Could be a great company....but falls way short! - Scientist II Novartis Employee Review

2.0
Dec 27, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1) Overall a safe company to work in difficult times 2) Has distributed bonuses for 5 years now in a row 3) Company does a good job of organizing meet and greets, social events, etc

Cons

1) For a company of its size, support in every area is lacking severely. IT, lab, instrument upkeep are all very poor. 2) Has way too many meetings that resolve nothing 3) Associates are treated as commodity and are made to feel it. You are really just another 'pair of hands' 4) Not rewarded by patent nominations. If you are not a Ph.D. do not even think of making a patent even if you came up with the idea on your own. 5) Very European class structure, nobility (being Ph.Ds and above) and peasants ( anyone under) 6) No one takes responsibility for anything. Waited for 4 years after this site opened before compound purity standards were issued. 7) No fixed practices for anything. Nearly every week there is a change in policy regarding safety criteria, notebook submissions, etc

Explore other reviews about Novartis

5.0
May 24, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company and benefits for an employee

Cons

I didn't see any con yet

2.0
May 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pays pretty well in comparison to similar jobs in the market

Cons

Unstable schedule where you are often asked to come in overnight (1-2 am) regardless of if you have worked the previous day or are off. Basically feels like you're permanently on-call to conduct environmental monitoring. Training is slow. The Micro dept in general is currently understaffed. The job also involves lab work once you are done with your daily environmental monitoring tasks. The work never ceases and the Technicians as a whole has several responsibilities. Promotions seem to come very slowly here.

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