The Scientist : Best Places to Work in Industry
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The Scientist Volume 23 | Issue 6 | Page 39
Best Places to Work Industry: 2009
Companies atop this year's survey provide their employees with a sense of security in a risky economic climate
By Tia Ghose Biotech firms have taken a beating in the last year, but some companies are finding ways to survive— and thrive—despite the downturn. In this year's Best Places to Work in Industry survey, the highest rated companies bucked the general downward trend in the industry, instead maintaining steady growth and expanding into new areas. Room for intellectual and career development, a family-friendly environment, and less hierarchy also topped scientists' list of priorities in this year's survey. With the risk of layoffs and reorganizations, scientists are most content in companies that offer solid job security and that continue to fulfill and expand their research goals. "That's a real luxury for us," says Akin Akinc, associate director of research at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, the seventh-ranked small company. To maintain their growth, smaller companies such as Alnylam forged partnerships, while others like GeneDX and Infinity Pharmaceuticals secured stable funding from the big pharma companies that acquired them.
Muthusamy Jayaraman, Principal Scientist, Drug Discovery, Alnylam Courtesy of John Earle Photography
Regardless of what the market is doing, some things never change. Whether it's in a tiny company like GeneDx, with a total workforce of 90, or the 8500strong best large company Pioneer Hi-Bred, responsive leadership is key. Many employees at highranked companies say they appreciate the casual, flat organizational structure that allowed anyone easy access to the top brass. "People can go up to our
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The Scientist : Best Places to Work in Industry
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chief scientific officer and say, 'I don't understand why we are using the following strategy,' and he'll just explain," says Christian Fritz, senior director of cancer biology at Infinity Pharmaceuticals.
Back on Top Survey Methodology
Ranking Tables
Top 30 Institutions Researchers at this year's Best Places also prize the ability to do cutting edge research, maintain ties to Top Small Companies the wider world of academic science, and the room Top Large Companies to grow within the company. GeneDx, for instance, provides tuition reimbursements for people wanting BPTW Industry Charts to further their education, while Alnylam keeps Downloadable PDF's close ties to top scientists in the field of RNA interference. These connections to academic science are a "nice touch because it allows us to remain in the community," says Swaroop Aradhya, director of microarray clinical services. Employees at all the small companies valued that scientists with drive could go from entrylevel scientist to a senior scientific director over the course of several years.
http://www.the-scientist.com/article/print/55709/
6/3/2009