Interdesciplinary Scientific Industrial Environment - werkgeversreview Head of Research & Innovation Dpt bij MONOLITHOS Catalysts

Salary paid on time, interesting projects

First of all, there is a severe lack of professionalism and organisation that leads to immature behaviour from both middle and upper management. The inability of management to properly oversee and distribute the workload creates unrealistic expectations that are not properly communicated. Fear and intimidation are the most commonly used communication tools. The CEO frequently expresses his dissatisfaction in offensive emails, personally attacking the staff. This behaviour has been normalised and repeated by middle management, creating a hostile work environment, full of stress. You are expected to take accountability for issues that are not even remotely your fault, and never stand up for your self. Working from home is also expected, sometimes even demanded, so is skipping your lunch break and working overtime. Salaries are relatively low, with no additional benefits, considering the workload and lack of work-life balance. Demotions are common, therefore getting promoted is highly unlikely and if you do that can be reversed within weeks. All of the above completely justify the alarming employee turnover, which management appoints to people not wanting to work. Any efforts towards improvement are in the wrong direction, creating an increasingly more strict environment where employees are discouraged to talk to each other or express their concerns to their supervisors. Most employees do not survive longer than a year, those who do are overworked and fully conform to the toxic environment.

I joined Monolithos with prior industry experience in industrial R&D environment and my assessment is based on professional comparison rather than first employment impressions. Exposure to research projects, EU reporting frameworks, technical documentation and collaborations offer solid professional foundation. Professional development is meaningful encouraged and funded through opportunities to participate in postgraduate studies aligned with our role. From an operational standpoint, we are provided with the equipment and support to fulfill our tasks. Infactrusture and lab capabilities have expanded over time, reflecting investment in operation rather than stagnation. As researchers, we are regularly assessed by external certification entities. As a consequence, lab protocols and documentation are formally maintained and strengthened over time. All in all, the culture is demanding yet unequivocally professional.

This is not a relaxed 9-5 environment. Expectations are high, the environment is constantly changing and the learning curve can be steep. Future colleagues who prefer loosely structured environments or minimal accountability may find the expectations challenging.