The earlier entry describes the current chaotic and dangerous environment people have to cope with. Some of this have been present in company operations before, but the recent CEO departure and change at the top exacerbated all the ills and added many new ones. Top management tries outdo each other in throwing others under the bus. This behavior has however migrated to lower levels making life difficult for everyone. From bad to worse.
This is the earlier entry:
"It's been miserable here for the last 3 years. Anyone that does actual work has been slowly laid off. Management and the majority left are more focused on power points to upper management because their worried about their jobs, while those that do actual work are left struggling with less headcount to get double the work done. Everyone is just waiting till the ax falls. Which instills a culture of fear, so nothing is being advanced. Your point person is there one day and silently gone the next, without any communication by management on who is now taking over their responsibilities. So weeks are lost, as people scramble to find someone to do the work. "Big picture" projects that would give the company long term flexibility are shot down. Management does not have your back, because they are worried about their jobs as well. I have never worked in a place with such blame culture in my entire career. It's never "let's fix this" it's "who's fault is this". There's no cross functional communication . No one knows what other depts are doing. Some depts are running the same projects unbeknownst to each other. Upper management are in fighting and busy throwing each other under the bus, which makes working almost impossible, since you spend the majority of your day in conflict and strife "
It's been miserable here for the last 3 years. Anyone that does actual work has been slowly laid off. Management and the majority left are more focused on power points to upper management because their worried about their jobs, while those that do actual work are left struggling with less headcount to get double the work done. Everyone is just waiting till the ax falls. Which instills a culture of fear, so nothing is being advanced. Your point person is there one day and silently gone the next, without any communication by management on who is now taking over their responsibilities. So weeks are lost, as people scramble to find someone to do the work. "Big picture" projects that would give the company long term flexibility are shot down. Management does not have your back, because they are worried about their jobs as well. I have never worked in a place with such blame culture in my entire career. It's never "let's fix this" it's "who's fault is this". There's no cross functional communication . No one knows what other depts are doing. Some depts are running the same projects unbeknownst to each other. Upper management are in fighting and busy throwing each other under the bus, which makes working almost impossible, since you spend the majority of your day in conflict and strife .
We all wonder how the new CEO would shape the company. Would he sweep out the incompetent, or internally networked? Who would be the replacements? Roche and Genentech people with experience mismatch? Some candidates may be attracted by location coming from some dull, backwater places. However, internal management changes are needed.
Very good candidates cannot be attracted considering future product portfolio prospects. Therefore, a new team may be as inefficient as the old one. All under the excuse of working on ultrarare diseases. Really rare, like the 3 hemophilia patients so far. The Gates Foundation is more appropriate to work on such scale projects.
It's not the job but management and leadership team's lack of integrity and open racism at senior manager & above level. Growth and development opportunities exist only for white. Promotion prospects directly correlated with incompetence!
Worked for Medtronic for over 20 years. Never had a manager that was helpful. Most managers were neglectful, unaware of awards that were achieved or business that was won. Every anniversary milestone was ignored (5, 10, 15, and 20 years). Managers will meet with you once or twice a year. There was little opportunity for growth and once Earl Bakken passed away, the company culture became non existent. I tell everyone I know about my time there. I know I gave it my all for the company and no one cared.
Analogy: Like in Kite Biomarin called Roche to send the cavalry to rescue the company. As in Kite it is being done by headcount reduction. Jeff A is a prominent example. Some executive and senior vice-presidents would go soon since they do not contribute but interfere by looking busy. Stock market is not impressed. Rarely companies ask the capable people who already left to return and help rebuild. Rather we may expect people streaming from Genentech and Roche following the CEO. However, they do not have right experience to match the Biomarin niche. Contraction expected, possibly 15% reduction in workforce
New CEO came from Roche and quickly decided to lay off staff.
Gilead had no understanding of cell therapy and Roche person does not bring such experience. CAR T therapy at Kite was in trouble already under previous CEO. Now the CAR T therapy is facing multiple headwinds, so difficulties for Kite and Gilead have amplified. Th easiest solution is to layoff staff. Layoffs started in 2023 and will continue beyond the original announced number. Bad prospects for Kite and Gilead. New CEO would not help much.
Haven for many underperformers.
Their main occupation is protecting a job. National connections count in hiring and career.
Still it is too big to fail organization.