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For the second consecutive year, Hudson RPO ranks No. 1 worldwide for RPO contract implementation

November 25, 2019 by Content Team

News

For the second consecutive year, Hudson RPO ranks No. 1 worldwide for RPO contract implementation

Content Team

November 25, 2019

OLD GREENWICH, Conn., Nov. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A global recruitment industry survey revealed that Hudson RPO (NASDAQ: HSON) continues to hold the No. 1 position for a crucial element of recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).

Based on the feedback of more than 700 buyers of recruitment outsourcing service, Hudson RPO is the top-ranked provider for on-time and on-budget contract implementation, according to the 2019 RPO Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Survey, produced by HRO Today magazine.

Hudson RPO also ranked No. 1 for on-time and on-budget contract implementation in 2018.

Furthermore, 100 percent of Hudson RPO clients surveyed said they expanded the scope of service during renegotiation, compared to an industry average of 80 percent.

Jeff Eberwein, Global CEO for Hudson RPO, said: “Our clients speak from experience when they talk about the high levels of service they receive during key stages of RPO contract implementation. We are immensely pleased to receive their positive feedback.”

He continued: “Successful contract implementation sets the tone for the entire RPO lifecycle. So, when you consider that we also rank in the top three for making it affordable to add program enhancements, managing staffing operations, and improving clients’ overall talent acquisition function, it becomes clear how dedicated we are to helping drive customer success.”

About Hudson RPO

Hudson Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSON) is a leading total talent solutions provider operating under the brand name Hudson RPO. We deliver innovative, customized recruitment outsourcing and total talent solutions to organizations worldwide. Through our consultative approach, we design tailored solutions to meet our clients’ strategic growth initiatives. As a trusted advisor, we meet our commitments, deliver quality and value, and always aim to exceed expectations.

Hudson RPO

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The Hudson RPO Content Team is made up of experts within the Talent Acquisition industry across the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. They provide educational and critical business insights in the form of research reports, articles, news, videos, podcasts, and more. The team ensures high-quality content that helps all readers make talent decisions with confidence.

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Hudson RPO recruitment awards: a global legacy of achievement

November 14, 2019 by Content Team

Recruitment awards signal the industry’s respect for leading service providers. At Hudson RPO, we are grateful to have received recognition from many influential talent bodies throughout our history.

From appearing on the HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen list of global RPO providers, to earning an impressive array of regional recognition, discover some of our highlights below.

Want to contribute to a legacy of success in the talent industry? Be sure to browse careers today.

2009-2019 awards and recognition

HRO Today Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings (global)

For the 10th consecutive year, Hudson RPO has appeared on the HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen list of top enterprise recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) providers.

The annual RPO Baker’s Dozen reflects the views of senior HR decision-makers across the globe.

The list is based on a survey of industry professionals, including RPO buyers, who analyze and rank services offered across the market.

The Baker’s Dozen survey is considered a leading global indicator of top recruitment outsourcing providers.

Respondents rate RPO providers on the overall breadth of service, deal size, and service quality.

Read the full HRO Today announcement here.

2018-2019 awards and recognition

HRO Today Baker’s Dozen: No. 1 for RPO implementation (global)

Hudson RPO excels at contract implementation. We ranked No. 1 on the 2018 and 2019 HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings of the top 13 recruitment outsourcing providers worldwide.

This ranking reflects Hudson RPO being on time and on budget with minimal disruption to the business.

2019 awards and recognition

NelsonHall’s NEAT vendor evaluation (global)

Hudson RPO is regularly identified as a Leader in industry analyst NelsonHall’s NEAT vendor evaluation for RPO.

In 2019, we ranked as a Leader in all categories: overall, delivery innovation, technology innovation, candidate experience, sourcing candidates, geographic footprint, and scalability.

Read the full NelsonHall announcement here.

HRO Today HR Superstars list (global)

Three senior leaders from Hudson RPO received a place on HRO Today’s HR Superstars list.

They included Lori Hock, CEO for the Americas; Kimberley Hubble, CEO for Asia Pacific; and Darren Lancaster, CEO for EMEA. They were chosen for their track record of innovation throughout the HR space.

