Valuable experience in a modern company with great potential
Gut am Arbeitgeber finde ich
I particularly enjoyed the objective, logic-driven work environment, the very interesting projects and the collaboration with the customers. While the goals are set by the business and are very pragmatic, the tasks are quite research-y never boring. Also, one gets the chance to work closely in teams with some very nice and competent people.
Schlecht am Arbeitgeber finde ich
It would have been rewarding to have less pressure to deliver results with fast turnover, to receive a clear training plan for beginners and to be allowed more time for creativity and "trying things out".
Verbesserungsvorschläge
Employees should be allowed more resources to learn, grow and optimize their work, as well as space for creativity and being proactive instead of reactive. This would make them much happier and satisfied with the fruits of their labor.
Also, in a fast industry like biotech, competition will only become more intense and the ability to produce value using innovation will define the winners. Therefore, learning and incorporation of new technology is essential for success in this field.
Arbeitsatmosphäre
Insilico Biotechnology follows the Agile management mantras, and this fostered an open culture with flat hierarchies and fast flow of information. The goals are outlined based on the requirements of the customers, then the teams work together with the project owners to break down the work, plan tasks and achieve clear results in two-week Sprint steps. There is a high value put on logic, pragmatism and efficiency, and there is very little room for egos and office politics.
Kommunikation
Communication at Insilico has a high degree of transparency, and relevant information is transmitted to the team via bi-weekly review meetings, in daily stand-ups and during planning meetings.
Kollegenzusammenhalt
I have experienced working with very competent and supportive colleagues and this is one of the facts I cherish the most from my time working there.
Work-Life-Balance
There is the possibility of working from home, and the schedule is in general flexible. No emails, assignments or calls after work hours. However, the strict deadlines on project delivery lead often to the need of working overtime.
Vorgesetztenverhalten
In this case, communication of expectations and willingness to adapt is key. There was a significant pressure to deliver results at a quick pace. This led to the need of frequently redefining the goals, as things don't often go as planned. I think the company would benefit from creating stable workflows with reproducible outputs, and also from accepting more input from the developers and project managers.
Interessante Aufgaben
Many interesting projects related to innovation in Biotechnology and Systems Biology, which mainly come from big biotech and pharma companies. One also gets the chance to directly communicate with customers from these companies.
Gleichberechtigung
As a woman I felt rated based on my competence and I have experienced little of the outright or more subtle forms of sexism and "mansplaining" that plague other work environments.
Arbeitsbedingungen
The offices are in a very new and modern building in Stuttgart's STEP Park, with 1-4 people in one office, a small kitchen with a coffee machine and free mineral water. There is a canteen with good but pricey food available.
Umwelt-/Sozialbewusstsein
Paperless company situated in an eco office. As it's goal is to improve bio-processes, it contributes with its technology at creating a world that steers away from fossil-fuel based production.
Gehalt/Sozialleistungen
Given its location in Stuttgart, a city with a very high cost of living, the compensation could have been more competitive. One will earn more at Insilico than if one stayed in academia, and less than in a big pharma/biotech company.
Image
The website of the company should be styled up and brought up to date with the cool technology that the company is developing. No reason to stay modest there.
Karriere/Weiterbildung
Insilico is still a small company and there is only one management level between the CEO and the developers, so there are very few possibilities for career advancement. One learns a lot on the job by doing a wide range of tasks, from highly-technical ones, to customer communications and project management.
However, more time should be allocated for skill development via courses and self-learning. I think the company would benefit immensely from its employees gaining new skills.