Great to their people, but career advancement an issue - Anonymous employee AstraZeneca Employee Review

3.0
Jun 13, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People are very bright and definitely care about each other. Senior management seems set on getting the house in order, and if Pfizer doesn't acquire the company, I think the company will see success in 2017. Work/life balance is very good, with nice family events. Nice amount of vacation; every year I got a free week off between Christmas and New Year's Day. Challenging work on real science. Even with cuts, the benefits are still very good.

Cons

Cuts, cuts, cuts as the company goes through a patent drought. Research head has made clear that he does not believe in informatics, so the group has been heavily cut. Success of the company does not necessarily mean success for the employee or for their site. Layoffs and site closures are now frequent, and I don't think there is any company that is better at doing reorgs like clockwork every two years or less. Benefits and perks are cut every year. The company is focused on large molecules so the small-molecule sites, like Waltham, are even more at risk of closure. It's hard to advance here, particularly without relocating. There are deep cultural rifts between the US, UK and Sweden and they are not acknowledged or properly addressed; the result is a charged political environment where people don't understand each others' styles or meanings. A lot of people are leaving.

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5.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Robust pipeline that leads to numerous job opps

Cons

Growing quickly and rapid priority changes can be confusing

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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