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Pharma Management Shifting Recruitment Patterns In The Pharma Industry By Suzanne Elvidge, contributing editor C hanging jobs is a big deal at the best of times for both employers and employees, but as the recession continues in many major markets, this really isn't the best of times, even for a growing area like the pharmaceutical industry. So how has recruitment in the pharma industry changed, and who actually has the upper hand? A number of factors have changed the profile of employment, and therefore recruitment, in the pharma industry. These factors range from macro effects such as the financial downturn, to industry and drug-specific issues including mergers and acquisitions, rising drug-development costs, and the impact of the patent cliff, including the growth of biosimilars and biogenerics. All of these have led to job cuts, explains Victor Kleinman, executive vice president and managing director for the global life sciences practice at the U.S.-based executive search organization DHR International. "The downturn has had an impact on R&D;, but mostly on the commercial side — roles in licensing, business development, product management, marketing, and sales have taken the major brunt of the layoffs," says Kleinman. However, despite all this, some areas are still actively recruiting, such as market access, regulatory affairs, clinical development, and quality assurance, according to Kleinman and Tarquin Bennett-Coles, principal at the United Kingdom- and U.S.based executive search company Coulter Partners. Newer areas are also growing, such as translational and personalized medicine, as are CROs, as companies are using them more to avoid 40 LifeScienceLeader.com committing to fixed costs. THE CHANGING RECRUITMENT PROCESS As money becomes tighter and staff head counts get smaller, employers are becoming more cautious about hires. As BennettColes explains, "Our clients are asking to see more candidates and needing them to see more people within the organization." The upside of this is that it allows the comfort of a consensus agreement, a perceived sharing of financial risk, and time to get more background information on individuals. However, it comes with a downside, too. "While time to shortlist has not markedly changed, the length of the client interviewing process has extended considerably and in many cases may take three months or more before reaching offer stage," says Bennett-Coles. "This means that the companies that move the quickest will get the candidates." FROM THE CANDIDATE'S PERSPECTIVE There have been changes for candidates as well as for employers. Shrinking teams are actually creating roles that are more interesting and can improve people's employability. "Management teams are smaller and working with fewer resources and so clients want people with a much wider spread of skills," says Bennett-Coles. "This is creating a new July 2013 layer of candidates with multiple skills who are being stretched more and enjoy the breadth of the role, as each day may be very different." It's no longer just about the lead candidate either. As the time taken for recruitment into senior roles lengthens, it can be vital to have someone waiting in the wings. "During the past year, clients have looked for more backup candidates. While first-line candidates — often from a competitor — may be the closest fit for the client's recruitment brief, the mere fact that they have been headhunted while not actively looking may make them ask for more from the client. Secondline candidates, who know that they are not the front runners, may be prepared to be more flexible and tend to be more motivated because they have to 'prove' themselves to get to the offer stage," says Bennett-Coles. However, the longer process can be arduous and stressful for applicants. It can also lead to pharma companies losing good candidates, to the detriment of both parties, and is not sustainable. "The process could involve up to 15 interviews or more, which can take its toll emotionally on candidates, as well as making it difficult to free up the time needed for travel and interviews. There is more risk of candidates simply having an 'off day' at any individual interview and more risk of the news getting out into the wider market that they are 'looking',"