Recruiting biotech talent is vital for growing teams looking for the best. With the California life science industry growing in cities like Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, many companies want the best of the industry to be on their team. If you’re a hiring manager or preparing to expand your life science organization, you know how mission-critical it is to place the right talent with a quick turnaround time. As time is money, and quality over quantity is a rule of thumb in talent acquisition, we have the seven tips for recruiting top biotech talent. By following these tips, you’ll be ready to attract, hire, and retain the best candidates in the industry.

Define your biotech talent needs clearly.

The first step to any good recruiting strategy is to define and outline your talent needs. Good questions to have answers to are what specific skills, qualifications, certificates, and experience are required? What type of professional can help fill the gap if the current team faces challenges? Consider company culture and team fits when looking to bring on new employees so that they are more likely to be happier in the role and stay on board long-term. When thinking about how success looks, then you can start building a strategy to target ideal candidates.

Build relationships with top universities and research institutions.

Building key relationships with major STEM universities and research institutions is one of the best methods of sourcing talent. Researching schools nearby with acclaimed programs and forming partnerships with these institutions can lead to a flow of talent in due time. Universities often look to partner with companies on internship programs, so their students can have work experience upon graduation. This can be an opportunity to create a network with students, professors, and researchers. Top universities and research institutions are a gold mine of the next bright biotech talent soon to join the workforce and eager to begin their life science careers. Stay ahead of the curve by developing these relationships and expanding your network of talent acquisition opportunities with the upcoming top biotech talent.

Attend industry events.

Most job opportunities come from personal recommendations, and while the life science industry is vast, it can become a small world at premier life science events. Biotech and life science events hold serendipitous moments for connecting with others and learning about those who could be the right fit for a role. While you can network with potential candidates, you can also network with potential referrers. Attending industry events is a staple in learning about the latest life science trends for talent acquisition and meeting biotech talent. Don’t forget your business cards and hiring materials for others to refer to in the future. Life science industry events are massive sources of talent and opportunities for generating interest in future collaboration.

Use social media effectively.

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for attracting and connecting with biotech talent when used to create a genuine community. Especially with platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, where many professionals find themselves, you can maintain contact with those in your network or make new connections. This can be a method of keeping the dialogue going with potential talent. It can even be used for reconnecting when the time is right. Through LinkedIn, you can also learn about candidates’ skills, experiences, and interests before you meet them. When used effectively, social media is a perfect tool for connecting with the best talent in the biotech industry.

Offer competitive salaries and benefits.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, a recent survey found that inadequate compensation was the most common reason for turnover. In our LinkedIn poll, results reflected that competitive counteroffers are one of the biggest challenges of recruiting biotech talent. What do both of these survey results tell us? Competitive salaries and benefits are a high priority for the quality biotech talent you seek. We recommend market research on life science industry compensation rates to ensure you offer sought-after salaries. Fair pay ranges can bring in your target candidates and leave room for their development within the company. Moreover, offering benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plans are also valuable to candidates.

Create a positive work environment.

In addition to offering competitive salaries and benefits, most employees and candidates seek positive company cultures and flexible work environments. A positive work environment involves supportive, collaborative, and innovative teams. Leaders with great company culture are attentive and encourage professional development. Teams that work together and communicate effectively can solve problems, innovate, and work efficiently. When providing opportunities for growth through projects or workshops, high-quality talent can continue their development and feel supported in their work. These are all methods of creating and maintaining a positive work environment to help attract and retain your best talent.

Be responsive and proactive.

When recruiting biotech talent, consider what could be done next and how to best keep candidates in the loop. This means responding to candidates promptly and answering their questions. In talent acquisition, you help guide candidates through their journey to becoming employees. As one of the first impressions a candidate has of a company, you want to ensure there is responsive, open communication. Being proactive also helps in reaching high-quality candidates. Sometimes candidates may not have Open to Work on their LinkedIn profiles and could still be interested in job openings if the right one comes along. Proactive searches can lead to recruiting the biotech talent you want on your team.

Recruiting Biotech Talent

Through incorporating these seven tips, you can find and connect with the best biotech candidates in the industry. In CBRE’s U.S. Life Sciences Research Talent 2023 report, some of the largest sources of biotech talent are in California. Now is a great time to expand your networks, form partnerships, and become active within the biotech industry. With these seven tips for recruiting biotech talent, you can attract and retain the best in the industry for your organization. Need help getting started? Contact us today! For nearly 20 years, BioPhase Solutions Inc. has maintained decades-long relationships with top California Pharmaceutical, Biotech, and Medical Device companies. When searching for the right individuals to join their team, we are their trusted source.