Consideration was given to their use of technology, strategy, and solutions. The Hudson RPO executives featured in the talent acquisition provider category.

HRD magazine (APAC)

Hudson RPO, along with its client, AstraZeneca Australia, have been named Innovative HR Team winner by HRD magazine. The award recognises the most forward-thinking and progressive recruitment teams in Australia and New Zealand.

The award recognises the most forward-thinking and progressive recruitment teams in Australia and New Zealand.

Read the full HRD announcement here.

Seek Annual Recruitment Awards (APAC)

The Seek Annual Recruitment Awards (SARAs) take place in Australia. In 2019, we were delighted to be named finalists in the inaugural category ‘RPO of the Year’.

According to the group’s website: SEEK is a diverse group of companies that have a unified purpose to help people live more fulfilling and productive working lives and help organisations succeed.

The group includes teams in Australia, New Zealand, China, South East Asia, Brazil, Mexico, Africa, and Bangladesh.

Read the full SARA announcement here.

AmazingHiring sourcing challenge (EMEA)

One of our talent sourcers, Aniq Butt, placed in the top 3 for a global sourcing challenge that took place via social media.

The challenge was sponsored by AmazingHiring, a sourcing technology company.

In-house Recruitment Awards (EMEA)

The In-house Recruitment Awards (IHRAs) serve to “discover and recognise the increasing achievements of UK in-house recruitment teams and the individuals that form them.”

We were named a finalist in three categories, including:

Recruitment Team – Technology Sector category: Hudson RPO recruitment technology team
Apprenticeship or School Leaver Campaign category: 2 Sisters Food Group account
Onsite RPO In-house Recruitment Team category: Sharp on-site team

The Sharp team took home silver for Best Recruitment Team in the Technology sector!

2018 awards and recognition

NelsonHall’s NEAT vendor evaluation (global)

Hudson RPO is regularly identified as a Leader in industry analyst NelsonHall’s NEAT vendor evaluation for RPO.

In 2018, we ranked as a Major Contender for RPO service providers.

Read the full NelsonHall announcement here.

HRO Today Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings (APAC)

In Asia Pacific, we are ranked No. 2 of all RPO providers in the region, according to the 2018 HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings.

The RPO rankings reflect the best in “service breadth, deal sizes, and quality,” according to the publication.

Read the full HRO Today announcement here.

HRO Today Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings (EMEA)

In EMEA, we are ranked No. 4 of all RPO providers in the region, according to the 2018 HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen Customer Satisfaction Ratings.

The RPO rankings reflect the best in “service breadth, deal sizes, and quality,” according to the publication.

Read the full HRO Today announcement here.

In-house Recruitment Awards (EMEA)

In 2018, Hudson RPO’s 2 Sisters Food Group account won ‘Best Recruitment Team of the Year’ at the In-house Recruitment Awards ceremony.

The team were also finalists for ‘FMCG Recruitment Team of the Year’ and ‘Recruitment Manager of the Year’.

Read the 2 Sisters Food Group case study here.

Discover the adventure of working in multicultural recruitment teams

November 13, 2019 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Discover the adventure of working in multicultural recruitment teams

Content Team

November 13, 2019

Want to learn the inside secrets of working in a multicultural recruitment environment? Put simply, our differences are our strengths. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

That’s why we invited multilingual talent specialists Jessie Caudron and Francesca Menichetti to share their views on what it’s like to join the Centre of Excellence (CoE), an Edinburgh-based team supplying remote talent services for organisations in the UK and abroad.

The CoE features an academy for talent sourcing, which is the process of recruiting niche or hard-to-find candidates.

In this post, Jessie and Francesca present firsthand perspectives to help inform candidates about life at Hudson RPO, and the CoE in particular.

As we celebrate diversity at Hudson RPO, can you guess how many languages are spoken here?

Our office is based at the CoE, a newly opened and incredibly trendy building in the equally vibrant Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, we explore, implement, learn, and develop new techniques and processes for recruitment.

In the CoE, we excel at talent sourcing. This is largely because we pair multilingual language skills with top technology to help clients find great talent based anywhere, not just their country of operation.

