Question for Novartis Insider

[anonymous]

Seriously? How many downsizings started off with a higher up saying the field is safe. What motivation would they have to be honest. Announce it and have the whole salesforce take a long vacation waiting for cuts?

lol....you're forgetting that the SF is directly revenue-generating. The downsizing priority is as stated ie elsewhere. Believe it.

 

[anonymous]

Seriously? How many downsizings started off with a higher up saying the field is safe. What motivation would they have to be honest. Announce it and have the whole salesforce take a long vacation waiting for cuts?

lol....you're forgetting that the SF is directly revenue-generating. The downsizing priority is as stated ie elsewhere. Believe it.

 

[anonymous]

Seriously? How many downsizings started off with a higher up saying the field is safe. What motivation would they have to be honest. Announce it and have the whole salesforce take a long vacation waiting for cuts?

lol....you're forgetting that the SF is directly revenue-generating. The downsizing priority is as stated ie elsewhere. Believe it.

 

[anonymous]

You are misreading the “limited impact on the field” statement. That statement referred to the combining of pharma and oncology. The reductions in sales force were already being looked at, expect sales force reduction announcement around June/July time frame with implementation date for Sept 1. This will give them enough time to have everyone trained and ready to go by January 1. Hearing that the cuts will be very deep, territories will be larger as well. Good luck to everyone

 

[anonymous]

You are misreading the “limited impact on the field” statement. That statement referred to the combining of pharma and oncology. The reductions in sales force were already being looked at, expect sales force reduction announcement around June/July time frame with implementation date for Sept 1. This will give them enough time to have everyone trained and ready to go by January 1. Hearing that the cuts will be very deep, territories will be larger as well. Good luck to everyone

Sounds like reasonable guess for timeline -- trimester ends 8/31 and new trimester begins 9/1.

 

[anonymous]

Sounds like reasonable guess for timeline -- trimester ends 8/31 and new trimester begins 9/1.

so does the new sales year

 

[anonymous]

Why would they lie to the field force? Because they need to SQUEEZE every dollar out of their mediocre products before they cut us 30-50%.

But how can they lie to us and expect to maintain credibility in the future? Because the only people they’ll have to face are those that keep their jobs. They’ll be so happy that all lies will be forgotten. The only people that will be upset about being lied to are those who will be let go and they’ll be gone so who care what they think?

 

[anonymous]

Place is loaded with liars. They don’t care about people at all. How many re-orgs ? Agreed that most pharma is similar but Novartis is the bottom. Worst company I’ve ever worked for. Guess I’ve been lucky.

 

[anonymous]

lol....you're forgetting that the SF is directly revenue-generating. The downsizing priority is as stated ie elsewhere. Believe it.

 

[anonymous]

Place is loaded with liars. They don’t care about people at all. How many re-orgs ? Agreed that most pharma is similar but Novartis is the bottom. Worst company I’ve ever worked for. Guess I’ve been lucky.

The worst company that pays in the upper top of the industry on base salaries, has arguably the best 401k match in our industry, industry average bonus is the worst company you have worked for?

Novartis like every other company is a business and when tough decisions have to be made employees get cut. Stop being so emotionally attached to any company- its a business. You would leave Novartis is a heart beat if an opportunity was better for you- why shouldn't Novartis or any company make decisions the same way?

 

[anonymous]

The worst company that pays in the upper top of the industry on base salaries, has arguably the best 401k match in our industry, industry average bonus is the worst company you have worked for?

Novartis like every other company is a business and when tough decisions have to be made employees get cut. Stop being so emotionally attached to any company- its a business. You would leave Novartis is a heart beat if an opportunity was better for you- why shouldn't Novartis or any company make decisions the same way?

401K match is probably the one bright spot about our company. For many, outside of sales and senior leadership though, salary and bonus not particularly competitive, even by company published benchmarks. Novartis does just enough to keep people, but not enough to motivate them. People will accept mediocre base salary and mediocre bonus when it is a great place to work. This no longer is a great place to work and we are starting to seeing people leave.

 

[anonymous]

401K match is probably the one bright spot about our company. For many, outside of sales and senior leadership though, salary and bonus not particularly competitive, even by company published benchmarks. Novartis does just enough to keep people, but not enough to motivate them. People will accept mediocre base salary and mediocre bonus when it is a great place to work. This no longer is a great place to work and we are starting to seeing people leave.

