WebMD Health – “A ship that I would never sail on again. Talent overboard!”

Pros

WebMD offers a fast paced environment where you can cut your teeth early. The products appear to be unique for the industry and the company has an excellent niche in the online industry as it holds the title of leading online health information web site. It is a company that prides itself in its information and it's popularity with pharma companies and consumer marketing firms. I found many of the people I worked with to be friendly and overall easy going. The work environment is also very relaxed. Everyone gets their own personal laptop as well, which is a nice benefit.

Cons

WebMD carries some major flaws. The internal training is very on the fly and fragmented. If they offer you a "hybrid role" do not take it. Managers have a hard time communicating with one another and ensuring that their staff is on the same page as they are. Another major flaw is that the company bleeds talent. Turnover is very high and information is lost as new employees come in and old employees (1-2 years) leave the company. This has left several managers in charge of knowing vital information. If any of these managers were to leave, the information/practices/product knowledge would go with them. It's a frightening thought! The company is also currently suing two workers who left the company and moved to a competitor. This shows just how far they will go to try and keep talent from running away. Lastly, the HR is terrible. One VP was quoted saying that WebMD's HR is pretty much a few people in a back closet. You have been warned.

Advice to Senior Management

Work on a better training program and develop the skills and abilities of the talent you hire. Work on spreading out information and knowledge. Ensure that managers have the proper people skills to work with their employees.