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      Novartis

      Engaged Employer

      Novartis reviews

      4.0

      80% would recommend to a friend

      (9,050 total reviews)
      avatar

      Vas Narasimhan

      86% approve of CEO

      69% positive business outlook

      Ratings by category

      4.1

      Diversity & inclusion

      4.1

      Compensation and benefits

      4.0

      Work/Life balance

      3.9

      Culture & values

      3.6

      Career opportunities

      3.4

      Senior management

      Novartis has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 9,050 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Novartis employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Farmacéutica y biotecnología industry (3.7 stars).

      Ratings by demographic groups

      Reviews by job title

      9K reviews
      2.0
      Jul 1, 2008

      Good pay and prospects if you can tolerate the unhealthy work environment

      Finance manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Novartis offers very good pay and benefits and there is excellent scope to make international moves inside the company.

      Cons

      There is a very high turnover of people in middle to senior management roles, with constant restructuring/reorganisation and reinvention of processes. This generates lots of change but without clear direction. Novartis is also very top-down driven, and there is a low level of trust from management and between colleagues. Perceived poor performance is usually quickly followed by a change in personnel, although this is often not done objectively. So if you want to build a long career in Novartis you need to stay nimble and avoid being closely associated with anything that might turn out badly.

      2.0
      Oct 25, 2025

      Poor job security for early career/new hires

      Analyst
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Hybrid working model, good location

      Cons

      Constant organizational restructures without notice (twice in 2025), resulting in toxic company culture; Routine layoffs target early career talent and new hires (senior management lacks accountability); "Permanent" positions eliminated almost immediately after start date; Lack of POC diversity; Excessive global bureaucracy interferes with local decision-making

      3.0
      Jul 8, 2024

      Somewhat mediocre Fortune 500 company (in terms of company management)

      Senior compliance officer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      The reason to work at Novartis really depends. One might be attracted to the prestige associated with the company’s name and status - after all, it’s a Fortune 500 company. Having such a reputable organization on your resume could certainly be advantageous for future job prospects. However, it’s important to note that not all departments within Novartis are equally commendable. Definitely not the compliance department, for instance - This is speaking on the Global level though, because the local compliance team was the best team I ever worked in until the 2022 restructuring. On the other hand, Novartis occasionally introduces exceptional pipeline products that essentially sell themselves - But I suppose it is the same with other top pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, roles related to these products could certainly add some noteworthy achievements to your professional portfolio.

      Cons

      As the saying goes, it’s not just about what you know, but also who you know. In many cases, survival or advancement at Novartis often hinges on having the “right connections”. What bothered me the most during my time at Novartis was the appointment of numerous individuals to “people manager” roles, despite their lack of requisite skills or attributes for the position. The absence of training or support for these individuals further exacerbated the issue, preventing them from effectively fulfilling their “people manager” responsibilities. Moreover, it’s often the “show ponies” who receive recognition, rather than those who are truly dedicated to their work. That being said, cons for one person could very well be pros for another, if you know what I mean.

      Viewing 172 - 174 of 9,050 Reviews
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      Glassdoor has 12,639 Novartis reviews submitted anonymously by Novartis employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Novartis is right for you.