New toxic leadership- Avoid medical - Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Novartis Employee Review

2.0
13 Aug 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Not much outside of pay, which will be presumably lower by bonus docking soon.

Cons

Despite numerous field facing teams being high performing as demonstratred by top performance in blinded HCP surveys, new Medical Leadership is hell bent on destroying culture. Classic pharma 101 of trying to get people to quit so severance packages are not paid out. Current culture is toxic and a culture of fear. Highlights: -Leadership announced layoffs last November the week before Thanksgiving and then again in another team weeks before Christmas break. Teams were forced to go to conferences and act normal while waiting for weeks to find out if they were being retained. Leadership was brand new at this stage and was their 1st act. -New performance review system where former top performers are receiving low marks and we are being told most will not receive target bonus. This is in contrast to our TLL and other salaried positions in the company. This is despite record company performance. -Performance review system once again moves towards a non customer focused evaluation criteria. More and more time wasted on internal activities to demonstrate "national" impact because everyone is now expected to have cross-ta, national and global impact..... Very realistic and customer centric. -Box checking culture due to new performance rating system where culture has largely swayed to a self swaying "narcassistic" culture. Everyone is trying to "demonstrate" impact and are self promotional. No win as team mentality anymore. Everyone in survival mode. -Mixed message leadership with no clear expectations. For instance, they eliminated our "call metrics" but now individual leaders are microanalyzing all metrics. -Misallocation of resources. No money for key conferences and meal/travel expenses scrutinized to the dollar but expansion of digital engagement MSLs that contribute minimally. -Changes in compliance and changing of long held policies that helped engage customers. New level of arrogance in compliance with fear based mindset, Consistent with fear culture where people are being puntiatively punished for things that are often outside of their control. -Consistent with fear culture message from leadership is "if you don't like it leave." To paraphrase a co-worker "I have worked in pharma for 20 years and this is the worst I have ever seen a division become."

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5.0
17 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great leaders of the program, Jess and Raf, they still keep in touch with past interns good envrionemnt, had living provided and cahrlie car got very close with other interns (network for life)

Cons

Training was long and the mentors shoudlve done it too some of the departments are clicky and some mentors suck and skip through the training

5.0
3 Jul 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good company and culture in general

Cons

Constant reorganization and lay offs make ppl anxious

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