Merck Reviews

Pros

Work life balance is a plus when it comes to raising a family. Being able to attend school events once and a while during the day, or working from home on occasion is a big plus.

Cons

Merck is currently re-inventing itself and is seeking those opportunities for growth. While change is critical to growth, it can be taxing on the culture as employees try to hang on to old ways of thinking and doing things.

Advice to Senior Management

Model the behavior you would like to change. Lead the way by example and spend the time to engage your employees to understand what obstacles you can remove to move them forward in their projects and their careers. If things matter to someone, they will remember to get them done.

Pros

Great money, benefits, and professional sales reps.

Cons

Too many reps caused downsizing.

Pros

Educational assistance very good, multiple flexible work arrangements, work from home opportunities available for some positions. The benefits are better than some other companies.

Cons

No upward mobility. Total lack of respect and value on the employees post merger if you are Legacy Merck employee. Outsourcing is increasing including transitioning Merck employees into vendor employees in the Merck offices, but managment continues to all be Merck employees. Lack of respect to those employees 'rebadged' not being told who they will be working for.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide support and respect to the employees and put value on both Legacy company employees and not just on the Legacy Schering employees. Things went quickly downhill this year.

Pros

You can get experince in the scintific world which includes business as well. To know how to make business in the real world.

Cons

Even if you are doing a great work you canget no promotion and bonuses. Salery in is wery low compare to other companies.

Pros

As a prodigy, treated well. Don't fall off the wagon though or you will be dropped.

Cons

Headcount reductions are driving significant stress

Advice to Senior Management

Right ideas, blind implimentation

Pros

Good pay and benefits. Provides a feeling of accomplishment through compensation plans. Reasonable work and life balance. Some opportunities for career advancement, but far less options than in the past.

Cons

There is constant change which occurs within Merck and the entire pharmaceutical sector. It is longer a place where most employees will remain during their entire career. Downsizing on an annual basis has become the norm.

Advice to Senior Management

Far too much disruption with customer relationships due to constant reorganization in sales force structure, which leads to missed opportunities for improved market share.

Pros

Merck is very flexible for high performing employees. I enjoy working with and learning from high caliber people. My total compensation is very fair for my level of responsibility and contribution.

Cons

It is so big, that you can feel lost in the landscape. Because of the size, there are low performing individuals who seem to skate through undetected. There are also a number of people who have not worked anywhere else and they seem to struggle to adapt in ways that could re-vitalize the work place.

Advice to Senior Management

Reward high adapters and root out the stagnant.

Pros

Thoughtful approach to strategic efforts; struggles and often finds an acceptable balance between difficult economic re-sizing and employee cultivation; deeply committed to it vision of delivering high-quality novel medicines to patients around the world; compensation and benefits are very fair.

Cons

Can move very slowly, either because of a post-VIOXX arrested development promoted by an over-reliance on lawyers to participate in decision making; can be too afraid of being viewed negatively, and so not take action.

Advice to Senior Management

Be much more willing to take risks, recognizing that some times a string failures is a road map to finding success. Reign in the influence of an overly-cautious legal department's reach into all areas of decision making in the company.

Pros

Good compensation
Excellent group of co-workers

Cons

Lack of direction leading to confusion in job function

Advice to Senior Management

Maintain more consistancies of principles in an ever changing market

Pros

Very caring supervisor and manager, lots of creativity, dynamic work place, and people were fun to be around. Open communications and lots of constructive feedback on my work.

Cons

Location was difficult to get to; by public transportation it was 90 minutes from Philadelphia. If you want to live in the city, this will be difficult. However, the suburbs around the site itself are nice and quiet.