wasted 3 years of my working life at Medi - Anonymous employee AstraZeneca Employee Review

1.0
24 May 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

the benefits package is nice, but the base salary is POOR compared to other companies.

Cons

Poor, weak & incompetent management right the way through. Undervalue and Overwork staff until they burn out. Huge competition between US and UK sites, leading to political situations which more often than not end up in doubled workload for the actual people in the lab. Horrific appraisal system, which is overhauled almost every year to no avail. All managers are strongly encouraged to give their staff a rating of 3 (on a scale of 1-5) which causes uproar at time of remuneration as practically everyone is worked to the bone and pushing themselves to the absolute limit. A lot of people are looking to move to other companies, many people are unhappy, extremely low morale in the Cambridge site.

Explore other reviews about AstraZeneca

5.0
8 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great benefits, good pay, healthy growth potential

Cons

Big company, not the most flexibility

5.0
22 Apr 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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