Pros
Friendly Coworkers- Coworkers are very friendly and the atmosphere of the lab is like a family. People would often go out for happy hours, celebrate birthdays, and other events. Flexible Work Schedule- Depending on the team you are assigned to, the work schedule is very flexible. Unless there is a critical time sensitive task, you can come and go as you please (as long as your total work hours add up to 40 for the week). Autonomy- You are given a lot of autonomy, and room to experiment with protocols and SOPs. Suggestions for improvement are taken seriously and are often implemented. GenScript hires people right out of college, even with no experience in the field. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door to the biopharma industry. COVID-19 Treatment- The company treated its employees well during the COVID-19 pandemic. All non-essential personnel were allowed to work from home and everyone was given a kit of PPE supplies to take home. Lab workers (who had to work onsite) were given even more PPE supplies, hazard pay, and free meals.
Kontras
Low Pay- The pay is extremely low in comparison with other companies in the industry. Pay for the limited team lead positions is below industry standard, and the pay for positions below those levels is abysmal. Supply Problems- There were several occasions when there weren’t enough supplies, equipment or reagents or these items weren’t ordered when requested. This caused a lot of unnecessary stress and delays in production. High Turnover- There was an extremely high turnover rate in the lab, and while replacements were being found (a process which could take months), all of that excess work was given to those people remaining. This created a vicious cycle. People would get burned out and leave, workloads would increase further, causing more people to leave. Low Upward Mobility- In the lab, there are three team lead positions. Even if you manage to get a team lead position (which is very difficult, depending on the specific role), you won’t be able to progress any higher within the lab organization. Overtime- Depending on business demands, you will be made to work overtime. This issue compounds with the high turnover issue I discussed above. Once when a coworker went on vacation, I and another colleague had to work 12 hours per day, 5 days in a row. Drama- Along with the friendly nature and camaraderie comes a good dose of high school drama. I recommend GenScript as a place where you can get your foot in the door, get hands-on experience and learn laboratory skills and techniques, then move on.
