GenomeWeb Best Places to Work Winner, 51-100 Employees: Genomenon
Genomenon’s mission is to curate the entire human genome. This bold, plain, unambiguous goal is central to why Genomenon was named a GenomeWeb Best Place to Work, said CEO Mike Klein.
“We see a world where every variant for every disease is well understood and at the fingertips of every clinician and every drug development researcher,” Klein said. “We're very upfront about our mission. I think that drives and allows us to recruit people that are focused on having an impact on patients’ lives, and we reinforce that with our culture and our core values.”
Genomenon employs genetic scientists, former clinicians, and other professionals, as well as artificial intelligence, to curate and provide the actionable insights behind genetic data on its Mastermind Genomic Intelligence platform and the Cancer Knowledgebase it recently acquired from The Jackson Laboratory. The company was founded in 2014, spun out of the University of Michigan.
Genomenon’s Ann Arbor origins inform one of its five core values: humble confidence. “We really have a Midwest humbleness with a global lens about what we're doing, but also a confidence in what we're doing and where we're going,” said Klein. This value, along with always learning, being data driven, having “true grit,” and being patient- and customer-focused, define Genomenon’s culture, he said.
Though not officially a core value, frequent, honest, transparent communication is also central to Genomenon’s success as an employer, Klein said. When the company went remote and grew during the pandemic, quarterly employee surveys showed that employees were unsatisfied with the level of communication from the executive team, he admitted. Now, he updates the company every week on the plans, performance metrics, and progress discussed in executive team meetings.
This communication is critical as Genomenon has shifted to being a fully remote company. “We’ll never be a back-to-office company, at least as far as I can see,” he said. “We've got employees everywhere from California to Florida to Connecticut to London and Bosnia. We have built this remote workforce, and we're not going to lose those employees because we tell them they're all going to have to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan.”
To keep employees connected, Genomenon hosts annual all-hands summits in Ann Arbor in addition to quarterly all-hands virtual celebrations to recognize employee achievements. Rewards for receiving the company’s Core Value Award include a plaque, an item specific to the employee’s personal ambitions, and a branded Yeti tumbler mug that Klein said serves as a badge of honor when employees are together.
Genomenon offers a range of professional development programs including educational and conference reimbursement, internal workshops, training programs and manager development. The company also has structured pathways for advancement.
All US employees receive access to flexible paid time off on day one of their employment — with most team members taking an average of 15 days a year — eight weeks of paid parental leave, four weeks of pregnancy disability leave, and eight paid holidays, as well as a 401(k) match and an equity grant that vests over four years.
