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      Helix

      Is this your company?

      Helix reviews

      3.8

      68% would recommend to a friend

      (118 total reviews)
      avatar

      James Lu

      86% approve of CEO

      65% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.1

      Compensation and benefits

      4.0

      Work/Life balance

      3.9

      Diversity & inclusion

      3.8

      Culture & values

      3.5

      Senior management

      3.5

      Career opportunities

      Helix has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 118 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Helix 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

      118 reviews
      2.0
      Oct 10, 2017

      opportunity cost is tremendous, let's save the company

      Software engineer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      It used to be a great company. Mission, passion, excitement, purpose. Two founders, friends from college united in the common mission to bring genetics directly to the consumer. Scientist and business men, funded well. And then we get CTO, and then we get CEO. It is now two companies - leadership team + others. And the disconnect only keeps growing. Emasculated people are at the mid-management level and lower. They cannot make any independent decisions; all the decisions are made by the “leadership team”. In addition, additional decisions are made by founders+CEO team. This is ridiculous, we are not 2K people company, we are 185 people company.

      Cons

      The company is afraid to acknowledge what is happening. Some people get fired, more people leave. There is always a no-explanation explanation for that, full of corporate speak. People know better! Stock misrepresentation is pretty bad. Please acknowledge this at least. There is nothing you can do in retrospect, but please be open and transparent with your employees.

      5.0
      Apr 8, 2017

      Best Company Culture with World Class Talent

      Analyst
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      I have worked at many companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco and this is by far the only one that actually follows through on what they say. Transparency is huge at the company and it is followed from the exec level down. Many departments offer open office hours where you can learn from experts in their field. While you are surrounded by many scientists and doctors at the company, they never have smug attitudes like some university professors. At Helix the employees including scientists and executives, are excited to share their passions and questioning is highly encouraged. Here is a list of company perks that I found unique at Helix: 'Positive, mission driven, able to admit mistakes and learn' style company culture Catered lunch every day and dinner if you stay past 6pm Free on-site gym with bootcamp classes Employer subsided shuttle service from the San Francisco & East Bay Weekly Science, Data, Information Technology, & Executive Office Hours Helix University & Weekly All-Hands where company shout-out and questions are encouraged

      Cons

      Since the company is less then 5 years old many of the company processes are not clearly defined. While some people would prefer to work for a large established company where you are told this is the process, and we have done it this way for years. However, if you enjoy thinking critically, questioning why things are how they are, wanting to improve processes, and having a direct impact on a business... Helix is for you.

      1.0
      Mar 31, 2017

      Engineer

      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Well-funded company with a seemingly worthwhile mission

      Cons

      Culture of the workplace is too campy and lacking in substance. Dissent is often discouraged. Not enough progress is being made to hit important milestones.

      avatar
      Helix Response
      9y
      Thanks for your feedback. At Helix, we appreciate different opinions. We question each other. We question our own ideas. We thrive on continually setting the bar higher and we obsess about “getting it right.” We pride ourselves on this, and if you feel like you can’t do this, or your disagreement is discouraged, we need to fix it. We learn from every interaction and encourage you to talk to your manager, teammates, or come and talk to me, Jade or Robin (CEO) directly if you feel you aren’t being heard. We are unique. We are building a company that is mission-driven, and our team and customers invest at an emotional level. Working at Helix is an opportunity to create something customers will love that’s rooted in shared values. It is so rare that sometimes people are in disbelief and might think it is inauthentic or “campy.” We find meaning in making a difference in people’s lives and empowering every person through DNA. We come to work every day with the belief that DNA holds the power to help all of humanity lead better lives. We’re on a mission to do just that. We hope you will commit to joining us on that journey. --Jim Chou, VP Engineering @Helix
      Viewing 7 - 9 of 118 Reviews
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      ReviewsHelix reviews

      Glassdoor has 153 Helix reviews submitted anonymously by Helix employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Helix is right for you.