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Element Biosciences

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Element Biosciences Reviews

3.3

53% would recommend to a friend

(85 total reviews)
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Molly He

75% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Element Biosciences has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 85 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Element Biosciences employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

85 reviews
1.0
10 May 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

At one time, a long time ago, it was about something. There was a feeling of purpose and everyone was pitching in. We were trying to build something that was new and better. There was focus and clarity. It was fun to come to work. Currently, the work life balance is great since people don't come in and no one much cares.

Cons

There hasn't been clarity since Aviti was launched. There are insane pet projects from one of the founders that we all keep working on even though they have no clear value to anyone and no hope of ever seeing the light of day. There are half-hearted attempts to pump life into our only product that are not enough to make much difference. People used to yell, and certain managers would publicly and brutally tear down subordinates. It was messed up, but at least people cared. Now there are a lot of empty desks, so there's a lot less yelling because there's no one to yell at. The overwhelming apathy further dampens the yelling, so all that's left is a seething contempt for the company, the leadership, and a pining for what could have been.

1.0
10 Sept 2023

More Layoffs

Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are some great people here. I like my team. The building is nice, but kind of empty and I don't understand how we can afford it.

Cons

We just finished another round of layoffs. We seem to be doing layoffs every couple of months for the last year. The past ones seemed to hit engineering the hardest, but this one got the science side too. Manufacturing was also hit, which is weird if we're supposed to be selling all of these instruments. Combined with some technical experts that have just left in the last year, and I'm not sure we have the capability to design another sequencer. There are also a number of executives that have been laid off too. OTOH, some of the people that have stayed are some of the most ineffective managers.

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Element Biosciences Response
2y
Thank you for sharing your concerns and perspective. The economy has been challenging but we have maintained approximately the same number of employees as we did at the beginning of the year, while expanding our executive team in a way that was optimal for the business. We are sorry the communication didn't seem to get through properly. We will strive for more effective communications around business changes in the future. We encourage you to raise any further concerns with your direct manager and department lead.
2.0
12 Mar 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Company events, beautiful offices, discounted breakfast & lunch.

Cons

The expectations regarding onsite versus offsite work are unrealistic. HR hasn't enforced an onsite schedule for the entire company, likely due to only half of the HR employees being onsite (which could appear hypocritical). Consistent guidelines should be established company-wide rather than leaving it to individual managers, especially since many lack expertise. Speaking of managers, there is a significant issue with the quality of leadership being hired. Many of those in leadership positions lack the skills to effectively communicate with, promote, and support their employees. My own manager had no prior experience, and our one-on-one meetings were consistently uncomfortable. This led me to contemplate leaving the company. I know many others who feel the same about their bosses. When I provided feedback about my work experience, it seemed as though my comments were dismissed or downplayed. I never realized favoritism existed until I started working at this job. My manager went out of their way to make it clear that they didn't like me, which was particularly puzzling. This highlights a leadership issue. It's crucial to ensure that you're hiring the best, most ethical, reasonable, and communicative individuals to keep the team on track. Please refrain from hiring individuals with peculiar personalities who are unaware of the role they are stepping into. Leaders should excel as communicators and demonstrate empathy toward each individual on their team. The community and environment here predominantly involve gossiping behind others' backs, a lack of trust between departments, and insincere interests. The company frequently cites the need for "restructuring" as a means to remove individuals at higher levels without directly terminating them. The truth is widely known among employees. High turnover in management positions puts employees in awkward positions when speaking up for themselves and consistently asking for promotions. It is apparent that individuals who are responsible for childcare or have newborns often face layoffs or job eliminations when required to work onsite. Meanwhile, others who work remotely face no such issues while also caring for children. This lack of support for diversity and inclusion highlights a significant problem within the company. If you don't conform to the majority's behavior, you risk being marginalized. Moreover, there's an immense amount of responsibility placed on employees, and failure to meet these expectations often results in termination.

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Glassdoor has 89 Element Biosciences reviews submitted anonymously by Element Biosciences employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Element Biosciences is right for you.