Choosing a Life Sciences Staffing Firm

Recently the Life Sciences industry, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical devices, is experiencing accelerated growth. With a surge in drug and novel medications development, it has become essential that companies employ the best talent to ensure a high level of competency and productivity.  As a result, Life Science companies compete to secure top talent if they wish to remain relevant. This can become somewhat challenging when internal recruitment resources are taxed and cannot effectively manage the demands of a hypercompetitive talent pool.

Selecting a staffing firm to partner with requires due diligence and consideration.  Below are six insights and questions to ask when evaluating a firm to partner with:

1. Industry Expertise – As the industry continues to develop and grow, the demands of hiring highly skilled employees required to function in vital roles have become more relevant.
   • What amount of industry expertise does the firm possess in recruiting talent? 
   • Is the talent tailored to the specific requirements of the role?
   • Are there niche markets the firm considers itself “an expert’ in?
2. Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, or Medical Device Expertise – The demand for talent specializing in these specialties requires expertise to efficiently align with your talent acquisition team.
   • Do the firm’s recruiters fully understand each specialty area?
   • How does the firm source its candidates?
   • What is the screening process?
   • Do they gravitate to Permanent recruiting, Contract to hire needs or Contract roles?
3. Talent Pool and Recruitment Process – Before selecting a staffing firm, prospective employers need to determine if the firm has access to the type of candidates they want working at their organizations.
   • What is the size of the staffing firm?
   • How nimble are their processes?
   • What are their marketing abilities?
   • Who are their references?
4. Time to Fill – The Life Sciences industry is currently evolving at a rapid pace and key players must keep ahead by hiring the most innovative and versatile talent to drive their objectives.
   • How efficient and expedient is the staffing firm in prioritizing the most important roles?
   • On average, how long is the time to fill a role?
   • What is the average timeline from submission to placement?
5. Accountability – Understanding how accountable your staffing partner is critical to the success of obtaining talent. 
   • What communication can be expected on the roles they are given to work on?
   • How does the firm prioritize what roles will be worked on and given the most focused resources?
   • Are there ways to improve success in the partnership, fill ratio, etc?
6. Transparency – Employers should always feel comfortable contacting their staffing partner to express concerns or gain additional clarity.   
   • What is the best way to structure a productive and efficient flow of communication for your partnership?
   • Ask for examples of how the most productive and successful partnerships work with that staffing firm.

In summary, deciding to partner with a staffing firm can return a maximum value for your investment.  Precision Life Sciences leverages over 50 years of staffing experience to deliver scalable solutions to Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Device companies through a unique targeted approach. We understand the value the right talent means to your company.  We also recognize the negative impact of time and resources on the wrong hire and the challenges of working with a typical Life Sciences placement service. 

Our team takes the time to get to know you, your objectives, help you identify key competencies you require, and align you with the precise resource and skill set that solves your specific challenges and needs.