Not a good environment - Contract Research Associate Biogen Employee Review

2.0
12 Feb 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good foot in the door to the industry, since the company is a big corporation and all that entails.

Cons

Firstly, management is non-existent, in a literal sense. As a Contract RA you don't speak with Biogen management directly, but rather to a proxy contract recruiting organization. They also pay you, so make sure to button up the details of your pay when you start, and if you believe you have something more to offer than you're worth, Biogen may be desperate enough to negotiate for that. The team you're on will truly treat you the same as a salaried hire which is respectful of them. At the same time, it is difficult because you may work just as hard as full-time employees but not be compensated as well. Also, your team may not be great so being treated the same is not necessarily good. The chances are high that your manager will be very cagey about if they can offer you a full-time position, so if you end up doing good work and are there for a while it will probably be frustrating. The other con is that because you are employed in this weird zone you'll feel "siloed" in your team, in a situation where no one outside your team wants to interact with you. All this amounts to a bad employment structure, so no, I do not recommend contract work.

Explore other reviews about Biogen

5.0
17 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great mission and leadership at all levels

Cons

Some managers isolated you and your contributions, and it is not easy to overcome this when you work remotely

5.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The benefits package is strong and competitive, which adds a lot of overall value. There are many internal departments and career paths, making it relatively easy to explore new roles and grow within the company. On-site cafeteria is a convenient and appreciated perk. Many colleagues are highly experienced and have been with the company and industry for years, making them great resources for learning and mentorship.

Cons

Promotion policies can be limiting—there seems to be an informal rule that prevents employees from being promoted more than once in a year, even for high performers. Salary could be more competitive compared to market rates. Equipment and internal systems feel outdated and could benefit from modernization to improve efficiency.

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Biogen Response
3w
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed and constructive feedback. We’re glad to hear you value our competitive benefits, diverse career paths, and the opportunity to learn from experienced colleagues, as well as perks like our on-site amenities. We also sincerely appreciate your candid input on promotion timelines, and compensation. We recognize how important it is to reward high performance, remain competitive in the market, and provide efficient tools that enable our teams to do their best work. These are areas we continue to evaluate and improve through ongoing reviews of our talent processes, compensation programs, and technology investments. Your insights and suggestions are incredibly valuable as we evolve, and we encourage you to continue sharing feedback to help us strengthen the employee experience and support long-term growth and success. Any additional feedback you can provide related to your experience is always helpful. You can do so confidentially by emailing talentfeedback@biogen.com. - Maria, HR
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