Bio-Rad Labs Reviews

Pros

New developing department branch recently acquired by Bio-Rad means there is a learning curve for new comers.
Easy going and friendly but professional, driven and motivated.

Cons

New company also means that there are always things to work on and implement.

Advice to Senior Management

Master 5S structure, safety regulations in the lab and structure training so that new comers aren't flying blind with rules, regulations, and department policies. Training should be implemented for new employees on not only the SOP's in the system but also various policies and procedures that aren't in writing to include methods of testing, timeline, scheduling, communications, etc.

Pros

A great training ground for learning, growing in professional sense of knowledge.

Cons

Watching only Margins sometimes has its draw backs as you may lose performers that you judge today as their work results are yet to materialize.
Sr. Management politics, if you stand up to them today tomorrow or later you will pay for it.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want agents of change then protect them and make sure the stakeholders of the old game don't sabotage them.

Pros

Fair payscale
Rarely has layoffs,trys to avoid layoffs at all costs.
Good employees to work with.

Cons

Very much a bottom line company.
Sometimes pinches pennies too much.
Hard to move up in certain departments, if you are considered too valuable in your department, good luck in moving up the career ladder.

Advice to Senior Management

HR needs to pay more attention to what departing employees are saying and try implement the suggestions for improvement that were told to them.

Pros

It is a safe place to work with consistent revenue stream and low stress. As long as you keep your head down, do your work, don't irritate anyone, you can work there for life

Cons

Not a place for the young and ambitious. If you try to make a name for yourself by doing great work, you'll become a threat and a target. Also, really poor leadership where most of employees don't know where the company is going and often wonder why certain decisions are made. Heavily political culture that brews laziness and fosters cronyism. To summarize, it is basically a retirement home where everyone is part of one happy family

Advice to Senior Management

To Norman, Brad and John, recognize who did all the work and their accomplishments and who messed things up and made mistakes. Reward and punish the ones that are deserving. Promoting the wrong person and burying the talented people is witnessed by everyone and deeply affects the morale of the company

Pros

Beautiful campus, relaxed environment, easy work for amount paid, nice people (as long as you agree with them), keep your head down/opinions to yourself and you will have job security for life

Cons

Decision making in hands of a few and others expected to toe the line, us & them culture based on tenure has created little kingdoms around the company, general lack of accountability, sr management not in touch with day to day issues (they don't travel much due to coach travel policy), decision making very slow or no decision at all levels, lots of dead weight around the company (tenure more valued than competence), inept management particularly internationally, culture is not conducive to quick resolution of FCPA issues

Advice to Senior Management

Appreciate new hires for their fresh ideas rather than force them into the odd & old style culture, reduce dead weight, stop the saying, "well this is Bio-rad" like it's OK to be odd, inefficient and dysfunctional

Pros

stable even when the economy is not, great benefits, enough time off, lots of learning opportunities, creates great products and impressive technology. the schwartz family is very kind and cares about their company and their employees.

Cons

not too much growth opportunity.

Advice to Senior Management

some procedures can be improved by updating to current technologies.

Pros

Bio-Rad has a conservative approach to doing business. It does not open positions indiscriminately in good times, thus minimizing lay-offs in bad. Work-life balance, well-being, safety and employee engagement are actively pursued.

Cons

Oldtimers rule. If you are relatively new and do not get well with a certain clique, you are in trouble.

Advice to Senior Management

Be open to a 360-degree style managerial evaluation.

Pros

A closeknit mostly family owned business that has been called one of the ten best places to work for in the Bay Area, California. Very good benefits like profit sharing, 20% buying company stock, health benefits.

Cons

The company used to "beat to it's own drum" but it looks like it's been sucked into being lean and "mean". I don't know if that's because of investor pressure or just the way companies are doing business in these harsh economic times.

Advice to Senior Management

Bio-Rad has been truthfully one of the ten best places to work in the Bay Area, California but the culture seems to have swung to hard from the family atmosphere that used to be there. It looks like the pressure of becoming a $5 Billion dollar company has caused management to go lean and "mean." There is absolutely nothing wrong with being lean but when some managers opt for the mean part, you sometimes end up with a net negative value. This will make it harder for the company to achieve the $5 billion sales value because a great deal of people with the know how are either leaving by attrision or looking around because of the unpredictability. It's still a great place to work though.

Pros

Good benefits. Challenging environment. Able to work with technologies that are bleeding edge.

Cons

Lack of a flexible work schedule and no telecommute policy.

Advice to Senior Management

Give the workers more flexibility.

Pros

Well paid. good company. not much.

Cons

Inside sales was a terrible department. They hire talented people and then expect them to spend a majority of their time acting like customer service/secretaries. The entire company treats this department poorly, and doesn't seem interested in retaining the talented people they hired in the first place. Most reps are expected to come in at 6 or 7 in the morning. Almost always one position open. Job satisfaction is low.

Advice to Senior Management

Reconsider the direction that this department is headed, is it a sales position or a customer service position? You lose people because they want to sell, and don't want to be treated like they are disposable.