Yahoo’s who haven’t looked at the company website before their interview

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentMaybe our firm is a bit unique, or maybe I am just a bit naïve, but I expect every candidate who interviews for a position with our company to have at least taken a look at our company’s website and know what we do!  Along the same lines, when I put a candidate in front of one of my clients, I expect that candidate to know what that client’s organization does as well.

More importantly, by doing your homework and knowing what the company does before you speak with a company representative, you demonstrate your sincere interest and willingness to become a part of their organization. It is important for you to express that something the company does, creates, or represents has appealed to you personally. By preparing, you show you weren’t just applying to any job listed, but instead display that you took the time to hand-select this particular company for a reason, just like they hand-selected you for an interview.

During the interview, the hiring manager will most likely ask questions like “What do you know about us and what we do?  How will you fit into our organization? What are your career goals and how will working with this company enable you to work towards obtaining those goals?” You must know what the company does before you can expect them to seriously consider you as a future team member!

Additionally, having background information on what a company does will build your confidence. Knowing what they do will give you insider information to the questions they will most likely ask. This knowledge will also help you leverage the skills and experience you already have, and will give you the opportunity to match those skills to the company’s mission and goals.

Lastly, be sure to note where your research shows the organization is going as you will need to convey that both your and the organization’s goals align. Be clear that where they are headed is where you would like to be and you want to contribute to their success.

For more insight on how to prepare for interviews, check out our other interviewing articles.

Written by Jessica Nguyen

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Should I ask for Severance?

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWith the last few years of economic turmoil and recovery splattered with large corporate layoffs and an increased competitive job market, we realized the topic of severance needed to be covered. Despite its negative connotations, understanding your rights to severance and how to handle the situation as it arises may prove to be invaluable. So, first things first, do you know what severance is?

What is severance?   Severance is an amount of money given to an employee that is meant to help them during a time between jobs. Although it is most often monetary, severance can also come in the form of extended benefits.  The amount of severance can be predetermined in an employment contract; however, it can also be calculated on factors such as company size, length of employment, hierarchy reached in the company, and other elements depending upon the employment circumstances. When discussing severance, be sure to negotiate because unless otherwise stated in a contract, no terms are definitive.  Be firm in what you believe you are worth, however, always remember severance is given out in situations where a good relationship exists, so you do not want to burn any bridges while negotiating.

Am I eligible?

If you are a w2 employee, you may be entitled to severance if the company conducts massive layoffs without a 60-day notice and you are one of the impacted.  Additional entitlements include you taking an early and unforced retirement, or if you have an employment contract explicitly stating you are entitled to it. The main case for ineligibility is if an employee was fired with cause. Also, in more specific cases, employers may offer severance even though it is not required in order to maintain a healthy relationship and to avoid legal issues being brought up by the employee after leaving the company.  If you feel your employer is negotiating severance in order to diminish some of your legal rights, be sure to consult a lawyer as you will want to make sure the loss of any legal rights will not hurt you in the long run or put you in a compromising position.

Our suggestion to you is simple:  If you qualify for severance, ask for it! Companies plan this as an employee expense, but most people rarely ask for it. Although severance may not be an exciting prospect because it comes with the loss of a job, knowing the facts will help you be prepared for any future situations which in turn will make the down time between jobs a bit easier to manage.

Have any questions? Ask the team here and we will be happy to help.

Written by Meghan Tooher

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

How to get the most from LinkedIn Groups

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWe love using LinkedIn as it is an incredible professional networking site.  We have found that by connecting with clinical research professionals through the many “linking” avenues offered, we have been able to share our open positions and provide job search tips to many individuals in need.

One of our favorite connection avenues is through the use of LinkedIn Groups. If you aren’t a user of LinkedIn Groups, I would highly recommend you consider utilizing the multiple groups on LinkedIn as they can be an amazing way to personally brand yourself and build your professional network.

But how do you know if you are utilizing your LinkedIn Groups in order to get the best experience?

As you have hopefully seen, craresources has created a LinkedIn Group where we post relevant information about the daunting job search, clinical research industry updates, and our currently available positions. We think it’s pretty great, but are always thinking about you, and wanted to take a moment to provide some tips on how to get the most out of your LinkedIn Group experience. There are a few quick setting adjustments that can make a world of difference regardless of whether you are really invested in the group and want to receive updates all the time or just want to know what is going on without overloading your inbox.

