I never thought I would ever write a Glassdoor review, but after my experience at Illumina, I feel a responsibility to warn others before they join.
This is, without question, the most disappointing company I have ever worked for in my career. What makes it worse is the irony of a company that claims to “improve human lives” while showing so little respect, empathy, or humanity toward its own employees.
Extremely political and toxic culture with very low psychological safety. Fear based leadership behaviors appeared normalized, and employees often felt treated as expendable rather than valued. Mistakes were not viewed as learning opportunities, creating an environment where people focused more on self preservation than collaboration or innovation.
In my experience, some senior individuals prioritized personal interests, exerted authority in unhealthy ways, and did not always demonstrate responsible stewardship of organizational resources. The disconnect between the company’s external mission and the internal employee experience was deeply disheartening.
What disturbed me most was that many of these behaviors did not feel isolated. The tone appeared to start from the top and was tolerated, enabled, or reinforced through leadership structures and HR practices. Employees often felt like numbers rather than human beings.
I joined with genuine excitement, believing in the mission and hoping to contribute meaningfully. Instead, I left feeling deeply disillusioned and honestly embarrassed that I ever joined the company.
People deserve to know that the external branding and internal employee experience can be two very different realities.
