Economic boom in the life sciences: how you can win the “War of talent”

6 tips for hiring managers and HR

Just a short time ago we feared a crisis on the labour market. Despite this, pharma and biotech have held up well and have been stable throughout the coronavirus period, although recruitment was on the back burner. Initial training, communicating the corporate culture, leadership and the first 100 days on the job are tough working from home.

The rapid recovery comes almost unexpectedly, and massive pent-up demand with it. Life-science professionals who were already in demand are becoming a scarce commodity. With the success of pharma and biotech, capacities are being built-up and expanded.

How does a medium-sized company find the talented people it is looking for alongside the big players? In addition to factors such as salary, bonuses, development potential, holidays and pension fund, topics such as mobile working and working from home have also been added.
However, the sought-after specialists, experts and managers are spoilt for choice. This stands and falls with the personality of the direct superior and the interaction in the team. First: find and be found; professionals on a dormant job search create targeted search templates and only respond to the most exciting offers. And: in the subsequent interview process, it is often the superior who tips the scales and not always the company and products.

This means that the middle and senior management levels play a decisive role in the "War of talent"!

Use our 6 tips for your organisation:

1. Structure the job advertisement

Still the first choice for staffing needs. Involve the hiring manager as early as possible in the whole process. He should check the job advertisement to see whether the most attractive activities are listed for the desired target group. Choose the wording carefully. Leave out anything that dilutes your key message.

2. Job title

In the online advertisement, the job title is the eye-catcher and trigger. Internal company job titles are often not common on the market. If the job title does not appeal to the target group, the ad will not be clicked on and will remain invisible. Swap ideas with the department here and test different variants.

3. Triage applications

Technical CVs are not self-explanatory for everyone. The classification of the described professional competences requires some prior knowledge from the field. The use of simple checklists that respond to key words and assigning matching points is risky. Let a specialist from the field support you already at the triage stage.

4. Telephone interview and preliminary clarifications

The earlier the subject-specific terms are mentioned, and the person of the superior becomes visible, the more of a bond that can be built. Professionals can sense expertise and interest that goes beyond pay scales and notice periods or probing questions about gaps in their CVs. Ask for specific expertise and thus meet the specialists you are looking for on an equal footing. Scientists and engineers like to be self-critical here and answer in a correspondingly differentiated way. Prepare well.

5. Interview with the department

Many young managers in the field are not trained in interview techniques, despite excellent training. Interview dialogue resembles small talk. No structure is defined in advance. Decisions are made according to subjective benchmarks and gut feeling. In the interview the superior concentrates on selling the company and the job. They build little rapport; crucial questions are forgotten, or answers are not actively picked up. The interview time slips away, the interested applicant was not able to connect and withdraws.

6. React promptly

Time is a critical factor. Quick line feedback is important, you drive the process forward, go into 2nd round without having completed the first round. Take an iterative approach, remain flexible, do not fixate on individual candidates. Think in terms of opportunities and close at the right moment. This is how you land your catch!

Our offer:

These are precisely the points where I support my clients in the projects and newly with our training as of autumn 2021! Well trained, your management can help attract the right candidates for your company. I will be offering new workshops on this topic in autumn under the www.talent-and-training.com brand.

This is a subject close to my heart!

Irmtraud Lang

Dr Irmtraud Lang is a chemist and has been self-employed in pharmaceutical industry recruitment for nearly 20 years. In 2020, she founded the company "Dr Irmtraud Lang, Talent Training GmbH” and offers training and workshops on the topic of talent management: recruiting and advertising. The offer is continuously being developed. Find out more at www-talent-and-training.ch