Whether you’re a highly experienced sourcer, or just starting out, the CoE offers a great place to learn and develop top in-demand skills.

And, thanks to our team diversity, we also enjoy an extremely rich environment for learning, development, and fun.

Our team consists of people from the UK, as well as from France, Poland, Italy, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Pakistan, Russia, and the USA.

There are at least 17 languages spoken here!

In addition to our Edinburgh office, we also have people who work on-site at client offices, and people who work remotely from their homes when they are not in Edinburgh. Many of us who are based in an office also occasionally work from home, thanks to a flexible working policy.

We all support a diverse range of clients from a variety of industries and countries. As you can see, diversity comes from within our teams and also from our client interactions.

To get full value from this melting pot of people and experiences, we work in an open space. This enables us to share knowledge and build connections.

We also have access to a flexible co-working space, which proves beneficial when working individually.

From fabulous food to lively language cafes, discover the advantages of life in a multicultural environment

Diversity at work is an open door to many positive aspects. The list below includes some of the advantages recommended by our colleagues.

Discovering new and different perspectives. Working with people from all over the world exposes you to different ways of thinking, creative ideas, and diversified perspectives. If we ever feel stuck with a problem and need a pair of fresh eyes to look into it, we can be sure that new ideas will result!

Welcoming new traditions and cultures. Hudson RPO promotes an environment where we feel comfortable and happy sharing our culture and traditions with our colleagues.

Encouraging open-mindedness and cultural awareness. Working in a multicultural, multilingual office gives us the opportunity to broaden our perspectives and to gain a better understanding of each other’s cultures. This helps us to keep an open mind and respect each other’s cultural differences. Cultural sensitivity is key to happiness in the workplace.

Enjoying food! Whenever we have people travelling back to their home country, we’re always delighted when they bring back typical tasty treats for us to enjoy. We also regularly organise events such as cooking and baking competitions. There are real opportunities to showcase hidden kitchen skills!

Learning new languages. Being on the phone, either with candidates or clients, is a big part of our roles in recruitment. Every day, we are exposed to so many different accents and languages. Francesca, who will share her views on multicultural environments in the next section, has started a project called Language Cafe. The idea was to offer internal language workshops, from and for Hudson RPO employees. This has been a massive success. We now have many popular classes happening in different languages at the CoE.

Francesca’s take on working in a multicultural team

Francesca is one of our multilingual recruiters who offers a strong focus on talent sourcing.

Having been with us for more than a year now, Francesca shares her thoughts on working in a multicultural environment.

So, Francesca, tell us a bit about your background.
I am originally from Italy, but recently I spent about three years moving from country to country, mostly because of my studies.

I lived in Finland for about six months while doing my master’s degree. I then moved to the Netherlands to improve my Dutch. I stayed there for almost a year.

When my landlord decided to sell my flat, I took the opportunity to do some travelling around Europe, visiting friends, and interviewing for various positions. I stopped in Lisbon, Rome, and Eindhoven.

I didn’t plan on visiting Scotland, but when I was about to go back to Italy, I received a call from a recruiter, inviting me to Edinburgh for a first interview. Ultimately, I got the job, and since I had already fallen in love with this city, I decided to stay.

Which languages do you speak, and how did you end up learning them?
I speak fluent Italian, English, and French. I have an intermediate level of Dutch and Spanish. I learned most of these languages at university, where I studied translation and interpreting.

How did you find working in a different language than your native one? Were there any challenges?
I really like working with foreign languages. I have been speaking mostly English for the past four years, and I have gotten to a point where – funnily enough – it comes easier for me to speak English than it does to speak Italian – even though I still make plenty of mistakes!

The challenges I have faced have mostly to do with the different communication styles. Dutch speakers tend to be rather direct and to the point, while English speakers aren’t exactly known for their bluntness. Furthermore, a high level of formality is not necessarily required when talking to Dutch speakers, but French speakers tend to prefer it. And so on and so forth…

What do you like the most about working in a multicultural environment?
I think the greatest aspect of working in a multicultural environment is the free knowledge that comes with it. We have the unique opportunity to learn about other parts of the world that we might not be familiar with. We have unlimited exposure to cultures and languages. I believe this alone is an extremely enriching experience.