How to: Go to the craresources group homepage. Then under the “More” tab, choose “Your Settings.” Here you can tailor the notifications you receive to best suit your schedule.

    • If you love commenting on new posts, you can choose to receive an email when new discussions are posted, or you can opt to check the group on your own time
    • Digest Emails are great for seeing all of the group activity in a quick summary. For the people who like to review industry happenings over their morning coffee, select to receive daily digests. For those of you who prefer a weekend catch-up session, you can choose to receive weekly digests only.
    • Announcements: This is our latest endeavor to best satisfy our members’ needs. Announcements are special posts from the group owner or manager that appear on the Group Feed, but are also sent to the members as an email. If you only want to see announcements as a group post, unclick this box and there will be no extra emails sent to you. But, if you would appreciate a summary of currently open jobs and updates stay connected and we will send them your way!
    • Lastly, if you are open to receiving LinkedIn messages from other group members, you can opt-in for those added connections.

We hope these quick and helpful hints will greatly improve your group experience with our company and others. Let us know if these tips helped; we are always open to feedback in order to improve our relationship!

Have any questions? Ask the team here and we will be happy to help.

Written by Meghan Tooher

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process or are considering a career change? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates or our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

5 Tips to Identify a GREAT Recruitment Agency

Posted on by March 18, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentAlthough my Mom has a vision of me working in a beautiful boardroom with professionals in suits, the outside world visualizes Recruiters equal to sleazy used car salesmen with hairy chests and gold chains.

Right? (no offense to used car salesmen…)

So if you are a client or candidate seeking to add quality professionals to your team or wish to find a new career opportunity, how do you identify a GREAT recruitment agency to work with?

1. They are experts regarding your industry:  Make sure the recruiting agency understands your industry.  In a perfect world, you want a niche recruiting agency which specializes only in your industry.  It is like learning a foreign language – you can take a class in Spanish and only be able to ask where the bathrooms are, or you can move to Mexico and become absorbed in the language…and thus turn into an expert!  A quality niched recruitment agency will make sure their recruiters are “absorbed” in the industry and can quickly identify quality candidates as well as quality hiring companies.

2. They provide Hiring consultation:  A mature recruiting agency will be more than a “match making agency” and will provide training for effective interviewing for both their candidates as well as their Hiring teams.  Additionally, look for agencies who assist with resume reviews for candidates, write job descriptions for clients, and provide consultation on compensation ranges to both candidates and clients.

3. They develop a relationship:   Working with a recruiting agency should be about developing a relationship, not a one-time business transaction.  You should be assigned a dedicated, seasoned, Account Manager….and this Account Manager shouldn’t leave after just a few months.  If you don’t feel your Account Manager is honest, transparent, and is genuinely interested in helping you, then this isn’t the recruiting agency for you.

4. Clients – They offer a guarantee:  Find out if your selected recruiting agency focuses on quality and offers a guarantee on their placements.  If your recruitment team has a robust recruitment and screening process, they will feel so strongly in their ability to identify excellent professionals they will offer a money back guarantee.

5. Clients – They do more than search job boards:  A quality recruiting company will “direct source” into targeted companies to find quality candidates rather than just post positions and wait for the unhappily employed or unemployed to apply.  This means that you are going to hire an employee who has made a career choice to be a part of your company…not just someone who needs a job.

The last statement I would make is about payment.  I would always recommend you work with an agency who behaves like you have them on retainer, but only gets paid when they make a placement.  And by the way, as a candidate you should never have to pay a dime!  These agencies are few and far between, are true partners to you and your organization, and practice the “and then some factor”.

I would love to hear your thoughts about what characteristics you like in a great recruitment agency.

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process or are considering a career change? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates or our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

The Pros and Cons of Being an Independent Consultant

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentChoosing between independent consulting and being a company’s employee is an important decision. Each choice has its pros and cons, and being fully informed of the benefits and drawbacks will help you decide what is best for you.

We have put together a quick Pro/Con list based off of our discussions with candidates.  This list is not intended to be all inclusive, but hopefully will make sure you have more information to help you make your decision.

