CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT

http://biotech.nature.com • MAY 2002 • VOLUME 20 • nature biotechnology 525

Our firm was recently assigned a recruit-ment search by a client who had previ-

ously gone through an unsuccessful searchwith another search firm. Although this firmhas a first-rate reputation, they had come upempty when seeking high-caliber candidatesto fill the position of vice president of regu-latory affairs for a major pharmaceuticalcompany. The salary was competitive. Thebenefits were generous. The location wasquite desirable, and the position itself wasquite attractive. Yet, interestingly, the jobremained open. Why?

The difficulty in attracting the attentionand interest of the best candidates boileddown to something that should have beenapparent and is increasingly a factor inrecruitment these days, particularly when itcomes to searches for drug discovery, drugdevelopment, and regulatory affairs profes-sionals: attracting and retaining the bestpeople may have less to do with money thanpeople realize. Despite all the headlinesabout instant wealth and overnight million-aires at Internet startups, dollars don’t drivemany people, particularly in R&D profes-sions. Although compensation is important,other crucial factors are key motivators. Alack of awareness of and sensitivity to theseother factors may mean missing or alienat-ing the best candidates and coming upempty handed.

This knowledge is especially critical whenrecruiting for R&D positions. As the phar-maceutical industry has consolidated inrecent years and companies have shed ancil-lary businesses, building the best and largestR&D engine has become a major focus.Moreover, there is competition from boththe public and private spheres of thebiotechnology sector. To some candidates,the science behind biotech companies isextraordinarily compelling.

Because they are in such great demand,R&D professionals—much like professionalathletes—are now in a position to pick andchoose among what they perceive as the most

attractive opportunities. Understanding theirmindset and priorities, therefore, should givecompanies a leg up in attracting and keepingthe professionals who play such critical rolesin the highly competitive world of life sciencebusinesses. In addition, individuals should beaware of how to present themselves in thebest light with regard to the business of thehiring company. For example, a pre-IPObiotech company will have different scientificand financial strategies, milestones, and end-points than an established pharmaceuticalcompany.

Part top manager…Stereotypes and generalizations can be dan-gerous, but in our experience, it is safe to saythat the R&D professionals with whom wehave worked have a somewhat differentmindset from other business professionals.In fact, the most successful—those who haveattained leadership positions in their com-panies—are hybrids of a sort. They possesstraits most commonly associated with suc-cess in a senior scientific position, as well astraits required of top leaders in general man-agement positions. This combination is notan easy one to come by, which partiallyexplains why these individuals are suchscarce commodities.

Clients who seek senior R&D profession-als hardly expect them to work in isolation in a lab. Although skills honedthrough years of research are crucial, so arebroad-based management skills that willenable candidates to mesh within a compa-ny’s top-management team. A recent position specification for a senior position ata major biotechnology company took noteof the following requirements, among oth-ers, of a successful candidate: (i) seasonedand established business experience and a

360-degree view that would complementthose of the senior management team; (ii)10–15 years working in senior, global man-agement capacities; (iii) experience imple-menting a global program; (iv) familiaritywith all matters that may affect R&D andmanufacturing; and (v) recognition in thefield combined with exceptional leadershipand communication skills. Though these cri-teria generally have a heavy R&D compo-nent, equally important is the top-manage-ment perspective and experience requiredfor success in this key management position.

…Part scientistHaving completed many assignments torecruit scientific and clinical executives forclient organizations, we have developed con-siderable insight into the mindset of theseindividuals, their modus operandi, and whatmotivates them in their work and relation-ships with other executives in the organiza-tion.

It is important to recognize that clinicaland scientific executives are concerned notonly with their standing and reputation intheir companies and the larger industrycommunity, but also vis à vis their peers inthe scientific community.

Because of concerns about professionalreputation, combined with a typicallymethodical approach to their work, top scien-tific executives tend to be extremely loyal, task-oriented, and dedicated to their work and therequired follow-through. For someone work-ing, for example, on a submission to the Foodand Drug Administration, seeing that projectthrough to completion would likely be moreimportant than taking immediate advantageof a new job opportunity—even a particularlyattractive one. This would be important notonly from the personal point of view of com-pleting a critical project, but also because sci-entific freedom, integrity, and credentials arekey motivators for executives in these posi-tions. The more submissions completed, thehigher one’s standing rises among one’s scien-tific and academic peers.

The key to recruitmentThe recruitment of first-rate R&D execu-tives is tough, particularly when they are in

R&D professionals—much likeprofessional athletes—are nowin a position to pick and chooseamong what they perceive as themost attractive opportunities.

To recruit the best R&D professionals, understand what drives themScientific integrity and community standing, maybe more than dollars, attract the best R&D professionals.

Charlene Reed

Charlene Reed is a director at Spencer Stuart,2020 Main Street, Suite 350, Irvine, CA92614 (creed@spencerstuart.com).

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nature biotechnology • VOLUME 20 • MAY 2002 • http://biotech.nature.com

CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT

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great demand. We recommend that clientsmake an effort to understand what makesthese individuals tick, and then tailor theirrecruitment and retention initiativesaccordingly.

The first step is to recognize that theseexecutives may differ from other seniorexecutives in an organization in terms oftheir work style, what motivates them, andthe goals they wish to achieve. The sameearly training that creates someone whoworks in a highly organized fashion,according to an all-important process, willinevitably create a far different managerthan if the person has made his or her wayup through the organization by way ofsales or finance, which are functional areasthat are typically less process-orientedthan R&D, and where executives areexposed to management training programsat an earlier stage.

We recently completed an assignment tofill an R&D position in San Francisco. Oneparticularly desirable candidate in NewYork was attracted to the position, butthere was a critical sticking point: the candidate was in the middle of a projectand would not leave until he completed itand made sure he had done everything

possible to find positions for those whoreported to him. The new position was ahighly attractive one, but the candidatewould not consider leaving his currentemployer, his project, and his direct subor-dinates in the lurch.

Once the client understood the issuesand priorities from the candidate’s view-point, they decided to be more flexibleabout the timing of the hire, and were thusable to recruit this outstanding individual.He now possesses the same degree of loyal-ty to our client and their key projects thathe previously displayed to his formeremployer.

The key to being recruitedLife science companies that wish to recruittop-notch R&D professionals should keepin mind that it is basically a buyer’s market:there is steep demand for these individuals,and there are simply not enough of them togo around. Companies that hope to attractand retain the candidates best qualified tofill these positions should keep stringentrequirements to a minimum by thought-fully identifying those skills and personalcharacteristics truly critical to the positionand focusing only on those essentials. This

flexibility could make the differencebetween winning and losing out on a first-rate candidate. In addition, companiesshould also try to remain flexible on issuessuch as timing and intellectual freedomthat may be particularly important topotential candidates concerned about theircurrent projects and their standing in theacademic and scientific communities.Individuals interested in entering industryshould be cognizant of the fact that compa-nies are in business. Although companiesmay be able to allow some latitude withrespect to issues of timing and intellectualfreedom, they must move forward asquickly as possible. Therefore, timelyresponsiveness on the part of a candidate isthe best tactic to take if he or she wants topursue the opportunity.

Ultimately, those companies that bestunderstand the mindset of these profes-sionals and what they value in their workwill be able to attract the best candidates.The best candidates will be open, commu-nicative, and available throughout therecruitment process. Understanding andcommunication on the parts of both thecandidate and the company will result in amutually successful hire.

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