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      Genentech

      Part of Roche

      Engaged Employer

      Genentech reviews

      3.9

      74% would recommend to a friend

      (3,717 total reviews)
      avatar

      Ashley Magargee

      83% approve of CEO

      55% positive business outlook

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Genentech has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 3,717 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Genentech 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

      4K reviews
      2.0
      Feb 17, 2010

      All that Glitters isn't Gold!

      Senior business administration
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Genentech offers a great transportation system and commuter reimbursement program..that was a huge selling point for me being that I have a long commute to get here. Salary is ok but I made just as much money when I was in Downtown San Francisco. If celebrations with lots of free food, t-shirts and hats motivate you, then this is the place for you.

      Cons

      Middle management leaves a lot to be desired. The entire day here is meetings, meetings, and more meetings but it takes a long time for decisions to be made. And once the decisions are made, it takes even longer for them to be communicated. I think this is a good company if you are a scientist because you are expected to "be all you can be" but if you are not, you are not held in a very high regard. And to be promoted, you have to be willing to hob-nob and go to all of the social functions. In general, I think all of the "perks" here have made people a little high maintenance and spoiled...and that has been really disappointing to me. I have been in the biotech industry for a while and before I came here, getting a job at Genentech was like beeing beamed up to the mother ship...it was held in a VERY high regard. I must confess that I got caught up in the glamour of it all but when it comes down to it, I know that this was not the right career move for me.

      5.0
      Feb 16, 2010

      Great place to work

      Project manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      rewarding work, personal connection to the company mission to improve the lives of patients fun factor - company parties are great, eg. GIn Blossoms playing at the holiday party; t-shirts for major milestones

      Cons

      Project Managers aren't highly respected by upper management. There's a sense of distrust or incompetence that trickles down from the top; ironically, we can't do our best because our hands are so tied following processes and guidelines that remove any "art" or judgment that would utilize our valuable experience and knowledge. Focus on development is strictly "soft skills"; some of which is great. But for technical folks that have put in many years at one company, it's critical to hone technical skills too. You can't keep up with technology trends when you're working with the same folks and same systems for 5+ years. You must have exposure to new things from external sources. Technical training is NOT readily available.

      2.0
      Jan 24, 2010

      Good place to work as an employee, but not as a contract employee

      Human resources consultant
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Purpose-driven business. Strong feeling of employees that they are doing something meaningful - developing and selling drugs that cure cancer. People can be nice, depending on the group. Some areas are very haughty and superior.

      Cons

      Contract employees are treated, for the most part, as second class citizens. The company expects them to behave like employees - e.g., be on site 40+ hours per week, and be a W-2 workers - but the treatment of them is inconsistent with permanent employees. Contractors are frequently referred to simply as "red badges" (employees have blue badges.) "Red Badge" is a term referring to their non-employee status within the organization as contingent workers. When hired, contract employees are often told that they can be converted to permanent employee status after 6 months, but it rarely happens. It does only if you can find an open position - people don't get "converted." Beware of the agencies, too. Some are very good, but many effectively drop you as soon as you are onboarded, and simply collect a check for their percentage of your earnings.

      Viewing 3586 - 3588 of 3,717 Reviews
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      ReviewsGenentech reviews

      Glassdoor has 5,071 Genentech reviews submitted anonymously by Genentech employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Genentech is right for you.