Genentech:

Ranked Number 5 on Fortune's 2008 Best 100 Companies to Work For List

Genentech is a company doing exceptionally relevant biotech research and development. And, the company is equally exceptional as an employer. Employees of the company are extremely loyal. According to Forbes, one employee said "Wild horses could not drag me away." One look at the benefits the company offers demonstrates why Genentech rated number two on the Forbes' list.

Genentech At a Glance

Genentech, headquartered in South San Francisco, also has offices in Vacaville and Oceanside, California.

2005 revenue ($ millions): 6,633

Genentech The Employer

In 2006 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.

Number of Employees: 9,979

New Jobs (in one year): 1,964

Most common job (salaried) Research Associate: $76,000

Most common job (hourly) Manufacturing Technician-bioprocess: $54,000

Benefits Include:

Job sharing program

Professional Training (150 hours per year)

Paid sabbaticals

Diversity

43% minorities

50% women

Genentech has a nondiscrimination policy which includes sexual orientation.

Recruitment and Hiring

(Source: Exponential Growth in Biotechnology
(Published By Janice Kelley October 22, 2000)

"We hire at all levels," says Tom Wulf, director of staffing for Genentech, one of the largest biotechnology companies in the US. "We don't usually hire directly out of high school. Our business strategy is to hire at the associate's degree level and above."

"We require at least one year of college-level chemistry and usually an associate's degree in the life sciences," Wulf notes. Specializing in developing drugs for oncology and cardiology, Genentech's entry-level opportunities are in the manufacturing side of the business, while research positions require advanced degrees and post-doctorate experience.

For entry-level employees, companies work closely with schools to establish training programs, which may lead to paid internships in high school, and summer jobs after graduation. Wulf describes a number of different candidate recruitment strategies, including an internship program that gave jobs to 115 college and university students in their area this past summer, and a work study program.

Genentech maintains long-term relationships with 16 different colleges and universities offering degrees in the life sciences, and collaborates with them to recruit students and offer study programs. The California schools Genentech works with include those in San Francisco, Berkeley, Chico, San Jose, the California Polytechnic schools, Stanford and San Diego. The company also draws from Oregon, Washington and MIT.

Candidates for high-level positions may find signing bonuses or other perks such as providing loans to assist with relocation and housing costs.

"For the research side of our business, we look for advanced degrees and post-
doctorate work. For experienced candidates, we prepare a compensation package according to the needs of the individual, which could include a number of elements: signing bonus, flexible work hours, stock and other forms of compensation."

Salary ranges at Genentech begin in the low 30s for entry-level candidates and progress upward depending on years of experience, education, and scope of work performed.

Note: Genentech was #2 on the Fortune list in 2007. However, it is the highest ranked bioscience company on the list.