Oh, where to begin... Unfortunately, outside of the 'best reasons' stated above, I don't believe that I experienced many positive attributes of Covidien Employment.
Before I delve into specifics, note that I can only speak of my specific role (Clinical) within the organization and I do recall more than one of my peers in other roles/departments seeming to have a different Covidien experience than my own. Also, what I describe may be further isolated to the PCSP division, especially as interaction/communication/sharing between divisions does not exist.
With my caveat having being stated, if you are seeking a culture where the 'Don't think outside the box" and "Just drink the kool-aid" is alive and well, then this is the place for you. Professional and personal challenges, creativity, the assumed correct way to do things (i.e., application of federal regulations and guidelines), and above all else, a sense of pride and ownership in all that you do - these are all things that do not exist within this role. Prior experiences and expertise are as unwelcome as the expression of an original thought. The "Covidien Way" and the notorious "Kool-aid" that I was instructed to drink were often cited - although my experiences suggested that that 'Way' was out-dated, ill-concieved, poorly documented, and overall left the department at risk of FDA citation. Also, drinking the Kool-aid necessitated sacrificing ethics, lowering standards, and simply provided a poor working environment.
Note that managers have most often obtained his or her role due to tenure and definitely not credentials or skill level. It is not unknown for a managers in the group to have 14 years of tenure as an Administrative Assistant, and although neither educated, experienced, nor well-versed in research, to have been strangely promoted to managing individuals with > 20 years experience in the field. Generally, due to the prior promotion process, current management lacks very basic managment skills, experience, and the ability to implement effective and insightful processes that one can only develop through education, experiences, and usually having worked for a number of different companies. Tenure is highly regarded, as is ego and inappropriate personalities, and the internal support of the "Covidien Way" (however outdated and inappropriate) is alive and thriving. New upper management hasn't yet been appropriately reactive to this situation, but one can only hope that this may change over time (one can only expect for the survival of the department).
One significant issue to consider is confidentiality, or better yet, lack there-of. Whether you speak to your manager, a co-worker or even (get this) human resources, your information will likely find its way to those you never intended (e.g., I spoke 'confidentially' with HR about issues related to my manager and the HR person relayed the entire conversation to my manager). The department has a history of being an HR nightmare - between inappropriately relaying of information, personal attacks, poor management skills, etc., there is a definite lingering sense of a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Oh, and then there's the 'hire and lay off' mentality within the department - namely, hire full time help that you think you might possibly need in, say, a year or two, and then when that doesn't materialize, lay-off that individual or those individuals. I was mislead into believing that I was being hired for a highly confidential (so confidential that few details were shared prior to being hired), extremely high priority project with imminent need where I'd hit the floor running with such vigor that my "head will spin". My first two months were spent without being provided anything to manage (although I was intermittently provided various tasks most often unrelated to the role for which I was hired). Eventually I picked up little jobs to keep me busy, all of which were below my professional level. Nine months after being hired, after only being allowed (yes, 'allowed') to attend a single core team meeting due to a co-worker's travels, the project failed and I was spontaneously laid off. So much for the stability of a large, well-established multi-national corporation.
These things are the tip of the iceberg. My recommendations to anyone considering a position within Covidien include the following:
- Heed your inner instincts. Mine were telling me that something wasn't exactly right, but I was drawn into the the company's location and the promise of a shorter commute which I accepted, even in the face of a decreased salary. This was by far the most unfortnate professional experience I would imagine. If you want to experience something similarly disfunctional, watch an episode of "The Office" and call it a day.
- Be sure to speak with potential co-workers. Had I done so, I would have received a more accurate picture than what was depicted.
- Ask the tough questions. There may be confidentiality that cannot be worked around, but timelines specific to your role, and a well-documented definition of your role can be provided.
- Obtain a Job Description and have it sufficiently documented relative to your specific role. I fell short in my disputes with the company when the job I was hired to do did not have an associated description, and when the company's later expectations fell far short of my own despite discussions during interviews and negotiations. I was left in a situation where I had no recourse.
Good luck!
