Why hiring contractors can improve agility in Life Sciences recruitment

Biotechs, Pharmas and other Life Sciences organisations are functioning in a rapidly changing marketplace. With shortages in supply chains, technological advances, and new regulations constantly coming into play, having a workforce that is able to pivot quickly is key to success. A more agile approach to Life Sciences recruitment will help you adapt and keep up.

One way to improve your agility is by hiring contractors. Contractors can help you scale up or down your staff as needed, which can help you stay nimble and responsive to changes in the market. This ensures that you're always meeting deadlines and keeping up with customer demands.

Keep reading to find out more about the benefits of hiring contractors and how they can help improve your Life Sciences recruitment process…

Challenges in Life Sciences organisations

Labs play a critical role in the Life Sciences industry. They are the hubs that provide the essential data and research that helps bring new products and therapies to market. In fact, more than 80% of the information used by physicians is provided by laboratories.

However, even though the need for this data is constant, clinical trials still have their own expenses and challenges. A single clinical trial can cost an organisation hundreds of thousands.

In addition, issues such as failed drug candidates, unexpected adverse events, and protocol violations can quickly eat into a budget. This is why it's more important than ever for organisations to find ways to reduce the amount of waste in their clinical trials, whether through new technologies, finding more efficient ways to run their trials, or hiring contractors to help with specific tasks.

The Life Sciences contract market is thriving

In recent years, contracting in the Life Sciences space has seen a real increase. More and more professionals have moved from permanent roles to contract positions that offer hourly or daily rate payments.

But why the influx? What is so attractive about becoming a contractor in Life Sciences?

• a) Exposure to a wider range of projects
• b) Small risk due to the overall stability of the industry
• c) Contracting offers the opportunity to earn more than in a permanent position

Benefits of using contractors in your organisation

Contractors can be a valuable asset to any Life Sciences organisation, as they can provide the all important flexibility and agility. Here are some of the ways that contractors can help:

Cost-effective

Contractors can be a cost-effective solution as they can be hired on a project-by-project basis. This allows you to only pay for the services that you need, when you need them, helping save money in the long run. While you may need to pay a higher amount of money per hour than a salaried employee, it becomes significantly less expensive when you consider all additional factors and expenses.

For example, you often don't need to worry about benefits, holiday allowance, or other employment-related costs such as office equipment, office space, or administrative tasks when working with a contractor. This can help you save money on your bottom line and allows you to put more of your budget towards other areas, such as research and development.

Flexibility

Having to go through the process of hiring a full-time employee can be expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, contractors can be hired on an as-needed basis, which gives you the flexibility to quickly ramp up or down your staff as needed. This is especially beneficial if you're working on a short-term project or need someone with a specific skill set for a limited period of time.

When working with a contractor, they'll only work for your organisation for a specific period of time. Once the project is completed, or if you no longer require their services, you can end the contract without any penalties.

This is in contrast to full-time employees, who will have a notice period and potentially other restrictions in their employment contract.

Skill sets to make up for skill gaps

One of the benefits of working with contractors is that they can help fill in any skill gaps that your organisation may have. If you're working on a project that requires a specific set of skills that your existing employees don't have, then you can hire a contractor to fill that gap.

For example, if you're embarking on a clinical trial that requires expertise in data analysis, then you can hire a contractor who has the specific skills and knowledge you need. This allows you to get the job done without having to invest in training your existing staff or hiring new full-time employees.

Equally, due to the increased flexibility of hiring and working with contractors, you can look at more experienced professionals, but for a shorter length of time. You’ll be paying a higher hourly or daily rate, but the contractor won’t need to work for as long - costing the same as a full time ‘weaker’ solution and having better outcomes at the end!

Note: The more experienced the candidate, the more competitive it will be to hire them.

The type of Life Sciences & Engineering contractors we can hire for you include:

• QA, QP, Validation
• Process & Project Management
• Engineering (mechanical, electrical, chemical, electronic, mechatronic etc.)
• Automation
• QC, chemists, Micro/chemistry

To conclude…

Hiring contractors can be a great way to improve the agility of your Life Sciences recruitment. They can provide the flexibility and agility that is so important in this industry while also being cost-effective and helping to fill any skill gaps your organisation may have.