Positive experiences outweighed by nepotism, bureaucracy, inconsistent management. - Senior Research Scientist Eli Lilly and Company Employee Review

2.0
Nov 14, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are great. You get 2 weeks free vacation from the summer and winter shutdowns and plenty of vacation time. Pay is generous even if it below industry average If you're in the right group, you can do interesting impactful work. Generally, your coworkers will be kind and supportive. Management does seem to care about people's well-being.

Cons

Your career will live and die by who your manager is and what projects you are assigned to. You'll notice the same handful of people get moved up the corporate ladder while everyone else stagnates. These are rarely the most talented workers, just the people who are good at spinning their BS. If you work on something outside one of the money-maker drugs, be prepared to hate your life. Your coworkers will be incompetent and/or contractors from India. Management won't care about you until your team inevitably make a mistake from being understaffed with no talent. Job duties are dictated by complicated SOPs that don't have enough information. Small number of people become invaluable because they understand how work actually gets done. Don't expect to do actual science here. All the technical experts have left Lilly years ago. You'll join focus groups that sputter until management has enough to spin to their bosses.

Explore other reviews about Eli Lilly and Company

5.0
Jul 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay, benefits, facility and you feel like you’re making a difference

Cons

To be promoted is so convoluted and is about who you kiss up to.

3.0
Jul 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay and benefits are the best in the area, probably the state. Other employees are friendly, and overall it's a very competent workforce.

Cons

Management. Leadership. Work-life balance. You will be constantly buried in a to do list that will never get shorter until you take a different job (by choice or by reorg) at which point you will still do significant amounts of your old job for 2-3 months. Reorgs here are almost always not headcount reductions, but they do involve a significant fraction (50% and up) of employees getting essentially laid off, with some period of time (3-4 months) to find a new job at Lilly. From what I can tell, every department is performing these every 2-2.5 years, some more often. Two in a year is rare, but does occur.

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