What it does: Manufactures, develops and distributes pharmaceutical drugs.
Best known for: Being the first company to mass-produce insulin and Jonas Salk's polio vaccine.
Staff stats: Eli Lilly and Company has a total of 38,680 employees in 125 countries, around 500 of which are based in their office in Karachi, Pakistan.
The good bits: The company is said to give good incentives to highly-productive teams. Healthcare is also a given to all Lilly employees.
The not so good bits: Employees may work long hours on some days due to the company's goal-oriented work culture.
In 1876, a pharmaceutical chemist and veteran by the name of Colonel Eli Lilly opened his pharmaceutical laboratory in Indianapolis. He used the money he earned from owning and operating a pharmacy to open his own laboratory. In an era where unreliable elixirs from peddlers were used to cure diseases, Col. Lilly wanted to create high-quality medicines that delivered real solutions to health concerns.
Col. Lilly focused on developing an ethical drug market where quality medicines could be purchased only through medical professionals. After his first month in business, his company made $3,447, which only grew to $11,318.73 by the end of 1877. In 1880, Eli Lilly and Company became a corporation and began issuing stock only to family and close friends.
As the company passed on to Col. Lilly's son, Josiah K. Sr., then to his grandsons Eli and J.K. Jr., they maintained the charge of their founder to ‘take what you find here and make it better and better.’ The company then continued to develop advanced medicines and helped many people who needed their products.
In 1906, when San Francisco was struck by an earthquake that caused a great loss to the city, Lilly came and provided for its medicinal needs. During World War I, Lilly and Company set up a field hospital in France. In the 1940s, Lilly developed a way to mass-produce Penicillin-G, the world's first widely-available antibiotic.
Today, after more than 140 years of humanitarian efforts and pharmaceutical advancements, Eli Lilly and Company is still uniting caring and discovery to make life better for people all around the world. Eli Lilly and Company is also known for their products like Cymbalta; used for pain and depression, Alimta; a drug used widely by lung cancer patients, and Humulin; a type of insulin for patients suffering from diabetes.
Most of the employees at Lilly start off as interns. Once they are offered a full-time job, they are guided by management on how their careers can grow with Lilly. For some employees, it can take as long as two and a half years before they are promoted into unit managers.
Lilly usually hires internally from their existing pool of interns. Most of the internship programs, however, are only available in the USA. For locations outside the USA like Pakistan, Lilly offers opportunities to professionals online.
Employees at Lilly enjoy compensation that is above the industry average. Sales Representatives, for example, receive around PKR 24,000 to 26,000 per month, plus incentives for top performers. Pharmaceutical associates get at least PKR 48,000 every month. On top of the salary, employees are also entitled to maternity and paternity leave, sick leave, and vacation days.
To work for Eli Lilly and Company in their Pakistan office in Karachi is to be in a work environment where employees can develop their personal and professional skills. As employees begin the day, they are encouraged to plan their day, and as they end their shift, they are given time to review what transpired and learn from their day.
According to the American Business Council of Pakistan, Eli Lilly has been helping communities in the country for a number of years. From providing disaster relief to donating free insulin and medical equipment to communities that need their medical assistance.
Eli Lilly and Company expects every employee to be a professional, and its employees can expect the same entrepreneurial treatment and respect right back at them. Inside its offices, you can see managers collaborating with their employees, welcoming new ideas that can help the company.