What do you think about working with clients and candidates based in different countries?
Ever since I started working for Hudson RPO, I have had the chance to recruit in a variety of different countries: France, Belgium, Italy, Poland, the UK, etc.

It has been very interesting to see how different countries/cultures/clients require different approaches. From reach-out messages to screening calls, it is fundamental to have a cultural understanding of the other party in order to avoid misunderstandings that can potentially lead to a sticky situation.

Want to learn more about a career at Hudson RPO? From training and development to career progression, discover what’s possible with a range of talent sourcing and recruitment careers.

Hudson RPO

Content Team

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Candidate advice: 10 bad habits your recruiter wants you to avoid

November 5, 2019 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Candidate advice: 10 bad habits your recruiter wants you to avoid

Content Team

November 5, 2019

Everyone wants to highlight their best qualities and skill set when they apply for a job.

Sometimes, however, candidates rush through the process, trying to get out as many applications as possible.

You may not know that this is a formula for making errors or a bad first impression, writes Marc Rodgers, who is a senior bilingual recruiter for Hudson RPO client GSK.

Discover what you can do differently to improve the chances of your application being successful.

Have you ever wondered about the pet peeves of recruiters and hiring managers? Not only that, but have you actually considered how setting off one of these little irks could affect your application?

Great candidates will benefit from becoming aware of such factors, and adjusting their strategy accordingly.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 bad habits that can seriously bug recruiters — even to the point of an application being rejected.

Some of the items that I will review in this article may seem a little petty, but does that really matter if the end result is that someone else’s CV or resume is chosen over yours?

Keep recruiters happy by avoiding these 10 bad habits

In no particular order, here’s a list that was compiled from some of my colleagues and the hiring managers with whom I have worked over the past decade.

And yes, many are actually mine.

1. Using italic font. The people looking at your resume may have to read many of them during a single sitting.

Italic/Script/Forte are hard on the eyes and this may result in a tired reader not having the patience to read your whole resume.

2. Not putting your phone number and e-mail address on the masthead. There are times when a resume is so good, that a recruiter/hiring manger may want to immediately pick up the phone to schedule a phone interview or a face-to-face meeting. If your phone number and e-mail address aren’t there, the recruiter needs to look up your application in their application software to find this information.

This may seem a little petty, but consider if the reader has a similarly good resume from someone else, with all of the contact information, and the recruiter only has time to see one person this week.

Do you want to risk the chance that your resume may get put aside?

I am aware that some candidates withhold the information from the actual resume, so that it can’t be misused by anyone that may see the resume on someone’s desk, etc. Nonetheless, this practice may prove a disadvantage to the candidate, if a highly suitable role arises.

3. Using generic cover letters. This is one of my personal pet peeves. It is quite easy to spot someone who is using the same generic cover letter for multiple applications.

If a person cannot put in the effort to tailor a letter to my specific job, why would I want to risk hiring them?

4. Applying for anything and everything. People who apply for multiple jobs in a short period of weeks, very quickly earn a reputation as someone who does not take the time to really consider if they are a good fit for the job.

Many applicant tracking systems (ATS) have the ability to show how many jobs a candidate has applied for at the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s company.

There is nothing wrong with applying multiple times, if you really are a good fit.

Conversely, I once had an applicant who had applied to 17 jobs in a year, most with different skill sets and educational requirements. Now, that’s problematic!

5. Using capital letters for your entire name. This isn’t a biggy, but with some some kinds of software, when it comes time to hire you, the HR and Payroll departments will need to manually change your name so that it doesn’t stay capitalized.

If I am in the process of hiring someone whose name is all capitalized, I actually manually fix it so that HR and Payroll don’t have to do the extra work. Ideally, the candidate uses the correct styling, from the start.

6. Saving your resume file as “my_latest_ resume”. If you want to make life easier for the recruiter and for yourself, save your file as “your name” + “company name”.

This way, you know what version of your resume was sent to a job posting. The recruiter or hiring manager can then easily find your file on their computer.

7. Spelling and grammatical errors. Some hiring managers will refuse to consider candidates who have errors on their resume.

