Recruiting Strategies : Hiring Diagnostics and Life Science Candidates

Low unemployment rates pose significant challenges for companies seeking to hire new employees.

At Connexis Search Group, we work with life science, biotechnology, and medical device companies to help them hire specialized candidates such as:

• Sales representatives in the fields of oncology, cardiology, and neuromodulation.
• Molecular geneticists
• Medical science liaisons or MSLs
• Genetic counselors
• Software developers
• CLIA Lab Directors
• Molecular diagnostics lab personnel
• Immuno-oncology and bioinformatics scientists

In this article, we will review the process of recruiting hard-to-find, specialized candidates.

The Need for Exact Experience

Many recruiting experts (especially in the life science industry) suggest that hiring managers should be open to candidates who are not an exact fit and hire based on the candidate’s potential. This technique can be especially useful in a candidate-driven market. But what if you don’t have time to train a new employee, or you need them to have established relationships with your prospective clients? In other words, you need them to be productive immediately!

Companies that sell products or services to oncologists, interventional radiologists, and other specialists realize that these doctors don’t easily agree to meet with new sales representatives. For reps that do not have existing relationships, it may take up to six months to secure an appointment. This is the primary reason our clients desire candidates with existing relationships.

Now, let's examine one of the most common challenges in hiring such representatives and explore some strategies that can help you overcome them.

Non-compete Agreements

Non-competes are the first hurdle that you must address when recruiting candidates who have the exact experience you desire. Below are a few ways to work around reps with non-competes; however, be sure to seek legal advice when faced with this type of agreement.

• Hire candidates who have the same call points (i.e. oncologists, cardiologists, etc.), but sell a product that does not compete with your company. For example, a medical device rep selling equipment to oncologists would not violate their non-compete if they went to work for a company selling diagnostic tests.
  
  
• Look for candidates working for companies that do not pursue non-compete violators. How do you identify these companies? Determine if your company has hired reps from this company in the past without any issues. Ask your recruiter, as they can also provide valuable insights.
  
  
• Avoid transferring previous customers (gained via the employee's previous company) to your company during the non-compete period. This gives the candidate’s previous company less reason to pursue him/her.
  
  
• Let the rep cover a territory that they did not have with their previous company. They may not know the decision-makers, but they know your products and may be able to use their experience to make up for the lack of existing relationships.
  
  

For more comprehensive information on understanding non-competes, please watch the video below:

Additional Suggestions for Hiring Specialized Candidates:

1. Source candidates from failing companies

If a company is failing, it will not be focused on pursuing employees who violate their non-competes. How do you know which companies are failing? Tap into your existing reps and marketing team, as well as recruiters who specialize in your niche and industry publications for information.

2. Develop a bench of talent

Some companies have the luxury of having account managers or other support roles (technical support, clinical application specialists, etc.) who take care of existing customers. Groom these employees so they can advance to sales positions in the future. The talent war for specialized candidates has no end in sight. This allows you to be proactive and build a bench of talent.

3. Take care of your existing employees

We know how hard it is to find new employees. So it only makes sense to ensure you do not lose the good employees you already have. Keep in mind that other companies are pursuing your employees. Take the necessary steps to keep them happy and motivated to stay with your company long-term.

4. Have an effective recruiting strategy

Recruiting hard-to-find candidates is not easy and will take a concentrated effort from everybody involved in the hiring process. The most important part of the recruiting strategy is identifying great candidates and rapidly moving them through the process. Once you find a candidate, make an offer that is compelling. This is not the time to get cheap, or you may risk losing the perfect candidate.

Please contact us if you have any questions or need our assistance in identifying and hiring specialized candidates for your life science, biotechnology, and medical device company.