In recent times, both healthcare and life sciences industries including medical technology, biochemicals, and pharmaceuticals, have experienced exponential growth. With a surge in drug and novel medications development, it has become imperative that key players employ the best staff to ensure a high level of efficiency and productivity.
As a result of the increased demand for next-generation therapies, life sciences and healthcare businesses face stiff competition from rivals to secure the services of top, tech-savvy talent if they hope to remain relevant. This can become quite problematic if staff recruitment is done from within the organizations themselves.
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES STAFFING AGENCY
While it is generally agreed that hiring talent for healthcare and life sciences companies should be done via a professional recruitment agency, deciding on the particular recruitment firm to partner with is a decision that should be given due consideration. Outlined below are criteria to evaluate before choosing a staffing agency.
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC EXPERTISE
A key factor is the amount of expertise they possess in recruiting talent tailored to specific requirements of the prospective employer. As various life sciences and healthcare industries continue to expand and develop, the demands in terms of skilled personnel required to function in crucial roles have become more noticeable.
At The Planet Group, we don’t believe that a single staffing model can work for all. Each of our brands is dedicated to the needs of a specific industry so you can work with experts in your field who understand your challenges and objectives.
PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECH SPECIALISTS
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a surge in the demand for the services of analytical chemists. The increasing need for these pharmaceutical technology specialists parallels a rise in medical nano-tech and chemistry, which requires their expertise in analyzing and establishing the nature and safety of emerging medical compounds.
Another highly sought-after group of life sciences professionals are clinical trial managers. When taking into consideration the length of time and amount of finances invested in trying to secure FDA approval for a new drug, it is understandable that key players in the biopharmaceutical industry would seek to staff their organization with the best available specialist personnel.
In tandem with the ever-expanding biopharmaceutical industry, the demand for drug safety specialists is expected to increase rapidly. With the rise in the number of novel medical solutions being churned out, the need for drug safety specialists to monitor production processes and ensure adherence with regulations and standard operating procedures cannot be ignored.
In addition, the necessity to keep up to date with the sheer volume of increasingly complex medical advances has placed more emphasis on a previously little-known aspect of life sciences called medical writing. Expert medical writers are being increasingly pressured to provide exhaustive biostatistical information with regards to clinical research and new drug development, not only to the general public but to regulatory and ethical agencies as well.
When you partner with Planet Pharma, you benefit from high-quality services at a competitive cost. Whether you need on-demand staffing, direct hire or contract staffing solutions in pharmaceutical, biotech or research, we deliver exceptionally skilled profiles as quickly as possible so your projects don’t suffer any delay.
HEALTHCARE SPECIALISTS
The healthcare industry is currently experiencing significant breakthroughs in the area of surgery and oncology. As expected, the demand for specialized healthcare personnel to provide their services in these areas has also risen. While surgical technologists have become increasingly involved in the safe delivery of newer, cutting-edge procedures, registered nurses with a focus in oncology are critical to providing therapeutic and rehabilitative care for patients with various pathological tumors.
The rapid demand growth in healthcare professionals and IT services will soon create a shortage of talent, which will result in fierce competition between employers. Thanks to its ability to bridge the gap between healthcare and technology and access to a global network, Planet Healthcare is the leader in medical staffing.
TALENT POOL
Before selecting a staffing agency, potential employers need to determine if the agency in question has access to the type of candidates they want working at their organizations. It is dangerous to presume that all staffing agencies can reach the same profiles and simply choose based on convenience or cost of services. Important factors that will guide your choice of staffing agency include the size of the firm, the agility of their processes, their marketing abilities and their reputation within the corporate community.
TIME-TO-HIRE AVERAGE
The life sciences and healthcare industries are currently developing at a very fast pace and key players have to keep ahead by hiring the most innovative and versatile personnel to drive their objectives. The ability of a staffing agency to quickly provide the necessary talent is of utmost importance. Delays in securing the right candidates could significantly diminish the efficiency and productivity of the affected companies. When you use global workforce solutions provided by staffing agencies, the time it takes to fill positions can decrease dramatically. At The Planet Group, we offer customizable programs which include bespoke reporting to analyze key metrics. These key metrics include lead-times and quality-based ratios such as submission to placement and adherence to compliance in order to track performance and actively speed up your time-to-hire.
LONG-TERM STAFFING SUCCESS RATE
Depending on the objectives of the potential employer, it is important to clarify the staffing firm’s expertise in securing candidates to fill long term positions. If the goal is to secure dedicated long-term talent to develop their careers with the firm, then prospective employers need to carefully assess the long-term staffing success rates of the recruitment agencies to ensure they are in tandem with their unique requirements.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Key questions to ask include how the agencies source their candidates (LinkedIn, Job Boards, personalized sourcing services) as well as the pre-employment screening process they conduct. Top agencies should have well-structured recruitment processes which should include adequate background verification, behavioral screening, and skills assessment.
REPUTATION
Staffing agencies should be built on reputations for delivering the best quality talent to their clients. Employers should only consider recruitment agencies with a proven track record of providing excellent connections between talent and the organizations seeking their services.
ACCOUNTABILITY
It is critical to consider how accountable your staffing partner is. Considering the sensitive nature of the industry, which is fraught with ethical and process regulatory concerns, it is vitally important that their hiring be conducted in a transparent and thorough manner. This is to ensure that potential employers are guaranteed talent who will perform assigned duties well within ethical and professional boundaries.
COMMUNICATION
Ideally, employers should be able to contact their agency easily to express concerns and gain clarifications regarding the recruitment process. Top players in staffing life sciences and healthcare industries provide a client-based approach to communication with representatives making visits to individual firms to establish an understanding of their unique goals or objectives. This is key to determining the right talent fit for any given organization.
THINGS EMPLOYERS NEED TO DO WHEN CONTACTING A STAFFING AGENCY
To ensure a smooth and timely recruitment process, there are a number of important actions the employer needs to perform.
WRITE OUT A CLEAR BRIEF OF EXPECTATIONS/HIRING NEEDS
Employers should always attempt to be as specific as possible when discussing their hiring needs. Important clarifications cover the duration of the employment contract (short term or long term?) as well as unique requirements (background checks, talent diversity). A clearly outlined brief of hiring expectations will result in a smoother and speedier process of recruitment with a high level of employer satisfaction.
PRIORITIZE SELECTION CRITERIA
Just because talent is available does not mean they are suited to particular organizational roles. Prospective employers should prioritize the most desirable employee qualities and skills they require as this will reduce delays in finding the right fit and reduce employee turnover rates.
WEIGH THE RATIO COST OF OUTSOURCING/QUALITY OF HIRES
Deciding to utilize the services of a staffing agency is a business decision where the benefits should be weighed against the quality of staff being hired, so employers get maximum value for their investments. Opting to do business with a cheaper agency might seem like an economically smart choice initially, but the heightened risk of employing poorly selected and ill-equipped personnel will prove to have damaging effects on organizational objectives in the long term.
The Planet Group takes pride in the quality of its services. With 20 years of experience in fitting organizations with top candidates, we deliver perennial solutions in fast-growth sectors.
SECURE THE RIGHT STAFFING, ACHIEVE YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
At The Planet Group, we are dedicated to providing the very best staffing solutions for industries all over the world. We are proud of our ability to secure mutually beneficial and long-lasting employer-employee connections.