead and to address constructively the criticisms from within is causing damage to our innovation and to retaining employees.
It is heartbreaking to see an institution with this much potential and legacy derailed by inefficient, risk-averse leadership. When you want to work in an environment in which your contributions are valued and management does listen, Genentech is no longer such an institution
