Improvement Needed - Anonymous employee Genentech Employee Review

4.0
Feb 19, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Decent 401k, commuting options, gym facility, and cafeterias. Work life balance is encouraged in departments that I've interacted with. Highly appreciate that safety culture is respected and enforced properly.

Cons

Favoritism is insanely blatant in the small molecule organization. External resources/designated time to work on publications are only given to those considered as favorites. People who are not favorites ALWAYS leave after a promotion if they are lucky enough to receive one. Trickle down effect applies to this issue as well. If your manager is not a favorite, expect to leave if you want true career progression/acceleration. Pay for the SR level is not competitive at all with other professions in the Bay Area thereby forcing those within the career track to live in East Bay if they want to own a home/raise a family. Leadership repeatedly says they are addressing the challenge but have offered no real propositions/progress on the problem in the last 2 years. Experience is valued over everything else yet the company is not investing nearly enough in retaining employees. Employees pick up on this disconnect fast and the organization has been bleeding talent through attrition for quite some time now.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great culture and work environment.

Cons

PhD is necessary oftentimes for advancement.

3.0
May 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Genentech's origin story and mission are genuinely inspiring — few companies can point to such a meaningful historical arc in medicine. Patient engagement is taken seriously and feels authentic, not performative. The campus is beautiful and the culture has real warmth.

Cons

DDA is operating with significant gaps. First, the foundational data infrastructure is not mature enough to support the ambitions being set for the team. Second, the measurement culture has gotten ahead of the methodology, and no one in a position of authority seems to be asking hard questions about whether the numbers actually mean what they're being presented as meaning. Third, some management feel disconnected from the work itself, lacking the knowledge, hands-on experience, or relevant credentials. Individually any one of these would be manageable. Together these create an environment where it's hard to do rigorous work, rather work is performative, and be recognized for it.

3
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