Toxic leadership overshadowing strong global brand, High turnover, culture of fear and lack of transparency
Pros
A professionally interesting and creative role. Company car and standard benefits. Market-compliant salary A global brand with potential.
Cons
My experience with the Czech branch was extremely negative, primarily due to the current local management, particularly the Market Access/Public Affairs, Commercial CRM, and Medical CRM departments. These departments demonstrate a high degree of power concentration, mutual cover-ups of decisions, and a low level of actual responsibility. The corporate culture is based on loyalty to specific managers rather than performance, expertise, or integrity. Although critical thinking and open opinions are declared welcome, in practice, they lead to ostracism. I repeatedly witnessed employees who expressed disagreement or pointed out a problem being systematically subjected to psychological pressure and restrictions on their authority. They were subsequently "motivated" to leave by mutual agreement. In a single year, there was an exceptionally high turnover rate of about a quarter of the employees, which speaks volumes about the state of the organization. The workload has long exceeded the scope of a single full-time position. Although overtime is a common part of the job, it is neither transparently addressed nor compensated. The declared support for work-life balance is in stark contrast to the reality of the situation. In my experience, the HR department does not protect employees; rather, it serves as a management tool. Rather than solving problems, they are swept under the rug, and a small group of managers is protected. There were practices that seemed like excessive monitoring of internal communication, which undermined trust between employees and management. This level of monitoring raised concerns about respect for employee privacy. The situation is particularly problematic in the commercial and medical CRM departments, where micromanagement, the concentration of power, and favoritism prevail. Some managers' competence is questionable, yet they remain in their positions thanks to strong internal connections. The workplace atmosphere has long been tense, based on fear and uncertainty. Professional growth and expert discussion are giving way to the personal interests of management. While the company may have high-quality processes and a good reputation as a global entity, the current local management of the Czech branch is systematically undermining these values.
