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Origins of aspirin In 1899, Friedrich Bayer, a German dye maker, invented Aspirin and changed the world forever. Western medicine finally had a cheap and reliable means of relieving pain and reducing fevers. Today, aspirin is still a staple in most medicine chests, and has also been found to prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Despite aspirin's instant success, Bayer was not content to work only in pharmaceuticals. In 1929, Bayer's patent on synthetic rubber for tires changed the world's automotive industry; in time, his firm would become the largest supplier of rubber products and chemicals in the world. The Pittsburgh-based Bayer Corporation currently produces medicines like aspirin and Alka Seltzer, as well as chemicals, agricultural products, and photographic imaging technology. The Bayer company's flagship product, Aspirin, has been a strong performer in recent years, and the company's robust research and development budget has enabled it to bring several other breakthrough pharmaceutical products to the market. Wartime crimes During World War I, the United States seized control of Bayer's North American holdings and sold the brand rights of the Bayer product to Sterling Drug. As for Bayer's European operations, the company's official history skips the years from 1937 to 1951. A quick look at the history books explains why: during World War II, IG Farben, the conglomerate that Bayer joined in 1925, assumed control of chemical plants in Nazi-occupied countries. The corporation utilized slave labor to manufacture the deadly poison gas that murdered Jews at Auschwitz. After WWII, IG Farben was disbanded, and Bayer emerged as an independent company in 1951. Recognizing the past In 1995, the company paid $1 billion to regain control of Bayer operations in America and merge the division with its worldwide operations. The next year, Bayer AG's CEO publicly apologized for the company's wartime actions. Bayer is also in the process of settling lawsuits with families of the hemophiliacs it unwittingly infected with the AIDS virus in the 1980's. The new world Because Bayer also produces chemicals and polymers, it is not considered a "pure" pharmaceutical company. Since these diversified industries are extremely profitable, Bayer has no intention of streamlining its market anytime soon. Bayer plans to invest $15 billion in its American division, between 1995 and 2004, in order to reach the target goal of earning one-third of its sales in the U.S. Baytown, Texas, the site of Bayer's chemical manufacturing site, was earmarked for $1.2 billion in expansion funds. Bayer's focus on the American market intensified when the company decided to scrap its billion-dollar investment plan in Taiwan. After shutting down an antiquated plant in Indiana in late-1999, Bayer subsequently began building plants in Connecticut and Kansas. Building blocks Bayer was hit with a headache in July 1999, when an Ontario judge certified a $100 million class action suit against the company. The suit alleged that Bayer and Norpico, who together control between 90 and 100 percent of the iron oxide market, conspired to fix prices of the pigments used to color bricks and paving stones. It was the first case of price-fixing allegations to proceed by class action suit in Canada. Bayer could have used the $100 million, since it invested exactly that amount into a Cambridge research facility in June 1999. The new center, called Lion Bioscience Research Inc., houses Bayer's efforts to identify human genes that can be studied to aid the development of new drugs. Sideshow Amidst the storm of pharmaceutical consolidation, Bayer bought Lyondell's polyols business for $2.45 billion in November 1999. The deal consolidated Bayer's dominance of the polyurethane market but leaves the company without a significant pharmaceutical partner. According to The Wall Street Journal, analysts referred to the deal as a "pricey distraction amid more pressing strategic challenges." Bayer officials remained calm, hinting of unspoken deals. In 2000, Bayer took additional steps to expand its interests. The company bolstered the online services that its health care unit offers; it sold its U.S. and Canadian livestock and equine biologicals business; and it bought Pfizer Inc.'s RID line of lice control products. Additionally, Bayer formed strategic alliances with Asian medical supplier Alza Corp., and with e-commerce developer FreeMarkets Inc.
Bayer's ideal employee is "usually a college grad, able to work with both mind and hands, able to think on their feet so to speak." Bayer prefers to "interview internal applicants first and if they can't fill the job then they go to outside applicants. Interview styles "vary quite a bit, depending on the department and the preferences of the hiring supervisor." Insiders report that most interviews at Bayer are "group interviews with "three to five people questioning the candidate." While they are "reasonably laid back," there are some interviewers who "like to make you sweat (it must be some kind of power trip)." Bayer does like to keep things fair: "In order to make interviews as equitable as possible, one of the guidelines is to ask each candidate the same questions." According to one insider, getting hired involves more than just an impressive resume: "I think one of the purposes of the interviews is to assess your basic personality and try to predict your ability to fit in with co-workers- team work and effective 'chemistry' is so vital, perhaps more so than your skill level." Bayer tries to fill job openings internally and advertises unfilled positions in newspapers and on its job hotline at (412) 777-2000. Most white-collar hires stay in Pittsburgh, but production workers are often relocated to plants in Ohio, Texas, Massachusetts, and Canada.
A progressive atmosphere "Bayer defines itself as a 'leading integrated chemical-pharmaceutical enterprise'" that consists of 23 diverse business divisions. Although insiders report that "Bayer takes a basically conservative approach to its business practices," they describe their co-workers and office atmosphere as progressive. Bayer's size "can be somewhat bureaucratic at times," but the company stresses "individual innovation" and "widespread participation in quality control efforts." Employees throughout Bayer comment that the interactive environment fosters "camaraderie," even though some recent hires are disappointed by the "poor quality" of the communication between lower and upper management. Some feel that "Bayer's internal politics have interfered with quality decision making." At Bayer, "to be 'successful' you need to be political." International relations Many agree that Bayer takes serious steps to diversify its workforce, yet some note that "in terms of diversity, more needs to be done." "As with many major corporations, there are 'glass ceilings' that affect gender and race," some warn, reporting that "there are some instances where the glass ceiling has prevented people from advancement." The company is evidently aware of these problems: "The diversity issue has been championed from the very highest levels in management and is an ongoing program. Each year we go through one or two programs that encourage us to open our minds to those of different origins and cultures." International culture is inherent to the company. "As Bayer is a German company, there are a lot of foreign workers here," and an "influx of German culture since Bayer AG is our parent company. This can be good or bad depending on your perspective." Dress code While details such as dress code and scheduling flexibility vary by department, in general "plant locations are usually business casual and corporate is business attire (suits, dresses)." From May until the end of September, the dress code for "corporate is business casual." Work hours vary considerably based on location but "in general, offices are open from 8 to 5." Benefits Bayer's benefits seem to please most employees. As one insider puts it, "The company does a very good job of taking care of its people." "Bayer benefits are the best in the industry," giving employees "12 plans to choose from," raves another. Insiders say the company pays "90 percent of the premiums for your medical and dental (insurance)." As far as the pay scale, "Bayer is not bad- good benefits, proper salary, and a 401(k) that beats any around." However, one 30-year Bayer veteran advises those interested in Bayer to "get in, get experience, then get out."
Human Resources
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