I worked for Varian Medical Systems for over 15 years. There is a HUGE culture split between the Brick and Mortar jobs and the field jobs. When I visited the office (many times), besides the usual politics and begrudging of this or that everyone seemed generally happy and content. Their work/life balance was pretty good and they seemed to be a fairly cohesive team. In the field, especially in the last 5-8 years, you feel like you are just a number. The company has ZERO, respect for you, your life, your family, what kind of manpower is truly needed to provide world class support of your products, etc. If you ask anyone in field service if they work under 50 hours a week I think they would laugh at you. I averaged 65 during a 5 year period leading up to my resignation. That is a tough row to hoe when you have a family. Sadly that is the norm, not the exception. They are basically trying to do more with less as every company is doing these days. I have also noticed a shift in the "value of knowledge" within the company as well. Upper management seems to put little to no "value" into your experience with the company or otherwise. If they can hire someone off the street for cheaper, then to them, that is a better deal. They seem to forget that a person highly efficient and proficient at his or her job can actually save the company money. Lastly, the company seems to put the bottom line before customer satisfaction and certainly before employee satisfaction. I would suggest talking candidly to a few employees before accepting a job here.