Pros of being an independent consultant:

You have more flexibility with your schedule. If you want to spend the summer with your family in Spain, you are able to choose projects to accommodate your plans.  Like to be off on Fridays?  This is easier to coordinate as a consultant.

You choose which projects to work and which to pass up. If you have a passion for oncology, being an independent consultant gives you the freedom to work only oncology trials. Similarly, if you find cardiology trials to be uninteresting, you can avoid these projects. You can also be more selective as it relates to the type of company you wish to work with (Sponsor vs. CRO, Large vs. Small, Pharma vs. Biotech or Device, etc.).

You may have the ability to take additional tax deductions. If you are an independent consultant, you can write off everything considered to be a business expense. This can include non-reimbursed travel expenses, home office equipment and supplies, home office space, internet and telephone services, etc.

Additionally, independent consultants can typically earn higher hourly rates because company’s incur less overhead and burden costs than they would when hiring full-time employees.

Cons of being an independent consultant:

You now have two jobs – your clinical research contract position and marketing yourself for your next clinical research contract position.  Being a consultant means you are responsible for finding your next contract so you will have to stay focused on constant networking and personal branding. Depending on how often your trials turn over, you may be searching for new trial work several times a year.

You are responsible for your own health insurance and retirement plan. Many talented clinical research professionals choose to be directly employed by a company because of benefits. Providing your own health insurance can be pricey, and putting money aside for your retirement requires a lot of discipline.

You no longer have paid time off. It is simple – when you are not working, you are not getting paid.

You are responsible for providing your own clinical research professional liability insurance. Although the cost is not significant, traditional employees enjoy the benefit of being covered by their employer company while Independent consultants are required to cover themselves.

You are responsible for paying your own taxes. This doesn’t mean you will pay more taxes, it just means you have to do it instead of someone else doing it for you.  This means you will need to be disciplined enough to continually set aside a portion of your hourly rate pay your own withholdings.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits, as well as drawbacks, to being an independent clinical research professional.  In order to make the right decision, you must evaluate what’s most important to you in terms of both your professional and personal lives.

Have any questions?  Ask the team here and we will be happy to help.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Neglecting Your Job Description Will Cost You

Posted on by February 13, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentThe job description is an often overlooked aspect of the hiring process. This is unfortunate because having an accurate and attractive job description is the foundation for successfully placing and maintaining a candidate for any given position. Having problems with your attrition rate? Go back and examine the job descriptions for those positions. Are they updated? Accurate? Neglecting your job descriptions will cost you in three major ways.

  1. Time. If your job descriptions are vague and confusing, you are going to receive a lot of resumes from unqualified applicants. Instead of focusing on candidates who meet all of your prerequisites and qualifications, you’ll be sitting behind your desk leafing through resumes all day. By the time you do run across that “allstar” candidate, he may have taken another opportunity.
  2. Money. Having an inaccurate job description will cost you financially as well. If your job description doesn’t specifically outline the actual duties and responsibilities of the position, the person you hire will leave 9 times out of 10. They’re not getting what they signed up for. If your job description is accurate, you’ll save yourself the cost of finding, interviewing, and training another employee.
  3. Sanity. Perhaps most importantly, accurate job descriptions minimize conflict. You’ll never have to worry about the rebuttal “That’s not my job!” One of the best ways to ensure that your job description is accurate is to speak with the employee vacating the position, if appropriate of course. Have them give you insights into their day to day activities, the “behind the scenes” details and duties that keep things going.

Investing time in your job description is crucial if you are serious about finding the right candidate the first time around. It’s much more than a net you cast out, it’s a guidebook to the position itself. You will interview based off of it (“Explain your experience with XYZ,” “How many years have you”) and you will use it as a performance metric throughout the life of the position (“Are you fulfilling your duties?”). Investing a little extra time into your job description will save you big in the end.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

Qualities Hiring Managers Want Most

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentPerhaps the most intimidating thing about searching for a new job is understanding what qualities hiring managers are looking for in potential employees. Fortunately, there are certain candidate qualities all hiring managers look for, regardless of the industry.

Someone who is hands on. When interviewing, you can demonstrate this quality by walking your interviewer through a project you’ve worked on while highlighting your individual contributions and accomplishments.  Make sure you are emphasizing what tasks you have done (using the pronoun “I”) rather than just what the overall team accomplished (using the pronoun “We”).

