Successful company but falls very short of being a great place to work - Associate Director AstraZeneca Employee Review

2.0
Mar 5, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible working is very good in my experience Plenty of opportunities to try new career paths Good for building an entry level career, lots of exposure to novel technology

Cons

Too many to mention but here's a short list (in no particular order): Senior leaders have managed to create a fear culture that permeates most of the company. You can see this most in governance interactions, which are more like a Victorian schoolroom rather than an environment where all viewpoints are valued. The AZ values are quite a decent framework of behaviour that all employees should follow. Unfortunately these values seem to be for underlings only, don't expect them to be displayed by senior leaders in the majority of cases. Workload in many functions is quite frankly ridiculous. If you don't work on evenings and weekends you apparently aren't performing your role effectively. I've worked for many companies over two decades and I have to say that the frequency of individuals with massive egos is by far the most I've seen. This makes doing your day job all that more difficult. To be fair there are some great people too (all suffering). ZERO pension contributions from the company (you have to contribute it all yourself). Bonus is calculated on a lower 'base salary' value and not on what you would consider your normal salary. Performance review process is onerous and it can and will be used to unfairly beat you with by certain managers (usually those with the massive egos). Turnover of staff is unmanageable, the 'revolving door' just won't stop. This adds to workload, reduces project knowledge and makes resourcing almost impossible. The lack of process is astonishing. Good if you are a free thinking spirit who likes to make it up as you go along but bad if you need to learn the job and work in a highly regulated environment.

Explore other reviews about AstraZeneca

5.0
May 28, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great place to work and good benefits

Cons

There really aren’t any cons

5.0
Apr 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I imagine this is very dependent on line management but I find my team and supervisors to be true champions of a high performing and highly compassionate work culture. I find my work challenging and rewarding, and have had opportunities to learn and grow and be rewarded and recognized for my output. No job is perfect but I’m truly happy to work here and at a time when AZ is truly rising like a rocket.

Cons

Like any massive global corporate entity, things can sometimes move slowly and it can be challenging to navigate a high number of constantly evolving priorities and initiatives. That being said, AZ is very clear about its north stars and values which makes it possible to prioritize work that has the most impact and alignment with the company’s ambition and business prerogatives. 60% office attendance policy is also a bit funny when oftentimes I am on Teams calls with colleagues sitting in other areas of the world.

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