Before sending it, slowly proofread your resume. Even better, have someone else look as well.

8. Listing places you have worked, without indicating the dates. Recruiters and hiring managers like to get a feel for how long you have been at each company. How often do you change jobs? If you do not include the dates, you risk not being considered for roles.

9. Having a resume that is not in sync with your LinkedIn profile. When a company receives your resume, they may check it against LinkedIn or perhaps another resume of yours that the recruiter found online.

If something doesn’t match up, your candidacy may be rejected. Dates are a good example of where consistency is expected.

10. Sending a negative letter in response to receiving a rejection letter. It’s a very competitive job market. For some job postings, I may receive 200 to 300 resumes in 10 days. So, even if you were a fair match for the job that you applied for, the recruiter may have received quite a few that were a close fit, perhaps even closer than yours.

I don’t often receive a negative e-mail in response to rejecting someone’s candidacy, but if that does happen, I may flag it as a poor fit for our company’s values and behaviours.

Our company makes an effort to contact all candidates who make it to the interview stage, so thankfully it is quite rare for us to receive a negative response to a rejection letter.

3 insider tips for becoming a successful candidate

You may be left wondering what it is you can and should do, in order to move your application to the top of the pile.

Based on experience, these are some good practices that will help you stand out from the crowd:

1. Take your time applying to job postings. To really shine, you should budget spending at least one hour per application.

2. Ensure your CV or resume contains keywords. These keywords should match some of the words that appear in the job description.

3. Highlight why you are a good fit within the cover letter. To successfully accomplish this, start by reviewing the company’s website. Learn what their history and goals are. Then, in your cover letter, be really clear about how your goals and background align with the company’s direction.

Remember, at every step, recruiters want you to succeed! If you are not successful after an interview, or in another stage of the process, try to identify what you could have done differently. Then, let that insight guide your future steps. Success is not far away. To get there faster, always work on building positive relationships in your network, and continually growing it, to help achieve your goals.

Looking for more candidate advice? Be sure to read our recommendations for coping with interview nerves.

Hudson RPO

Content Team

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Tips for interview nerves and other candidate frights this Halloween

October 30, 2019 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

Tips for interview nerves and other candidate frights this Halloween

Content Team

October 30, 2019

Like the spooks and ghouls of Halloween, interview nerves surround even the best of candidates. After knocking on door after door — hoping not just for a treat, but a real opportunity — one opens wide enough for you to come explore its secrets.

On this spooky day of Halloween, you’ve reached the Interview Door of Doom or Dare. Few have come this far. Few will go further.

Eek!

What do kids on Halloween and candidates at interview have in common? They may both be able to relate to a little thing called fear. Thankfully, it’s often coupled with adrenaline.

How we deal with that fear influences our prospective success.

I’m not trying to trick you this Halloween: interview nerves are a very real thing. Yet, there are ways in which you can manage and channel them to your advantage. A creative approach can help you turn most any fear or vulnerability into something positive.

Stick with me as I share a few ways in which you can guard against those interview nerves becoming a complete Monster Mash of an experience.

Interview nerves: overcome them by owning your fear

I once met someone who said he couldn’t remember the last time he’d applied for a job. He was a CTO in a start-up. He had in-demand skills. And, of course, the start-up community networked in a way that was so organic, they would never even call it networking. So, fair enough, perhaps in his case — and maybe for some folks you know, as well — he had reached a stage in which the formal interview seemed to be the stuff of fairy tales.

It rarely works that way for the majority of us. With any given role, we might embark on one, two, three or more interviews. Some over the phone, some in person, some using a hybrid approach with Skype or similar.

Does your heart race before these interviews? Do you worry about how you’ll sound? Perhaps you’re concerned about forgetting key information.

Let me tell you: there is no shame in owning your nerves, straight from the start. It is OK, and perhaps downright helpful, to let the interviewer know that you are managing a certain amount of nervousness about the interview.

Once you state that you feel nervous, the other party tends to acknowledge your feelings and express empathy, helping put you at ease.

Clearly, it’s common for many if not most people to feel nervous before an interview. But I find that the act of saying it aloud helps me to acknowledge what I am experiencing, and to then move forward with the reassurance that a safe environment surrounds me as a candidate.

