Languages used include both object-oriented and Internet development languages from Java, to Perl, C++, Smalltalk, SQL, and JavaScript. All network communications equipment is standardized on Cisco. Millennium is a member of the Customer Advisory Board for the Veritas-Oracle-Sun (VOS) initiative. Much of the software developed in-house is based on CORBA standards and the company is represented on the OMG board. Millennium is investigating wireless and Internet business strategies to their growing Internet strategy. They recently signed a partnership agreement with Caliper Technologies to develop lab-on-a-chip technologies, the first in genomics.

The company offers employees a choice of HMO or point-of-service medical plans, dental, life, and accident insurance. The company matches a portion of employee contributions to a 401(k) plan. Employees are eligible for a discounted stock purchase plan and all employees have stock options. Vacations start at three weeks a year; there are 10 company holidays. Tuition is reimbursed. There is financial assistance for parking and transportation. Coffee, tea, and hot cocoa are free.

Social activities include weekly gatherings where employees enjoy food and drink, exchange ideas, and get to know each other. The company emphasizes working hard, having fun, and taking risks. John Sanchez, Human Resources Manager, says, "We have a dedicated Fun Team that organizes social events, such as afternoon teas and evening parties." Other events include Halloween parties, summer outings, and occasional company-wide scavenger hunts. The company sponsors teams or clubs for recreational activities, such as softball. "The IT department has both a foosball and a ping pong table," says Sanchez. Other events have included name-the-t-shirt-theme parties, ski trips, a paint ball outing, and a winter holiday party with "Lisa Lisa" and "Kool and the Gang" to entertain.

Standard dress is very casual, including shorts and t-shirts. Official hours are from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Travel is optional for many positions.

Millennium licenses its technology platform to pharmaceutical companies, but in an approach that differentiates it from competitors like Incyte Pharmaceuticals and Human Genome Sciences, has developed a method for screening target genes for their reaction to drugs. Finding genes that respond to drugs, then determining which diseases they are related to, shortens the time it takes to develop a drug and yields a higher probability that the drug developed for that specific gene-disease combination will be successful. Mark Levin says on the company's web site "We believe that nothing is impossible," but the company's strategy is designed to increase the odds that the impossible will be accomplished in our lifetimes.

Millennium hired 25 technical professionals in the last year. In general, two to three of their new hires are entry-level. The company expects to hire 30 technical staff members in the next year. They have five percent turnover. Top college recruiting spots are Harvard, MIT, and the University of California at Berkeley. New candidates are generally found through employee referrals (36 percent), the Internet (18 percent), employment agencies (18 percent), advertising (11 percent), college recruiting (7 percent), unsolicited resumes (5 percent), and other means (5 percent).

In the IT department, staff members generally have a Bachelor's degree and five to ten years of experience. On the Informatics side, staff members, on average, hold advanced Computer Science, Biology, or Chemistry degrees. Demonstrated technical skills are required as the price of entry, but a cultural fit with the organization is also important. The company is addressing complex business and science problems, and, says DiCesare, "this requires great technical skills, great communication skills, and the ability to prioritize many highly visible projects." Entry-level candidates should have a genuine interest in the biotechnology industry. DeCesare explains, "We are working to improve the quality of life for people worldwide. That gets you out of bed in the morning."