Strategic thinkers. Show your interviewer your logic and intuitiveness. If applicable to the position, prepare a 90 day plan that details your “plan of attack” for you first few months at the company.

Someone who is comfortable speaking and addressing people. Virtually every position you could hold involves some degree of communication. Whether it’s speaking with customers, coworkers, or clients, hiring managers are looking for employees who can keep a conversation moving smoothly. This can be demonstrated in the interview itself by not fidgeting and having answers prepared beforehand.

Leadership ability. Even if the position you are applying for doesn’t entail overseeing the duties of others, natural leadership qualities are something that all hiring managers look for. This includes accepting responsibility and volunteering for projects, even if they aren’t the most desirable.

Likeability. While most hiring managers might not admit that this contributes heavily to their hiring decision, your degree of likeability and friendliness is impossible to ignore, and may be one of the first things they notice during the interview. Managers will not hire people who won’t easily assimilate into the work environment and get along with the other employees.

Courage. This doesn’t mean that hiring managers are going to hire the candidate with the most Purple Hearts. Interviewers are looking for candidates who are willing to take risks and accept challenges, even in the face of adversity. Until you are offered the position, it may be hard to demonstrate this, but asking direct and frank questions about the company during the interview will go a long way.

Possessing the “And then Some” characteristic. This means you have a history of going above and beyond the call of duty.  You can set this initial impression by just simply being prepared for the interview.  You can also share previous examples where you have taken initiative and accepted additional responsibilities without being asked.

The qualities listed above are attributes all hiring managers are looking for in candidates. Your ability to demonstrate them before, during, and immediately following an interview will directly affect your hiring manager’s decision. Communicating and demonstrating your best qualities will go far in landing you that dream job.

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.

Why Your Attrition Rate is So High

Posted on by February 13, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentMany managers find that they struggle to control their attrition rates. It seems that no matter what they do or who they hire, they have a hard time getting employees to stick around. Some chalk it up to the industry, others the individual who left, and in some cases these might be valid. But more often than not, attrition rates increase due to either direct or indirect actions. Here are several reasons why hiring managers battle to keep their attrition rates down.

  • You settled during recruitment. You were in such a rush to get someone hired and trained so that normalcy could be restored to the office that you hired the person who was a “close” fit, not a “perfect” fit.
  • You got lazy with the job description. If your job description is vague or inaccurate, people will leave once they realize the situation isn’t what they signed up for. If your job description is vague to the point of looking generic, then the qualified candidates will skip right over and continue their search elsewhere.
  • Candidates weren’t screened thoroughly enough. Did you only communicate with them through email? How many people in your company did they speak with? Were they on time for scheduled appointments, well-spoken, and polite? Did you ask the right questions to qualify them for the position? Did you dig deep enough into their past responsibilities to make sure they were up for the task?
  • They feel undervalued and dispensable. Don’t be afraid to give praise and make your employees feel good when they accomplish their goals or complete tasks. Employees who feel valued by their company have a deeper sense of loyalty and will be more inclined to stay.
  • Their relationship with management is unsatisfactory. Whether it’s because they feel micromanaged or their opinions are ignored, employees will seek a job change if they’re not happy with their relationship with their superiors. This can be resolved make making sure each member of your team feels heard.
  • There are no work-life balance initiatives. You might be surprised how much harder and more positively your employees will work when they are given the opportunity to balance their lives. Your employees will be much more willing to work those extra hours and long nights to get the job done if they’re allowed to leave an hour early on Fridays to catch their kid’s baseball games or take a Monday off to visit with their parents.

If you’re battling to lower your attrition rate, reexamine each part of the hiring puzzle. Evaluate your methods for recruiting and screening candidates, take pride in your employees and their work, and make an effort to hear each team member’s voice.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

Is Hiring Seniority Worth the Money?

Posted on by February 13, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWhen I was growing up, I had this vision of corporate America being a conveyor belt of some kind. You graduate from college and hop on the belt, which symbolizes your career. I thought if you stayed on the belt, you would eventually progress forward, meaning you work your way up through the ranks by working diligently and getting promoted for your efforts.

