Alcon reviews

3.7

67% would recommend to a friend

(2,530 total reviews)
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David J Endicott

77% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Alcon has an employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, based on 2,530 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Alcon employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

3K reviews
2.0
Jun 17, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The total compensation package is still pretty good if you are a legacy Alcon employee (prior to being acquired by Novartis). New employees do not get the same benefit levels but it seems middle of the road competitive.

Cons

In the aftermath of the acquisition by Novartis, there has been layoff after layoff of the most experienced employees. Of course this is done in order to cut costs to boost quarterly earnings so that stock prices remain as high as possible. While that strategy is aimed at keeping investors happy and executive bonuses high, it ultimately costs the company valuable knowledge and expertise that they simply cannot replace with the low cost employees that are hired after each of these layoffs. Needless to say, the moral of the remaining employees is poor due to the atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and having to do much more work with both fewer people and less experience. The Pharma division has already been absorbed by Novartis (the parts they wanted to keep anyway). It looks like Alcon will be divided and sold off piecemeal. I would guess that the device side of the company is being positioned for sale to another company and the OTC products such as lens care are on the block too. If that happens, there is not much need for the Fort Worth campus anymore.

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Alcon Response
9y
We appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear of your negative experience. As Alcon has been around for over 70 years and we have recently gone through some changes, we strive to be the best, to value our employees and continue to be the leader in eye care. We are optimistic for the future and are grateful for the feedback we've been getting.
3.0
Jun 26, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If you are looking for a company that is slow to change this one is for you. Lots of dead wood to clear out (long time employees who need to be relieved of their duties) and managers who don't post jobs with HR before "hiring" for new positions.

Cons

Sales executives drive selection of research sites and some research sites are too cozy with Alcon Sales and Marketing executives.

2.0
Jan 9, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Easy to believe in the products and thus feel good about the work/contribution. Decent bonus and benefits package. Starbucks and health clinic onsite.

Cons

Rife with complacency. Good people quickly leave, as they must make up for the incompetents around them by taking on heavier workloads.

Viewing 25 - 27 of 2,530 Reviews

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