Top spots to work in pharma

Jan. 13, 2022
Four pharma companies have earned spots on Glassdoor’s 2022 best places to work

Glassdoor just rolled out its list of the 100 Best Places to Work in 2022 and four pharma companies have earned spots.

The list highlights companies that put their people first and value employee feedback, according to Glassdoor.

Pharma companies Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Roche are all among the top 100 featured on the list. Other familiar names, like Google (ranked No. 7), Microsoft (ranked No. 28) and Apple (ranked No. 56), appeared on the list.

Rankings are decided based on anonymous employee feedback submitted to Glassdoor throughout 2021. Employees share pros and cons of their company and are asked to rate workplace attributes like culture and values, diversity, management and more. Glassdoor’s awards algorithm takes into account the quality of reviews and trends over time when ranking companies.

California-based NVIDIA, a leader in AI-development and the inventor of graphic processing units, snagged the No. 1 spot on the list. Glassdoor’s list also included the National Institutes of Health, ranked No. 79 out of 100; Medtronic, a medical device company, ranked No. 83 out of 100; and five healthcare companies.

Merck

No. 46
5,000+ reviews
Company rating: 4.3

Coming in at No. 46, Merck is the highest ranking among the four pharma companies named. The company’s ranking has improved since last year where it was earned spot No. 63. Employees described Merck as a company with excellent leadership, great benefits and a pleasant work environment.

“There is room for career growth and plenty of support from management to challenge and develop their direct reports,” said a Merck associate director of global regulatory affairs from North Wales, Pennsylvania.

Merck’s former CEO, Kenneth Frazier, who left his post in 2021, received a spot at No. 42 on Glassdoor’s Top CEOs of 2021 list. The current CEO Rob Davis has an approval rating of 86% on Glassdoor.

Roche

No. 74
5,000+ reviews
Company rating: 4.3

Employees at this Switzerland-based company appreciated Roche’s benefits, purpose and overall company culture.

“Work life balance is excellent. Compensation is competitive given the other benefits,” reads one review from a Roche principal scientist.

Roche last appeared on the top 100 list in 2018, where they ranked as the 52nd best company to work at. The company’s CEO Severin Schwan has high ratings, with 94% of employees on Glassdoor approving of him.

Johnson & Johnson

No. 75
11,000+ reviews
Company rating: 4.3

Hot on Roche’s heels is Johnson & Johnson. Well-known for their contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic, J&J received numerous awards in 2021, appearing on lists like the TIME100 Most Influential Company and LinkedIn’s Best Workplace to Grow Your Career in the U.S. The company has dropped in Glassdoor’s rankings somewhat from 2021, when they nabbed the 24th spot on the 100 Best Places to Work list.

According to one employee, the company has, “great healthcare, good culture, lots of opportunity to grow and develop.”

Pfizer

No. 94
6,000+ reviews
Company rating: 4.2

In the 94th slot is Pfizer, a key player in the development and production of the COVID-19 vaccine. Employees were pleased with the overall work environment and company benefits, and described Pfizer as a great place for network building.

“Pfizer culture promotes professional growth and development,” said a Pfizer principal research scientist. “The colleagues are very supportive and the work we are doing is amazing!”

The company has fallen in rankings since 2021, when they appeared at the No. 39 spot on Glassdoor’s top 100 list. The CEO Albert Bourla has a high approval rating of 91%.

About the Author

Alexandria deRosset | Pharma Manufacturing staff writer