Biogen Idec Reviews

Pros

Great work life balance
Great people especially those that have been in the company for a bit of time. Not so sure about the new ones especially the new top management.
Has been a very transparent organization (this is changing under new management)
Fabulous benefits

Cons

Has transformed into a highly bureaucratic organization. New management at the top is encouraging this and is rapidly turning the company into a highly silo'ed and bureaucratic organization where titles and political astuteness are more important and better recognized than intellectual contributions. Company is becoming more of a political warfare zone rather than a place to work. Something needs to be done now.
New linear organizational structure limits potential for career growth. People in critical/responsible roles have limited to no experience in the job. Others who do the work thus suffer.
No leadership from middle management. They are just stuck up on titles.
Consider your options carefully before accepting an offer from the Regulatory Affairs CMC group. Reg CMC management lack fundamental technical knowledge and thus even simple decision making takes for ever and many departmental policies/decisions seem to lack clear rationale.
Company relying heavily on prior management decisions that are only now beginning to finally bring results. No evidence of leadership from new management who seem not very focussed on securing the future but for short term decisions to boost stock price.
The value addition to the organization in firing hundreds of employees, cutting core therapeutic areas and new culture of "NEXT" remain questionable. Narrow pipeline or products are disease focussed rather than therapeutic area focussed.

Advice to Senior Management

Empower employees to make decisions based on their capabilities and knowledge but not based on their title.
Focus more on developing our internal R&D organization and promote research.
Bring in more therapeutic areas and build internal expertise. Current "disease focussed" approach is fast becoming a very competitive and crowded space.

Pros

- Compensation and benefits
- Variety of things to do in your job
- Dedication to excellence to patients and coworkers

Cons

- Extremely, extremely busy days
- Too much reliance on others in accomplishing tasks (although individual contributors can do a lot of good work on their own as well)

Pros

Very limited - good compensation with zero confidence in future plans

Cons

Too many To list here - know what you're getting into

Advice to Senior Management

Sack everyone at the VP and senior / director level that doesn't know how to make a decision or just can't - clear out the deadwood before the forest fire consumes the companies future

Pros

Great people, interesting work, can make a meaningful contribution to society through the work

Cons

Can be "cliqueish" and soemtimes executive leadership is not transparent enough and does not communicate clearly and regularly

Advice to Senior Management

More transparency would have been nice--especially re: layoffs (i.e. Spy Glass), though I was not personally affected, I know many who were and were blindsided.

Pros

I have a lot opportunity to grow in this company...

Cons

The company is expanding, may lack of focus on individual at this point.

Pros

competitive, excellent work culture, good opportunities for career growth and a nice blend of work and fun. overall a good place to work

Cons

not much of the downsides i think of as far as working in my department. but may be more competitive salary.

Advice to Senior Management

to be more competitive compared to other biotech companies in offering salaries and benefits, take quick decisions related to projects and pipelines

Pros

work load is reasonable, work environment is good.
Most people are nice and friendly, Benefit is good.

Cons

Management is bad, and service people are slow, not efficient, not very capable

Pros

Making a difference in the lives of MS patients. Great co-workers - intelligent, well-educated and talented. Good compensation and benefits. Fun company events (much better in the past). Great facilities in San Diego before they closed the site - campus included a nice cafetaria and a gym. Great company to work for with personable and caring upper-management before the mid-2010 management change. All in all, still better than most companies in regards to employment.

Cons

Jury still out on new C-level management which seems to care less about MS patients and employees and more about the bottom line. Perhaps good for shareholders - not so for employees. Carl Icahn's interest in the company makes it a precarious situation for employees and morale has declined considerably. Hopefully this will turn around.

Advice to Senior Management

Striking a good balance between the bottom line and the welfare of employees is not easy. However, the customers (and thereby the bottom line) are best served if employees are happy and proud to be part of Biogen Idec. Currently, employees are demoralized and uncertain about the future despite all the cheerleading and positive spin sent out by upper management. These are highly-educated and intelligent employees who are not easily fooled. George Scangos should keep them in mind instead of fulfilling Carl Icahn's agenda.

Pros

Various departments to learn and interact

Cons

High expectation of each employee
Review isn't favorable to new hires

Pros

great benefits package, work life balance is promoted, set you up for success

Cons

preceptorship opportunities are off limits to patient services.

Advice to Senior Management

offer more preceptorship opportunities