I hate to tell ton this, but Novartis is FAR from on the high end with salary and bonus, and the 401k is pretty standard unless you go to a tiny biotech. Even then plenty are at the same amount. The “pension” is pretty good, but pales in comparison to the RSUs/ESPP that you can get at any mid to small sized biotech. I left 2 years ago from the rheum division and am now in rare disease where where I make $60k more on base and $30k more in bonus at target - plus 15% discount ESPP and $20-$30k RSUs per year. I’m not on here to brag. There are a lot of jobs out there right now. Go get yourself some more money!

 

[anonymous]

Why would they lie to the field force? Because they need to SQUEEZE every dollar out of their mediocre products before they cut us 30-50%.

But how can they lie to us and expect to maintain credibility in the future? Because the only people they’ll have to face are those that keep their jobs. They’ll be so happy that all lies will be forgotten. The only people that will be upset about being lied to are those who will be let go and they’ll be gone so who care what they think?

Wow...you're a genius!! Can I have your # so you can give me all kinds of advice?

 

[anonymous]

Why would they lie to the field force? Because they need to SQUEEZE every dollar out of their mediocre products before they cut us 30-50%.

But how can they lie to us and expect to maintain credibility in the future? Because the only people they’ll have to face are those that keep their jobs. They’ll be so happy that all lies will be forgotten. The only people that will be upset about being lied to are those who will be let go and they’ll be gone so who care what they think?

True.

The way it is always done in Pharma Land.

 

[anonymous]

Wow...you're a genius!! Can I have your # so you can give me all kinds of advice?

867-5309

 

[anonymous]

Jenny, is that you?

 

[anonymous]

I hate to tell ton this, but Novartis is FAR from on the high end with salary and bonus, and the 401k is pretty standard unless you go to a tiny biotech. Even then plenty are at the same amount. The “pension” is pretty good, but pales in comparison to the RSUs/ESPP that you can get at any mid to small sized biotech. I left 2 years ago from the rheum division and am now in rare disease where where I make $60k more on base and $30k more in bonus at target - plus 15% discount ESPP and $20-$30k RSUs per year. I’m not on here to brag. There are a lot of jobs out there right now. Go get yourself some more money!

Many base salary in Rheum over 160k....no other company outside of Amgen has the 401k match that Novartis does. Bonus is pretty standard. We have the 15% ESPP plan now too. We also get 10-15% of base in RSU depending on performance. Novartis pays pretty well- especially considering its the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world ie. "big pharma".

Are other base salaries at other companies good? Of course you can get lucky- but we are pretty lucky here. Get promoted here to accounts and base salary can go well over 170k.

 

[anonymous]

Many base salary in Rheum over 160k....no other company outside of Amgen has the 401k match that Novartis does. Bonus is pretty standard. We have the 15% ESPP plan now too. We also get 10-15% of base in RSU depending on performance. Novartis pays pretty well- especially considering its the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world ie. "big pharma".

Are other base salaries at other companies good? Of course you can get lucky- but we are pretty lucky here. Get promoted here to accounts and base salary can go well over 170k.

Novartis pays pretty well for the commercial team. Sure. NVS pay for other field matrix roles have quickly become non-competitive.

 

[anonymous]

Many base salary in Rheum over 160k....no other company outside of Amgen has the 401k match that Novartis does. Bonus is pretty standard. We have the 15% ESPP plan now too. We also get 10-15% of base in RSU depending on performance. Novartis pays pretty well- especially considering its the 2nd largest pharmaceutical company in the world ie. "big pharma".

Are other base salaries at other companies good? Of course you can get lucky- but we are pretty lucky here. Get promoted here to accounts and base salary can go well over 170k.

What are you talking about with the 401k? It’s basically 6%. I’ve never worked anywhere that is less. Thats in the standard range for speciality biologic sales now. My base at a smaller company for rheum is $185k plus double the bonus and more RSUs. There are plenty of rheum reps at Novartis making less than $160k and the RSUs you’re talking about are for the top performers. Trust me, it’s not as great as you think it is.

 

[anonymous]

My base is fairly competitive in the market and very competitive in my geography. That being said, work/life balance is the worst in my career. I did interview for another job, but was told through the grapevine I requested too high of a base and they went with a different candidate. It’s the proverbial “golden handcuffs” here. If I get laid off, I will be happy for the severance. If I keep my job, I’ll hope the restructure benefits the field.