He who hesitates in Pharma Recruiting…

“If you’re going to point a gun,

you’d better be ready to pull the trigger.”

– Marcus Wright, Terminator Salvation

While your business may not be on the brink of extinction at the hands of malevolent cyborgs as was the human race in Terminator Salvation, there are competitors and market forces that certainly have the potential to beat you down.

When you have a business decision in your sights, waiting too long to “pull the trigger” can be a big mistake and unfortunately, in many cases pharmaceutical and biotech industry management may not even be able to measure the downside of dawdling because the costs are in opportunities lost. Here are some examples of how going into slow motion can impact the hiring and recruitment process.

Disclaimer: This blog was previously posted by Seuss Consulting and has been slightly modified for Seuss Recruitment.

Recruiting decisions delayed

When you’re recruiting one or more persons to add to your team, you need to understand at the beginning that you are approaching them. They cannot be handled in the same way you would work with applicants who are submitting resumes for an open, advertised position.

Can we talk? Considering the multiple governments, cultures and languages in the EU, the recruiting and hiring process for biotech and pharma positions is sometimes more like negotiating Pan’s Labyrinth than running a 100-meter dash down the straightaway. Ergo, we need to narrow our focus today and have decided to concentrate on the importance of making timely decisions.

First, candidates who you are recruiting for clinical staff or other positions may well be on the radar for other companies as well as yours. When you allow the process to draw out too long, you make the conditions more favorable for the competition. There’s one more wrinkle to add here: by taking too much time, you allow the candidate’s current employer to “sweeten the deal” and your prospective hire might just decide to stay put.

Reflection on company culture

Put yourself in the position of a professional who is being recruited, or even one that is going through the standard hiring process. The prospective company has, at least on some level, recognized a need and you are being considered to meet that need.

If the hiring process begins to take too long, it makes you as a potential employee question the company in at least two levels. First, does the company really need the service that you would perform if hired. If they can delay the final decision for such a long period of time, there must be no urgency to fill it. What are you walking into? Is the position clearly defined and will you be satisfied with the work?

Second, when the process is dragging, it also reflects on management’s ability to make timely decisions. Perhaps there are too many people involved in making decisions at this company and they cannot reach a consensus. Maybe it’s just a slow-moving corporate culture and you’re accustomed to a fast-paced working environment.

The costs of slow playing pharmaceutical recruitment

Of course, the obvious cost is losing your preferred candidate. Beyond that however, you’ll never realize the benefits your first choice would have brought to your company. Also, presumably you wanted to fill this vacant position, or add this person to your expansion team, to help accomplish a business goal. Pushing off the hire, delays achieving the intended results.

Finally, over time your organisation creates a perception among professionals in the industry. It’s probably preferable to be seen as somewhat aggressive, or at least nimble and decisive. Misplays in your recruiting and hiring systems, that start to pile up, just don’t reflect well on your company.

In Annie Hall, Woody Allen said a relationship is like a shark,