Spotlight on Benelux Clinical Research

In this edition of our Spotlight series, we hear from Maria Lynch (Ní Loingsigh) who recruits clinical research professionals of varying seniorities, from entry-level CTAs all the way up to Head of Clinical Operations mainly in the Benelux region, but also across the EMEA region.

What are the main challenges affecting hiring in the market and why?

Of course, there are different challenges in different countries, but the key difficulty for many clients seems to be the shortage of skilled candidates that are willing to change companies for a similar role. Take Clinical Research Associates for example. Across Europe, the US, and Asia, most clients are looking for CRAs with 2+ years of independent monitoring experience, that speak the local languages. This shortage has many knock-on effects in the market.

For instance, if companies can’t hire enough experienced CRAs, then their existing CRAs have to take on that workload. This leads to poor work-life balance and many feel that they can’t do their essential work to a high enough standard, which can have a significant impact on their feeling of job satisfaction.?

How can we overcome those challenges?

Some companies’ solution to this is to offer candidates salaries that are way above the previous market rate. While it is great to see some candidates getting very well paid for their workload, this leads to another challenge because when the CRA wants to progress to the next level (normally Clinical Project Manager or Line Manager) they will probably have to take a pay cut. Not many candidates are willing to take on more responsibility for less pay, so it can lead to them getting stuck in a “golden cage”, i.e. working in the same position for longer than they would have wished. Similarly, in the Benelux region and quite a few other West European countries, it has become expected that a company will offer CRAs a company car or a hefty car allowance. Without this, many companies struggle to hire experienced talent.

Other companies offer promises of fast progression, but often this is dependent on their business needs, and it can lead candidates to believe that they should be able to progress after 1-2 years, which is typically not enough time to hone the skillset required to become a strong CPM/CRA Manager.

While we have seen both of these solutions work for some companies, it means that most candidates are only willing to move for a higher position or a much higher salary, so if clients can’t offer these things, they will lose out.

Most common FAQ from clients?

What can we do to attract good candidates?

The majority of candidates say that their ideal company would have most of these qualities: a good atmosphere, supportive management, and reasonable work-life balance (in terms of workload and flexibility).

If your company requires people to come to the office for a certain number of days per week, it could be worth examining why that is so essential. If a few days/quarter would work, then you will open yourself up to a much broader talent pool.

If the employees that leave your company complain about micro-management and lack of clear progression opportunities, it would be worth examining the training your managers receive and questioning your company’s management culture. After all, Clinical Research is a relatively small community and people talk, so your reputation will matter hugely when trying to attract talent.

Finally, what do you have in place to keep morale high? Posting pictures of training sessions, team buildings, and posts where you recognise your employee contributions will certainly be noticed by the market and will make your company seem much more attractive.

What can we do with our hiring process to increase the likelihood of a candidate accepting our offer?

If you are working with a recruitment agency, I would strongly recommend a one-step interview process. Tell your recruiter which questions to ask so that we can do the screening for you. Always give detailed feedback, whether positive or negative – not giving feedback is one way to destroy your reputation amongst candidates. Try to give feedback as soon as possible – I would say two days at most, because the sooner you make a decision and get in with an offer, the less chance you have of losing the candidate.

Keep in touch with your candidate or their recruiter throughout the process and after the offer has been made to see if they have received other offers, bear in mind you may need to increase an offer after it has been made if you really want to secure that candidate!

Most common FAQ from candidates?

What questions should I ask in interviews?

If progression is important to you, I would advise you to ask how performance is evaluated and recognised in their company. There is a fine line to walk here because employers can be wary of candidates that want to join just to get promoted and progress their career so I would suggest framing it in a way that shows you want to invest in their company so that you can grow with their business.

What questions should I avoid talking about in interviews?

I would also advise strongly against saying negative things about your current workplace. Instead of saying "I don’t have good work/life balance or good management or opportunities in my current company", instead say that you are interested in their company because you would like better work/life balance/management/opportunities, which you think they can provide you with. Even better if you can show your research that supports why you think their company aligns with your motivations!

What do companies look for in my CV?

Both hiring managers and HR alike will obviously check for how much relevant experience you have. If your role had an unusual title, make sure you highlight the responsibilities you had that match the role you are applying to. The next thing they will often check is how long you have stayed in each of your previous companies. Hiring teams are usually wary of "job hoppers" and prefer to see that you have stayed for at least three years with each employer – they want to make sure they won’t invest in you if you are just going to leave after less than two years. However, if your CV does contain short experiences, make sure you give an explanation as to why you left – it can make a big difference!

Any predictions for hiring in this market in the coming two to five years?

Companies, especially larger CROs will need to invest more in training junior candidates. Many companies worry that by doing this they will train candidates and give them the experience they need, and then the candidate will leave for a better offer once they are experienced enough to return on the company’s investment.

It is a risk certainly, but with the correct management, support, and progression opportunities your trained candidate will not have the incentive to leave. With the increased demand for better work-life balance, I also foresee an increase in part-time working or flexible hours that allow employees to fit a 40-hour work week into 4 days.