Great biotech firm with heart - Anonymous employee Genentech Employee Review

5.0
6 Apr 2009
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The best reasons to work at Genentech are the following: 1) The company has a compelling and fulfilling mission and visions 2) The company lives by its corporate values. It has integrity. 3) People are incredibly smart and incredibly collaborative- everyone is willing to help and works as a team 4) Not a stiff/stuffy place - everyone works hard, but not uptight - "casual intensity" description is really accurate 5) Company benefits and compensation are very competitive/compelling. 6) Strong focus on people development - employees are encouraged to explore new opportunties within the company to get more experience and to grow

Cons

The following are the downsides of working at Genentech: 1) Decisionmaking is slow = decisions often require consensus 2) Given that the company has grown so fast and is realtively young - still not great infrastructure, systems, and process to support the business

Explore other reviews about Genentech

5.0
6 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great salary and team! The interview process was smooth and effective.

Cons

To be determined, but so far many alignment meetings. Some folks have frustuations around the re-org and strategy changes.

3.0
7 May 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.

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