Argonne National Laboratory Reviews

Pros

High quality of research, supervisor oversees the research direction based on the rich information can be acquired here and sustainable scientific background. Relax life style. Very friendly people. Good benefit. Very good place to get career growth because of its reputation and excellent work can be done here. High management efficiency if you have the right document they need.

Cons

Funding hunting has been tough. Lay back working style can drag the progress and be hurtful for young scientist. Some time hard to get things done due to bureaucracy. Collaboration can be very easy or very hard, depending on the person. Unnecessary safety babysitting management (not the precautions and training) kill the work efficiency.

Advice to Senior Management

Talk to the scientists more and let the word out freely. So many smart people here can do so much better science if the right ambiance is given.

Pros

1. Higher compensation than academic institutions
2. Appropriate research budget
3. Work hour flexibility
4. Good dynamics within research groups, at least mine.

Cons

1. Lack of technical expertise in applied science areas
2. No 401(k) benefit for postdoctoral appointees
3. Extremely slim chance for promotion to a permanent position
4. Very irregular hiring practices

Advice to Senior Management

1. Add 401(k) to compensation
2. Set metrics for getting hired into permanent positions
3. Add applied science experts into workforce

Pros

University-like atmosphere with an amazing breadth of work
Cutting-edge research in many fields

Cons

Those on the scientific track are treated well, others are tolerated.
Information is hoarded and shared only when it can be used to an advantage.
Senior management operates as a "good old boys" network and hires/promotes cronies.
Constant threat of layoffs due to funding reduction or management whims.
Human resources is ineffective in preventing employee abuse.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire and promote based on merit rather than long-standing relationships.
Hire or train professional managers rather than turning good scientists into awful managers.

Pros

Argonne offers the opportunity to investigate interesting problems and develop original ideas. The technical staff are creative, insightful, and encouraging. I learned a tremendous amount from the people that I worked with and there were many opportunities to learn and grow. There was constant discussion and collaboration. Some of my colleagues became good friends that I have kept in touch with over the last two years. It is a truly amazing place.

Cons

All government jobs that I have had come with a certain amount of baffling bureaucracy. Argonne has a certain amount of this although I had little contact with it. The most negative thing that I observed was people being removed from projects that were going well because they had become unpopular and funding was pulled. This can happen anywhere and the administration (and administrative staff) that I interacted with did their best to minimize this problem.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue protecting the creative independence of your staff. It is what makes Argonne such a wonderful place to work and draws people in from around the world.

Pros

Excellent (most of them at least) co-workers and benefits. Really is a nice place to work depending on which division you're in.

Cons

Mangement in OCF care nothing of the employees, they only care about themselves. They treat their employees terribly. I also have knowledge about the Legal Department - those employees are treated terribly as well.

Advice to Senior Management

To discontinue catering to the "favorites". OCF plays favorites and treats those favorites differently and it's not fair to the other employees. I happen to be one of the favorites of one group and was able to see the mis-treatment of other employees due to the favoratism that's played out. OCF really needs to stop thinking of themselves....they need to think of how to make the employees happy to keep them there and working efficiently.

Pros

* Access to cutting edge technologies
* Flexible schedule
* Good benefits
* Great atmosphere inside research groups. Usually people are excited about the work they are doing.
* Most of my coworkers are very professional and are very good in fields they work at
* Beautiful campus

Cons

* Low job security. The funding situation in many cases in unpredictable. Once the project you are working on is out of funds, you are out of work in many cases.
* Our division is usually very reluctant to promote scientists to permanent positions. A large percentage have either postdoc or 1-year contract positions.
* Lack of communication between decisions or even different groups with in a division. Usually project managers care about sponsors and do not care to look around and see what their colleges are doing. Very inefficient approach on macro level for the lab overall.

Advice to Senior Management

Do not hesitate to promote people to permanent positions. Improve communication between research groups. Create a contingency fund (as most of the consulting companies do) so that people do not have to leave lab once their project is over and have more chances to attract additional funding to the lab.

Pros

Lots of latitude in how you shape your career; good benefits. Flexible.

Cons

My division seems to be reluctant to promote people; salaries are less than other federal agencies and private sector. You work intensely when there is work and when the work dries up you're on your own (and may not make a full paycheck).

Advice to Senior Management

Be more engaged with your people and better utilize the talent pool that you have.

Pros

Benefit package good- vacation time- excellent.

Cons

Changes in managment- extreme politics from the Department level throughout the site.

Advice to Senior Management

Beaware of what is not working- walk and talk with the staff the manage the programs along with those in the workplace.

Pros

Pay, Benefits, Location, Work Flexibility

Cons

Being a government lab periodic uncertainty in budgets that have now become the norm

Pros

Independence, not profit driven, open science work, liberty and encouragement to publish work in international journals and conferences, encouragement to attend conferences

Cons

The compensation is pretty low