Favoritism and internal politics prevail - Anonymous employee Biogen Employee Review

2.0
19 Feb 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of excitement for potential new therapy Alzheimer’s Disease. Smart colleagues. Rich neuroscience pipeline. Decent compensation, although 2% annual salary increases do not keep up with the high cost of living in the Boston area.

Cons

Annual company “confidential” survey is a farce. One of the survey questions asks if you fear retaliation from your manager for your answers on the survey...speaks volumes about serious problems with your corporate culture and the quality and ethics of your leaders and managers. Survey results rarely lead to substantive changes that make employees lives easier and reduce bureaucracy to get work done. HR is completely ineffective and add to the toxicity of the culture. Lack of confidentiality and transparency are routine. Favoritism not expertise and results are the ticket to advancement. Senior Executive team lacks cohesion and a shared vision for Biogen. They do not act as a high functioning team because are so busy protecting themselves from the wrath of the CEO. The Company Quarterly Meetings are awkward. They feel forced and inauthentic.

Explore other reviews about Biogen

5.0
2 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great team, work life balance, benefits

Cons

Random reorgs enforce some anxiety

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 Equipment and internal systems feel outdated and could benefit from modernization to improve efficiency.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
1w
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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