Interview and culture

Couldn’t agree more with this post! Weird weird culture. The culture creates two jobs. One job is your sales job, the other FULL time job is doing all of the extra BS, like champ roles, and figuring out an undefined way to have “impact” on your district, area and nation. Opting out of the second job is not an option, it is a very clear expectation to even get a fair year end review. In fact, you practically have to invent something in order to get a decent year end review and rating and get promoted. Here is a perfect example: Only one single person was promoted to Executive Sales Rep in 2019. The project that she invented for herself was calculating all of the electricity bills throughout the country and figuring out who was paying more for their electric bills than the average. The intention was to get an equitable reimbursement to people that have refrigerators in their homes for sample storage purposes rather than a flat rate paid the same to everyone in the country. God knows how much time she spent on this special project. (She’s a very nice person, but come on!). Is this a sales job or an administration job?? We have a huge mothership full of associates in Indiana to research this kind of thing. This is the culture of Lilly and what they value! We are rewarded more for special projects, branding, impact on the west, area, nation than the actual SALES job! Is this what our shareholders value? Do they have any idea how much time is wasted on special projects. I’m sure Wall Street would rather have us spend our time selling and driving profits and giving them the best return on their investment. Do they really care about invented activities or would they rather us focus on selling our products to drive revenue?? Don’t even get me started on how that award was given. She had to be voted on by all of the Managers in the Region. (Lilly is truly a cult mentality, everyone drinks this koolaid, no one leave Lilly, they start right out of college and are home grown managers so their thinking is very insular. They all think this is super normal. Guess what, it’s not!). They all sit around and nominate and rate each and every person from each other’s districts. How does a Mgr. based in another state really know someone or how hard someone works, what kind of relationships they have with their customers, what their selling impact is, how they impact their district?? The only way they find out is by having the Rep. ass kiss like crazy with the other Managers or the Rep.’s actual Mgr. sharing the “story” of that rep, in these Manager pow wow’s. Now that Manager in another state gets to vote as to whether or not someone gets a promotion or not. It’s utterly utterly ridiculous. This is not a performance based company. It is a company based on a culture of getting in line and cultivating your brand over many many years, a whole lot of ass kissing, a whole lot of BS busy work, and a hope and a prayer that all is good enough to get you to the next title and a higher pay grade. That’s how the culture of this company works as far as what is valued, how your are rated, and how you get promoted.

 

This is the most accurate post I have read in a long time.

 

Eli Lilly where image is everything and where Sales Reps are promoted on everything but their sales results!

 

This is the most accurate thing I have ever read about Lilly. There is no better way to explain it. Thank you for putting this up. And to those who are looking to get in here, this is gospel. Does not matte what unit you end up in. Read this and be forewarned. One thing to add, most of the managers are useless and you will be on your own. You don’t get paid that way but you are alone.

 

Yes, this is the most accurate post I have ever read at Lilly. Thank you for posting this. Its amazing how this company has allowed this to go on for so long.

 

The above poster is absolutely correct. Several years ago, a rep in my area was promoted to Executive sales rep because she went to HR about having them include fertility treatments in Lillys insurance plan. She was able to get Lilly to cover this for employees. While this is a great thing for individuals in need of this treatment, this should not be the reason for someone in a sales job to get promoted over others who had good results (she was looking to have lilly cover this treatment for herself). This was considered area impact although it had nothing to do with her sales job But she got the promotion. I still don’t understand how this was permitted. Thankfully, I left lilly shortly thereafter but I understand that these situations continue.

 

The champ roles, fake success stories, extra projects, ass kissing. Lilly has some of the worst managers and sales reps in the industry. I can't even look some of my teammates in the face anymore.

 

Is the culture like that in every area of Lilly or just sales? Meaning do you have to have area, regional and national impact in any department whether it be admin. management, brand teams, manufacturing, etc.?

 

OMG! Thank you above poster!! All that has been said is SO true. I cannot stand all the extra bs and champ roles. What a complete waste of time! I feel like they are in place so my DM can sit and do nothing all day. Why work when your reps can do everything!! Ugh it's so frustrating because I do enjoy working at Lilly but lately my manager expects so much side work out of us. I seriously think he's gone crazy. I've been looking for another job because of him.

And don't even get me started on all the millenials their hiring!

 

These posts couldn’t be more accurate. Instead of basing promotions in numbers and results, it’s all based in these extra projects. It’s gotten absolutely horrible. All types of Bs and managers lying about their reps to get them promoted. When will someone wake up to all of this and change this structure.

 

Champ roles are simply regurgitated emails from brand. The suggestions we send in 99% of the time are meaningless unless you are someone they are grooming your idea opinion means nothing. It is like many jobs except they sell you that it is a collaborative job with chances to have impact. It is not. Lily is an old company they are not going to change. I don’t care how many pride days they have and diversity captains. They only have those cause they have to. It is pandering at the highest level. Great companies did that before en vogue.

 

I worked in LRL until I left 7 years ago. The poster accurately reflects my experiences in research the last 5 years I worked there. ‘Impact’ as I observed was based on how much your boss liked you. Others can chime in on current environment.

 

All true postings. They will work to get some promoted and others coached out. I have seen many examples of targeting to get rid of people. Friend who was a DM told me they are required to have someone on the hit list at all times. If you are over 40 , they may even "invent" things you did wrong that did not occur. Or others will not get in trouble , but you will if doing the same thing. Watch your back. Keep your head down. Trust no one.

 

Every area of Lilly from Field Reimbursement Managers, LPS, MHS, Sales, you name it!

 

Is this really true? I have an interview coming up and this kind of busy work sounds like a lot of BS?

 

Lilly culture is all about inventing. You can be a top performer and not get the best review because you didnt invent additional projects. And manage out they are doing. Over 40 and 50, they make up stuff and look for things on you. Beware

 

Lol so true. Hate this company. "Your numbers have been really strong, but unfortunately you didn't meet expectations because you failed at your champ role and you didn't do any projects. Better luck next year.."

I'm waiting for the new year then I am OUTTA HERE!!!

 

This is the most accurate post I have ever seen! This is so true at Lilly! If this doesn’t excite you please go to a better more mature pharma company!

 

if you are entry level lily is a great starting point. You can get a lot of experience both good and bad. However pharma sales, now more than ever are fading. Especially the high paying jobs. The culture we Lilly is all ass kissing. My humble advice; don’t get too involved with the BS. Learn how to sell, get some experience and move on to the next job.