Amgen – “Good company but poor management at Fremont site”

Pros

-Excellent benefits (15 vacation days plus one week off for July 4th and one week off for Christmas)
-Stable company
-Good work/life balance
-Competetive salary (there is a wide range for each grade level)
-Products helps people
-Strong science and technology

Cons

The following are specific to the Fremont site and do not apply to other Amgen sites:
-Lack of empowerment for people below director level
-Decisions from senior management take too long to make
-Management skills of middle management is very poor (too much of a formality, i.e. just someone to sign your timecard)
-Lack of mentors to support career development of junior staff
-Uncertainty of activity at site (no new products or projects coming to the site)

Advice to Senior Management

A reorg of the site may be useful. People that are non-essential and do not contribute any value should be let go. Focus more on rewarding high performers and developing people with potential. Allow staff to be more empowered and make decisions without having to run everything by senior management.