Phenomenex reviews

2.8

38% would recommend to a friend

(207 total reviews)

Kaveh Kahen

42% approve of CEO

31% positive business outlook

Phenomenex has an employee rating of 2.8 out of 5 stars, based on 207 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Phenomenex employee rating is 20% below average for employers within the Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

207 reviews
4.0
Sep 24, 2015

Great People and Culture

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A company where you are not limited to the title on your business card. If you are a hard worker, really care about the customer and making the company successful, then you will find Phenomenex a fantastic place to learn and grow. The culture is also young, energetic, and extremely philanthropic. Many times over my employment have I felt that this place - even with typical shortcomings - is a special place to be part of.

Cons

There are people in positions that they should not be. This is not a unique situation really, but it is one that limits company growth and job satisfaction for some. There is a tendency to not make tough decisions in some of these cases - out of loyalty usually. While admirable in a world where there is little loyalty between company/employee or employees/company, if you want to realize the type of progress Phenomenex pushes, you have to make the decisions to get there.

5.0
Sep 21, 2015

Great company to work for!

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I enjoyed the ambiance in the company – bright walls, interesting paintings and sculptures, ergonomic furniture. Very atypical of a company like Phenomenex. People were friendly and very helpful. There are times for fun and laughter and there are times for serious hard work. The company’s focus is mainly on sales and marketing. If you are in one of these departments, starting basic pay is outrageously low, but if you produce well, bonuses can boost you to unprecedented levels. It takes time and hard work. That is the reason why there is a high turnover in sales. Most new hires (directly out of college) do not have the stamina that former generations had. It is not a “soft” job. “Hard work” seems to be unfamiliar to these new generations, who are used to, “I want it, I want it now” attitude. One cannot be in marketing if he/she is ineffective in sales. Phenomenex has an excellent research department. Look at all the new products that came out in the past years. Though some of them are acquired, they still need the Phenomenex “touch” to keep the product noticed in the market place. I used to work with the research and senior scientists at the Torrance plant and I have high respect and admiration for all of them. This is a family owned business and thus, it feels like a typical family – some misunderstanding, some bickering, but all in all I believe that it is a good company to work for because most (if not all, there are always bad sheep in the family) are aware that the success of the company lies in the combined efforts of its employees – the family members, so to speak.

Cons

The company puts the quality assurance (QA) department in the back seat. Quality control (QC) is separate from QA, and it seems that upper management thinks that QC is a “need”, but QA is a “want”. Something to show people that we have QA and all the certifications that we need to prove the company have quality products. Yes, I admit, Phenomenex has quality products. But, how was that insured? Through the watchful eyes of QA.

5.0
Aug 17, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Positive environment; encouraging management; friendly colleagues; plenty of company-sponsored fun; major philanthropic focus; superb customer service and technical support. As a Phenomenex employee, you get to be in the front row of some stellar developments in the scientific community and beyond. This is work you can feel good about doing - work that is changing the world for the better.

Cons

I am hard-pressed to find a con about Phenomenex that isn't blatantly common or truly their fault.

Viewing 160 - 162 of 207 Reviews

Glassdoor has 238 Phenomenex reviews submitted anonymously by Phenomenex employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Phenomenex is right for you.