employer cover photo
employer logo

Sad future for what once used to be a leading pharma company - Senior Marketing Management Covidien Employee Review

1.0
2 Jan 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-There are many intelligent mid to lower level workers at the St. Louis Plant and in R&D -Benefits are average -Pay is average but on the lower side compared to industry -High barrier to entry due to closed controlled substance borders and long costly approval processes

Cons

-Poor strategy and management decisions have led to loss of talented employees -Covidien's decision to spin-off pharma due to drag on financials, lack of viable/sustainable pipeline projects, short-lived patent protection with weak prospects to fill void -Declining financials due to high costs and more innovative competitors -Non-global and highly dependent on US market -Company does not value diversity and is a rare haven for the typical young white male, however company is trying to mask this and have placed token women in VP positions -Who you know, not what you know, is the key to advancement -Very high turnover of upper-level management -Lack of innovation and industry leadership, me-too company -Unstable company

Explore other reviews about Covidien

5.0
2 Mar 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good pay benefit and work life balance

Cons

None none none none none

3.0
26 May 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pay is competitive for many of the positions. Benefits are pretty good-medical, dental, vision, 401K HR department is committed to ensuring a respectful workplace so don't be afraid to speak up if you are mistreated by a manager or coworker. Overall fair treatment of employees is observed Focus on improvement activities like Kaizen and Six Sigma.

Cons

Communications from corporate are general and vague and major changes are not communicated very well-the 'rumor mill' will portent a major change (like the pharma division being spun off of the larger Covidien) but communication to employees can be spotty around these issues. Getting promoted can be a mysterious and unclear process - not that many promotions from within. It happens but not as much as it ought to. Too much of a focus on hiring outside candidates. Poor focus on talent development - not enough apprenticeships and interns. Finding a path for 'career development' can be a challenge - you have to do it yourself. Sometimes an excessive focus on financial results to the expense of other things, like employee morale. The manufacturing facilities often seem to be treated like the red-headed stepchildren by the corporate office - resources withheld from the Plants while corporate indulges in elaborate holiday celebrations and excessive numbers of Vice Presidents. Job security appears to be better at the Plants than at Corporate

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All