Business is not always a buyer’s market, and this is often true when it comes to pharma and biotech recruitment. Companies are competing for the best recruits, looking for the perfect candidate.
There are two distinct parts to this: the recruitment process, and, vitally, sealing the deal, where your chosen candidate says YES to your offer. The problem is when you go through the filtering process and find the ideal candidate, only for them to decline your offer.
Typically, outstanding candidates will have more than one offer on the table, and they may well have cast their net wide, or have been subject to various headhunting initiatives. Therefore, selecting them as your preferred choice is far from the end of the story. They then have to agree. What are the main reasons that many pharma and biotech firms fall at this crucial, final hurdle?
Process
At an interview, your candidate is assessing you, just as much as the other way around. A positive interview experience can be a crucial deciding factor in a candidate making up their mind about a prospective employer. You must be sure that when they have their interview with you, it is not a negative experience in any way. If the process is too complex or drawn out, this can be off-putting. It’s also vital that after the interview you keep them well informed of what is going on. Any poor planning, delay or procrastination on your part may count against you when your preferred candidate makes their final decision.
Keep your candidates engaged throughout. Demonstrate your commitment to them, and to the process.
Prospects
Anyone wanting to work in pharma or biotech will want to know about the potential for their career development. Employees leave due to a lack of career progression and, similarly, will be less likely to say yes to your offer if you cannot present them with opportunities for development. Therefore, at the recruitment stage, make it clear what kind of prospects there are associated with working for you.
Location
If you are based somewhere out of the way, or if your candidate will have to relocate to work for you, it can be off-putting.
As part of the recruitment process, listening to your candidates is vital, so you can be clear about their situation. If your first choice is a candidate who is reluctant to relocate, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Can you meet their needs?
Brand
What values does your brand represent? Prospective employees, especially millennials, are increasingly value-driven in their work choices. How your corporate brand appears publicly will also be how it appears in the labour market. Reputation is vital here, particularly when it comes to existing employees. They can be your greatest asset as brand ambassadors. Think about how your brand impacts on prospective job candidates at every stage of the process, including their contact with your current workforce when they visit you. If the candidate has doubts about your brand, they will be much less likely to accept your offer.
Are you doing enough to ensure your chosen candidates say yes? We specialise in finding the right quality candidates for key roles. We believe that excellence excels. Contact us to find out more.