Great People, bad management - Anonymous employee AstraZeneca Employee Review

3.0
8 Jan 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People on the whole are friendly and approachable. Work / Life balance is good with opportunity to move within the company. Salary and benefits are good.

Cons

'Re-org' has become a byword for the company that has re-structured far too often in recent years. Senior management do not treat everyone equally treating support staff - especially PAs as expendable and therefore not worth bothering to keep happy. IT systems and services both internal and external 'helpdesk' are slow, incompetent and unwilling to help if they can avoid it. Helpdesk in India has lead to many misunderstandings and time wasted. HR non-existent with new starters and slow verging on impossible to work with to sort anything. A collective groan goes up whenever HR has to be consulted as finding an answer or sorting a problem quickly or even within a week is virtually impossible. Recent re structure of moving London office to Luton and Cambridge in three months has left many dejected at the lack of consultation or understanding for staff.

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5.0
25 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good products, great oncology pipeline

Cons

Global leaders moving to US that have limited understanding of US environment

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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