EPFL

Stimulating and supportive environment for development. Pleasant working environment.

HR non-existent and no support if necessary. No general vision given to employees.

The place is great; it's big so you meet a lot of people and it's very lively. There's also a lot of nice places to eat and above all there's Sat ;)

Like everyone says, HR doesn't exist. Then, a lot of policy and a corporate culture that relies on consultants rather than valuing skills internally. Let's face it, a lot of department heads are like rainbows who don't make any decisions (that's why they hire consultants all over the place; to be able to say "Ah, it's not me, it's the expert who said"). Moreover, to avoid competition they break most individual initiatives. Suddenly, the dynamic young people leave quickly. Another problem: Only fixed-term contracts! Having an open-ended contract is a real obstacle course, even for people who have been there for 3-5 years (yes, it's also illegal). To say that it's the confederation is a shame. The picture I am painting is very gloomy but is obviously not representative of all the EPFL staff and managers. There are pearls. But generally speaking, it's really loose.

Multicultural and high-level environment, relaxed atmosphere,

A poor division of labour, a lot of politics, tedious and cumbersome administrative procedures, reliable internal IT but from another time, no opportunities to evolve.

Working environment.

Short term contracts at the beginning that are renewed. Few opportunities for promotion.

Les collègues sont sympas, les cafétérias sont bien, les bureaux sont bien.

Très mauvaise atmosphère. RH ne sert à rien. On leur parle de problèmes et rien n'est fait. Management incapable de prendre des décisions. Management ne fait pas confiance aux employés et ne donne pas d'autonomie. Multiplication de hiérarchie (ça vient d'empirer) pour rien. Distance avec le haut trop grande. Personne à qui vraiment s'adresser pour faire changer les choses.