What it does: Develops, manufactures and sells medical devices around the globe.
Best known for: Developing innovative medical devices such as the drug-eluting stent, used to open clogged arteries.
Staff stats: Approximately 32,000 employees with offices in 40 countries, and a presence in 130 countries.
The good bits: Good work-life balance and flexibility. Higher than average compensation.
The not so good bits: Contractual employees may not receive the same benefits or promotions as permanent employees, even though responsibilities are largely the same.
Founded in 1979 in Massachusetts, US, Boston Scientific released an initial public offering in 1992. John Abele and Peter Nicholas started Boston Scientific as a holding company for Medi-tech so that they could market the steerable catheter, which can be used in surgeries with low invasiveness. In the 1980s, Abbott Laboratories bought a 20% stake in the fast-growing organisation; a stake it gave up when the IPO was released. Although Boston Scientific has contributed to producing many important medical devices, it has also been at the centre of many lawsuits, product recalls, and patent fights.
Candidates can apply online for roles with Boston Scientific. In India, there is very little research & development work done. Most of the jobs are in IT, software development, and management. Aspiring candidates can filter through jobs posted on the basis of the field and location. An employee referral has high chances of success at Boston Scientific. Additionally, Boston Scientific is known to recruit during campus career fairs. Signing up for a recruiting agency may also prove fruitful for those looking for a job at Boston Scientific.
The recruitment process for Boston Scientific is fairly streamlined and quick. Therefore, the candidate can expect to know about the job within a day to a month. Like other software engineering jobs, the candidates are first filtered based on their CV and work experience. The first interview round may be via the telephone, since Boston Scientific only has one office in New Delhi in India. This interview is generally taken by the HR to vet if the process should be taken further, and is a fairly simple round. If campus placement has been the recruitment mode, there may be a group discussion to vet how confident the candidates are when working with a team.
Next, there may be an on-site test and interview, for which Boston Scientific generally provides travel expenses. The test is a simple online aptitude test consisting of questions in verbal ability & logical reasoning. Here, the candidate may undergo two to three interviews with interviewers from various teams and levels. Aspiring engineers should be prepared to answer detailed technical questions and prove their prowess in the subject. For jobs in R&D, the process is much the same, except that interviews are preferred over online tests or group discussions.
Boston Scientific invests heavily in employee development programs. Some of the programs Boston Scientific organises for its employees are the Finance Leadership Development Program, Technology Leadership Development Program, and Global Marketing Leadership Program. Boston Scientific is particularly known to hire fresh graduates and for providing training to them for a long career at Boston Scientific itself. With the help of the above programs, new employees will find that there are a lot of opportunities to move from engineering or R&D to management roles. Moreover, there are also opportunities for exceptional employees in India to be relocated abroad. For this reason, Boston Scientific may prove to be very prestigious for students fresh out of college.
Employees working at Boston Scientific who have moved on to other companies work at Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, BD (U.S. Becton, Dickinson and Company), Stryker, and others.
Boston Scientific pays according to or higher than the industry standard in India. Contractual software engineers generally earn anywhere between ₹10,00,000 to ₹13,00,000 annually. Senior engineers may earn as high as ₹20,00,000. Junior engineers who are just starting out may earn salaries between ₹5,00,000 to ₹8,00,000 depending on the prestige of the university they graduated from. Junior managers may start earning a salary of ₹8,00,000. While this may seem low, senior managers can climb up to over ₹40,00,000 depending on experience and length of career at Boston Scientific.
The culture at Boston Scientific is appreciated by its employees. Most employees rate the company favourably. Work-life balance is prioritised, and the company invests in employee development. The company allows employees to have flexibility in work hours. In addition to the good compensation that the company provides, there are also many benefits like travel allowances, food coupons, and team outings. Boston Scientific also boasts a positive track record in inclusivity. In 2018, Boston Scientific received both the Forbes Best Employers for Women and Forbes Best Employers for Diversity titles. Because of the flexibility that Boston Scientific provides, it is also known to be a good place to work for new mothers and fathers, proven by the award Working Mother Best Companies for Multicultural Women in 2019.
That said, employees may find that those who are employees may be favoured over those who are employed on contract. This also affects the promotion and appraisal cycle, wherein contractual employees may not receive the same benefits as permanent employees in spite of similar responsibilities.
Boston Scientific makes social contributions via its corporate social responsibility program across the world. For example, with the ‘Little Doctor’ program in China, kids as young as ten participate in activities to foster an interest in medicine. Boston Scientific achieved a 47% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. Within the same domain, Boston Scientific began to purchase 100% renewable energy in Galway, Cork and Clonmel, Ireland. Under the Boston Scientific Foundation, the company also provides many grants, facilities, charitable donations, and equipment for the purposes of medical research. The Foundation particularly focuses on providing quality healthcare in regions of low socio-economic resources.
Great work-life balance and flexibility, in addition to many opportunities to those who would like to climb the company ranks at a quick pace, makes Boston Scientific a good place to work for fresh graduates. However, aspiring applicants are advised to make it a priority to become an employee on the roll instead of being on a contract.