Pros
Resources for customers, broad portfolio.
Cons
Genentech no longer has sales people. I recently left the organization for a company that was more forthcoming about its expectations and compensation. Currently at Genentech, Therapeutic Area Managers do not receive compensation based on product performance. Yet more is asked of these roles than ever before. Compensation even when at or over forecast is poor. Performance whether management by objectives or being over 100% of forecast is not compensated anywhere near what other organizations are offering at this time. I’ve been with GNE a very, very long time as a top performer and this new model is subjective to management and not competitive to other comparable organizations. Genentech went through a huge reorg during the height of COVID laying off employees and having them re-interview for their jobs during a very terrible time for people personally and for our customer consistency. Many of us loved the idea that the company was refocusing on doing what is right for the patient and supporting customers in their mission to offer excellent healthcare in a responsible means to our system and society. Instead what has happened is the ‘sales people’ are now ‘therapeutic area managers’ (TAM) that are on management by objectives, yet still constantly held accountable to sales forecasting for products and outcomes. Since TAMs are now accountable for management by objectives such as ‘drive demand’ (yet are unable to state metrics to measure their efforts, per legal), ‘maximize customer and patient experience’ and ‘health of the ecosystem’ . If you choose to take a TAM role, know that you are being hired to work far beyond the scope of the job you signed up for. A colleague that came over to Genentech from a respected competitor shared they had ‘never been asked to do so much’ and had no appreciation for how easy they had it in their old role. In addition to preforming a traditional role driving demand for product, you are also expected to deliver on an internal job. This is often about equity/diversity, training others on customer needs or the marketplace, etc. It is busy work that developed during COVID to help people that can’t get into see customers justify their jobs. At this time I have two managers and a tumor specific marketing person that I am accountable to. My ‘line up’ manager checks on my daily activity to make sure driving demand. My ‘HD’ manager is in charge of my therapeutic area, but has little knowledge of the tumor type and is frankly more invested in getting ahead in marketing and other company opportunities. Our marketer assigned to our tumor type goes over our accounts every 2 weeks to try and figure out where we can grow product use even though we are no longer ‘sales’. Long story short, if you are interviewing here be cautious of what is expected of you. Genentech is putting all their time and effort into utilizing Veeva for data entry, emailing customers from home office and surveying constantly. They’re emailing thought leaders about products that have nothing to do with their specialty. Customers that have requested to no longer be contacted by the organization are still receiving emails. Employees are being encouraged to make customer contact lists to send email blasts to. We’ve lost sight of having conversations with our customers and listening to understand. Managers and marketing are pushing for field rides when TAMs cannot see customers except on a careful thoughtful basis, they don’t need a parade. Genentech is very lost in trying to use Veeva and AI to address and change customers, Therapeutic Area Managers are unintentionally pitted against each other for management by objectives performance instead of what is best for the customer. I’m glad that I changed organizations as this company is lost with its ‘new’ customer model that is a disguise still pushing product performance under management by objectives without rewarding for effort. There are many partners delivering beautiful internal projects that look fabulous but they can’t get a customer meeting if their life depended on it.