From my experience, I see this “seniority system” used in many companies today. As with any system, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the “seniority system,” and taking the time to evaluate them thoroughly will help you make the best hiring decisions for your team.

The pros of the “seniority system”:

Seniority-based systems nurture an environment of company loyalty. New hires and company veterans alike will have more company loyalty because they know they are a member of an organization which values the time and effort they’ve given to the company.

Companies that generally promote based on “seniority systems” are less likely to have problems with objectivity during the interview and promotion processes. Your company might have just promoted the kid from the financial services department because he’s a genius with numbers, but it’s going to raise some red flags to other employees when they find out that this whiz kid is the boss’s nephew. Sticking to a “seniority system” eliminates potential favoritism and bias from the hiring and promotion processes.

Using the “seniority system” will ensure all of your employees have the opportunity to develop in their roles and gain relevant experience. When it’s time to promote someone, you already know they are familiar with the company ethics and policies, as well as the dynamic of the work environment and expectations for a given role.

The cons of the “seniority system”:

The “seniority system” can be discouraging to new employees. While the seniority system can be affective in promoting company loyalty and eliminating bias, it does not provide incentives for newer employees. Instead of working hard and taking on extra responsibility to make a good impression, a newer employee may lack motivation because he knows there are seven other members of the team who will get promoted before he will.

The “seniority system” can cause hiring managers to lose sight of what is most important – finding the right fit for the position. You shouldn’t discount a younger or less seasoned employee if they have undeniable talent, have shown impressive progress, and have the “And Then Some” characteristic. Promoting and assigning responsibility based on the number of years a person has worked in your organization could cause you to place an employee in a position for the wrong reasons.

You must often trade seniority for trainability. An older, more seasoned candidate might have decades worth of clinical trial experience, but they also have the old habits they’ve developed from doing things a certain way for so long. It might be difficult to have them adjust their processes while maintaining quality and efficiency standards. A less experienced candidate may lack the hands-on experience of a seasoned veteran, but they make up for that in their ability to be molded and trained to do things the way you want them done.

As a hiring manager, you may have asked yourself “Is hiring seniority worth the money?” Hiring a candidate who has three decades of experience has obvious advantages, but also disadvantages such as salary cost, less flexibility, and lower trainability may overshadow their qualifications.

If the position is one in which prior knowledge and experience is crucial, than investing in a more seasoned candidate will be the best option. If the position you’re looking to fill doesn’t heavily rely on previous experience, then consider branching out and hiring a candidate who would be open to learning and training in a new field.

Written by Katie Fidler

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.

How Social Media is Making Your Life Easier

Posted on by February 13, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWe’ve been hearing them say it for a few years now – “social media is changing the game.” And not just for MTV and Justin Bieber and that teenager who lives next door and listens to loud music all night long. Believe it or not, social media is changing the hiring game and making your life a lot easier.

Perhaps most importantly, social media is saving you time and money. Finding and recruiting candidates can be as easy as entering their name into a search engine. Linkedin is a great way to search for candidates and investigate their qualifications; you can search by job title, location, name, or any combination of these. If the profiles are filled out completely, you may be able to answer all of your pre-qualifying questions. This saves you time during your first connection with the candidate. Instead of spending time asking about their previous employment and responsibilities, you can speak about the details of the position and really evaluate the fit.

Because sites like Linkedin and Facebook have made it so much easier to find and connect with potential candidates for your open position, many companies are finding that they need to spend less man hours dedicated to sourcing candidates and reviewing resumes. Every second that your team is saved from leafing through hundreds of questionable resumes can be dedicated towards reaching out to those that are qualified.

The blossoming of social media has made it easier to get a look at the “real” person you are hiring and how they act outside of the office. Resumes from candidates who post negative comments about their job or boss are tossed into the garbage, as are resumes from candidates who post inappropriate material. Almost everyone can act normal for a few hours during an interview, and social media could save you from hiring someone who is not a fit to the environment.

As you can see, social media is making communication and life in general a lot easier for those involved in the hiring process. When used correctly, sites like Linkedin and Facebook can be used to find, recruit, and hire the most qualified candidate for the position.

Written by Katie Fidler

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you ever involved with the clinical recruiting hiring process? If so, sign up for our Hiring Manager email course which focuses on how to attract and hire the highest quality candidates.