Merck was founded just before the beginning of the nineteenth century and has provided pharmaceutical services worldwide for over one hundred thirty years.
- Development of Prescription Drugs
- Manufacturing Prescription Drugs
- Vaccines
- Animal Medications
- Animal Health Products
Merck develops its pharmaceutical products with the goal of treating common medical conditions that include the following.
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Diabetes
- Infectious Diseases
If you’re considering starting a career at Merck, you should take time to do research and learn a few important things about the company to decide if working there is the best fit for your personality, lifestyle, and financial goals.
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What Jobs Does Merck Hire For?
Below are seven pros and cons of working at Merck.
The pros and cons listed below are based on the reports of thousands of employees who submitted verified employment reviews on public job review sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn.
7 Pros of Working for Merck
1. Excellent Benefits Packages for Full-time and Salaried Employees
Merck employees say they are happy with the benefits provided by the company.
They offer a benefits and well-being program that helps employees find mental, physical, and financial balance.
Employees who are able to achieve the financial stability they are looking for find it easier to work with companies like Merck long term.
Many employees are loyal to the company and retire after a long tenure.
2. Friendly Work Environment
While some employees report high levels of office politics behind the scenes at Merck, many others report a cohesive work environment that makes it easy to get along with coworkers.
They look forward to working with like-minded coworkers who share the same goals, ideas, and values that they have.
Mercks business line makes for a close-knit work environment with coworkers who enjoy spending time together on research, development, and new product implementation.
3. Good Salary and Compensation Programs
Merck’s salary and compensation programs include an additional reward component that recognizes employees for their accomplishments and contributions to the company.
The company says that rewarding employees for their hard work in addition to their take home pay and benefits is designed to let the employees know that they are valued team members and that their efforts are appreciated.
4. Job Shadowing Opportunities for Up and Comers
Employees at Merck looking to take on new and more exciting roles within the company are thrilled to have job shadowing opportunities that allow them to work alongside coworkers who already work in the roles they seek.
Job shadowing opportunities show potential new employees and existing employees who are thinking about changing careers what is would be like to walk a mile in the shoes of someone who is working in a position they are interested in.
This is a great opportunity for research and development professionals interested in learning new scientific methodologies and strategies.
5. Inclusive Culture
Merck workers feel the environment fosters an inclusive culture that considers its employees’ diverse needs, along with excellent benefits, pay, and job shadowing opportunities.
Many of today’s larger corporations are failing at providing an inclusive and diverse work enviromentmet for their employees.
Merck took the initiative to make sure all of its employees feel valued and that their needs are being addressed by their team members, management, human resources, and related work-life balance programs that can be accessed via their employee-assistance options.
6. Equal Opportunities for Minorities
Many minority employees at Merck report feeling included in a diverse work environment that offers them equal opportunities for advancement and taking on new roles.
Job review sites including Glassdoor and Indeed both show that minority employees feel that their interests are being equally and fairly represented as employees of Merck.
Minority employees often report a higher job satisfaction rating than their non-minortiy counterparts on verified job review sites and the Merck company website.
7. Onsite Food Services
Many Merck locations worldwide have on-site cafeterias where employees can snack on a variety of foods without having to leave campus on their breaks and lunches.
Being able to take breaks, snacks, and lunches in an onsite cafeteria instead of having to drive to a nearby restaurant or back home does wonders for Merck employee morale.
They report that the company cafeteria is one of the favorite perks of the job and the appreciate having it onsite at many of their global office locations.
7 Cons of Working at Merck
1. Poor Management
According to many employee reviews, leaders at Merck often appear to “only care about the bottom line.”
Employees also say they feel the management team needs more direction in implementing and supporting policies and procedures.
They often feel unsupported or confused by unclear and ever-changing directives from management.
Disgruntled employees who find themselves at odds with management or company policies may suddenly quit or engage in “quiet quitting” by performing less than the bare minimum required to keep their jobs.
2. Frequent Layoffs
Issues with management at Merck may go hand in hand with frequent layoffs employees say they’ve seen and experienced at the company.
High turnover rates, frequent layoffs, and the constant introduction of new hires leave some Merck employees worried about future job security.
Employees who are constantly worried about being laid off without notice report high levels of anxiety as they fear that any of them could be included in the next round of announced layoffs or firings.
3. Outdated Technology
Surprisingly, Merck employees say that while the company is innovative in many areas, its internal technology and systems must be updated.
Not having access to the latest technology and software can make it difficult for employees to carry out required tasks.
Employees who aren’t able to take care of their daily tasks due to technical issues regularly find themselves frustrated without outdated systems.
They often find themselves at odd with disgruntled customers whose requests are left unsolved because of these technical problems.
4. Salary Concerns for Some Employees
According to employee reviews on Indeed, many employees working for Merck are hired through third-party sources or as contractors.
As a result, working without an official “employee” designation can drastically affect the level of pay and benefits workers are eligible for.
Employees who aren’t officially listed on the HR roster as full-time often feel like they get the short end of the stick and consider quitting when they say the drastic differences in pay and benefits of full time employees who work similar roles with the coveted HR designation.
5. Bureaucratic Obstacles
Some employees in key positions at the company need more support when it comes to making empowered decisions.
In addition, constantly waiting for the next level of approvals to complete everyday tasks leaves some employees feeling stressed and undervalued.
Employees say there is too much red tape involved in making simple decisions to help customers and having to wait for each request to be approved makes their job harder than it needs to be.
6. Office Politics
Online reviews show Merck employees report high office politics that negatively impact their day-to-day experiences as employees working for the company.
Many employees say they have been passed over for premium shifts or new opportunities resulting from office politics at play.
Office politics has many employees feeling like their mental health may be at risk and contemplating less stressful jobs.
7. Long Shifts and Overtime
Although many employees are happy with their take-home pay, they aren’t pleased with the long hours and overtime shifts they are often required to work.
Working extra long-hour shifts and mandatory overtime can leave some employees feeling stressed and overworked.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Merck – Summary Table
| 7 Pros of Working for Merck | Cons of Working at Merck |
|---|---|
| 1. Excellent Benefits Packages for Full-time and Salaried Employees | 1. Poor Management |
| 2. Friendly Work Environment | 2. Frequent Layoffs |
| 3. Good Salary and Compensation Programs | 3. Outdated Technology |
| 4. Job Shadowing Opportunities for Up and Comers | 4. Salary Concerns for Some Employees |
| 5. Inclusive Culture | 5. Bureaucratic Obstacles |
| 6. Equal Opportunities for Minorities | 6. Office Politics |
| 7. Onsite Food Services | 7. Long Shifts and Overtime |
Should you Work for Merck?
If you’re looking for work at a reputable pharmaceutical company, working at Merck might be for you.
Employees of the company report being engaged in meaningful work like helping to find cures for and treat well-known and novel diseases like SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) that spawned a global lockdown that lasted over a year.
Do more research on Merck to decide if you want to move on to the next steps of finding a job role that you like and completing an online application.
Read as many online reviews as possible and research the company’s employment websites to learn about perks, salary, benefits, and employee culture.