Plus, you can say it in such a way as to reinforce your desire to succeed in the role, for example: “I’m so excited to be here, interviewing for this terrific opportunity, yet I just can’t help but feel a bit nervous. Please let me know if I speak too fast, or if you’d like me to explain anything in more detail.”

By the way, if you’re concerned about leaving out important points during the interview, why not write them down beforehand? Take a few notes inside a neat little notebook, and bring it on the day. Perhaps include a set of questions you want to ask, in case you go blank when the interviewer asks if you’ve got any questions.

You can also use the notebook for taking notes on the day. In this regard, it can blend naturally in the environment. If and when you decide to refer to it, simply let the interviewer know that you wanted to ensure you covered all the key points.

How to cope with anxiety related to interview nerves

For some people, interviews can induce anxiety. And, as much as it affects the mind, anxiety can also manifest in physical ways.

So, when you’re going into an interview, how do you deal with this?

Hydrate, and exercise in fresh air. Get your sleep! A nice bath can also help you relax.

Some of this may be easier said than done, of course, but a healthy, nourished, and balanced lifestyle can help you feel calm. It can help your mind focus.

As you prepare for an interview, these are the basic ingredients that you just can’t get enough of.

And of course, be sure to simply practice and review for the interview, to help allay any interview nerves.

Why you should embrace vulnerability as a candidate

Acknowledging vulnerability can be a powerful lever in an interview setting.

I once ran into a picture on the wall, and apologised to it, before settling into my chair for a very intense interview. I had flown in for it, and was outnumbered by about 15:1 in the room. Now, I have no idea if that incident at the start helped, but it certainly didn’t hurt. In the end, I secured a golden opportunity.

Whatever yours may be, it really is OK to admit your weaknesses, and be accepting of them. In fact, your honesty in this regard may be the very thing that sets you apart from the next candidate.

I spoke earlier of dealing with nerves and anxiety. You are certainly not alone if you experience either or both. Great teams understand that not everyone is an expert in excelling at interviews, but equally that this doesn’t take away from what each person is capable of, day to day.

Halloween gives us a chance to celebrate living in a world full of pumpkins, each representing something truly unique. When you interview, it’s OK not to be or feel like a superhuman. No one is expecting you to be anything other than who you are. Authenticity and courage are a powerful combination in their own right.

Discover an exciting new career focused on transforming people’s lives

Considering a career change? We’re currently recruiting exceptional candidates for opportunities worldwide.

Learn more in our careers section.

Hudson RPO

Content Team

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A guide to recruiting and retaining exceptional pharma sales reps

October 30, 2019 by Content Team

Blogs & Articles

A guide to recruiting and retaining exceptional pharma sales reps

Content Team

October 30, 2019

Does employee turnover affect your pharmaceutical sales teams?

For many organizations, even those who are household names, it often does.

Industry insiders suggest that pharmaceutical and medical device sales reps should perform in their roles for at least two-to-three years for a company to realize a good return on investment from employee training. This may differ for strong performers.

Is your pharma sales team hitting that mark? Better yet, are you smashing it with high-performing, deeply invested sales pros?

If not, a simple yet business-critical question must be answered: how can pharmaceutical companies successfully attract and engage great sales people?

Everyone wants to find better candidates in pharmaceuticals. And with the right talent partner, many options can be explored.

To begin, however, we recommend a core combination of three strategies to address staff turnover rates in pharmaceutical sales.

Read on, then prepare to act.

1.) Allow flexible hiring to discover exceptional talent

Jenn Taylor, Manager of Talent Acquisition for Hudson RPO client Bausch Health, regularly seeks innovative ways to attract top candidate profiles. In particular, she targets those with a track record of B2B sales success, especially those who have had success in meeting quotas and experience with life ‘on the road’.

She explains: “The hiring manager must be open to candidates outside the industry. When we have that flexibility, we consider not just the major competencies for the role, but candidates who are self-motivated with an aptitude for quickly learning new knowledge.”

These soft skills are assessed through testing, role-playing, and behavioral interviewing.

For one drug division, Taylor’s team is piloting a 200-question assessment that candidates must pass before interviewing.

