Novartis reviews

4.0

80% would recommend to a friend

(9,056 total reviews)
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Vas Narasimhan

86% approve of CEO

69% positive business outlook

Novartis has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 9,056 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Novartis employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

9K reviews
1.0
Aug 9, 2011

Shame on Novartis!

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

In the shrinking pharmaceutical sales industry, Novartis still manages to offer compensation and benefits that are competitive, if not slightly better, than other major pharma companies.

Cons

I can't speak for divisions outside of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, but my hope is that they aren't as dysfunctional. -Extremely "political" environment, where rewards, recognition, advancement, etc. don't occur unless you kiss a ton of a*$, including the District Manager's and Regional Director's. -A management and director level (non)talent pool that is less qualified to give guidance and direction than the reps. that they are trying to lead. -Total disconnect between management beyond the Regional Director level and the people bringing the money into the company - THE SALES FORCE! Corporate should try asking us for our honest opinions about things instead of buying the "everythings is great" answer from DMs and RDs all the time. -The continuous launch of products into a marketplace with no demand for them and the pressure to perform with mediocre drugs in your bag that have little clinical data to support their use. Although I could go on, I think you get the picture!

3.0
Aug 1, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Novartis knows the pharma business (but pharma can't be just a business)

Cons

products driven and less disease oriented; mktg is still the driver

3.0
Jul 15, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Novartis is a great gig, but not unlike what is going on in Pharma industry in general, just CYA, watch your back, and don't be afraid to tell them what they want to hear/give what they want to get. That is just the culture if you want to survive. You have to make your own work life balance plan, dont rely on the company to look out for you there, either. The benefits are decent, but pensions were diminishing, and it was getting more and more challenging to utilize a lot of the professional growth and development resources that were once in abundance. Just the facts, take it for what you want.

Cons

read the reviews and enter the org/role/industry with your eyes wide open. Departing the company/industry will most inevitably be in the form of a RIF or layoff, just know and be prepared. Severance is usually the same package for new hires as it is for those up to 10 yrs on the job...of course, beware the PIPs and manage out strategies.

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