Amgen offers fast-paced, engaging workplace

Amgen Inc.’s Rhode Island team has much to be proud of, and being named one of the state’s Best Places To Work was an acknowledgement of how much the company has done to make itself a great employer.
But just last month, Amgen announced it needed to cut as many as 2,600 jobs across its operations nationwide. In West Greenwich, where Amgen has invested more than $1 billion in two plants that now employ 1,600, the older plant is expected to close, putting a damper on any celebrations.
So managers have held staff meetings and let people ask questions and get the answers they need, to the extent they are available. It’s all part of a philosophy of respect, honesty and fairness, said Kimball Hall, the vice president in charge of Rhode Island operations.
And despite the uncertainty, the things that make Amgen a great place to work still hold true.
It’s all built on the eight Amgen Values, Hall said: be science-based; compete intensely and win; work in teams; create value for patients, staff and stockholders; trust and respect each other; ensure quality; collaborate, communicate and be accountable; and be ethical.
“All of these values come together to help us achieve our mission to serve patients, and they define what it means to be an Amgen staff member,” she said.
Amgen’s Rhode Island team is entrepreneurial and able to tackle problems “with amazing drive and efficiency,” Hall said. Collaboration “seems to come naturally,” and the workplace culture allows people to grow professionally and personally, she said.
Chad Pickel, 22, a manufacturing operator who started at Amgen in February last year, said he was drawn to the company for its reputation and for the opportunity to get a head start on his career. What he found was a great place to work.
“I really like the way Amgen is strict about their values, they are very honest with their employees,” he said. “Everyone treats each other with respect, and they’re very big on teamwork. I am particularly enthusiastic because of the way upper management treats you and the way supervisors treat you.”
The company also provides pathways for career development and year-round training opportunities, and a wide array of wellness programs – from stress management workshops to Weight Watchers to an on-site fitness center and a nutritionist.
In addition, Amgen provides plenty of time off, Hall noted – not just vacation, but also the week of Christmas and the week of July 4. And the company recently implemented a “FlexAbility” program to help staff members better achieve a work-life balance through job sharing, telecommuting and flexible schedules.
“Of all the benefits offered at Amgen, our efforts to help staff members achieve a strong work-life balance seem to pay the highest dividends,” Hall said.
The Rhode Island team also has its own workplace initiative, started this year: “life@ari.” The goal is to set a positive tone, and more than 100 workers are involved, grouped in four teams to focus on “site satisfaction,” “mood,” “people development” and “candor and trust.”
Because of the field Amgen is in, and with a major biotech hub so close in Boston, being a good employer is a matter of competitiveness, Hall said.
“It can be difficult to attract talent here,” she said. “This is why we have really tried to go the extra mile.”