In another example, candidates are provided information on a topic and charged with creating a presentation to give to the hiring team.

“Pharmaceutical sales can be more lucrative than other industries, which of course is a draw for candidates. With talk of a potential recession, it’s helpful to remind candidates that pharma sales will likely weather a recession. People need their medications regardless of the economy.”

2.) To find commitment, seek compassionate people

In almost every case, it’s important to ensure that candidates have a desire to help others.

That advice comes from senior recruiter Gary Jones, who serves as Account Director for one of Hudson RPO’s key accounts, Smith & Nephew. Drawing from a deep background of industry experience, he specializes in life sciences recruitment.

“If a candidate becomes a pharma or medical device sales rep solely for the money, I find they are more likely to experience turnover,” Jones says.

“It’s important that the candidate has a desire to make a difference in patients’ lives. It’s part of their purpose.”

3.) Motivate with clear growth paths and reviews

When it comes to retention, high-performing pharmaceutical companies tend to provide a clear growth path for sales specialists.

This is a big factor in retaining top talent, says Kasey Butler, who managed Hudson RPO’s GSK Canada account for five years and now serves as Director, Client Delivery.

Great companies also conduct regular reviews of salary and benefits.

“At GSK, if we hired a great candidate right out of school, after one to two years of experience, we would later review whether we were still paying them the market rate for someone with that experience. If we don’t keep up, the employee will leave,” Butler added.

This approach tends to pay off, she said. Thanks to the employer’s dedication, most pharma sales reps would perform for three to five years before transitioning into new roles at GSK.

Some of the roles they move into include sales training, marketing, market research, and sales management. Some even take on market access roles.

“It’s one thing for drugs to be approved,” Butler said, “but are they accessible to patients covered by healthcare plans? The most passionate pharma sales people are ready to support the entire life cycle of patient wellbeing, in whatever way they can.”

Butler added: “Plus, new sales reps don’t need to come with a book of business. They are given a territory and a list of doctors to call on, which gives candidates more confidence and companies more hiring flexibility.”

The sales representative needs to be sufficiently educated to have intelligent conversations with doctors and physician assistants, but when specific scientific knowledge is required, a medical affairs representative offer support.

4.) Really, truly, understand candidate motivations

From the start, you must get to know what motivates your candidate. Tap into what kind of career journey the candidate envisages, or risk being ghosted early on, says Jason Walker, who serves as the Recruitment Centre Manager at GSK for Hudson RPO.

“When it comes to talent planning and recruitment in general, organizations need to ask the right questions and listen carefully to what they’re hearing from prospective sales candidates regarding their long-term career outlook and goals,” Walker advises.

“Many reps focus exclusively on the sales path, and progressing within the field through to management, whereas others find themselves ultimately interested in pursuing non-field based positions at HQ, often outside of sales. These kinds of roles are typically heavily sought after, with very competitive pools of candidates internally and externally vying for them.”

He continues: “Developing an understanding of what path the hiring manager on their team, and the organization as a whole can reasonably provide, starting from the point of hire, is critical.

“Otherwise, candidates will leave in favor of other organizations, in order to progress. Often, they’ll leave for a competitor — taking all that they’ve learned with them, including competitive intelligence and training.”

An authentic connection to the product or service can also inspire long-term commitment in sales employees.

“Our trends have shown that the most effective and longstanding sales employees are those who have a personal connection with the product or therapeutic area they represent,” Walker says. “Oncology and Respiratory sales are a great example, with many employees seeing the opportunity to effect change in an area personal to them or their families as a very tangible generator of engagement.”

Addressing employee turnover in life sciences and pharma

Staff turnover can be a challenge for any organization, but it shouldn’t dominate the HR agenda. An experienced talent partner can help you focus your sales recruitment strategy. The right recruitment partner can help you dial up or down as needed within hiring, while mitigating business risk.

Are you looking for a talent partner who can support growth in pharma or life sciences? Click through for more information about pharmaceutical sales recruitment.

Content Team

For the second consecutive year, Hudson RPO ranks No. 1 worldwide for RPO contract implementation

About Hudson RPO

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What is RPO?

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