The digital transformation of clinical trials - and the teams that run them
Feb 14, 2022

The past two years have seen a huge amount of change within the life sciences industry. As technology progresses at pace and transforms clinical trials in particular, could the skills required be best found in candidates from outside of the sector? Our experts think so.

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Digital technology skills come to the fore


The way that clinical trials are managed has been revolutionized by the pandemic. Decentralized, virtual trials have become more mainstream, and offer cost savings, increased speed and ease of patient recruitment. The benefits of continuing with remote trials are pretty convincing, and more than two-thirds of European life sciences firms plan to conduct trials this way within the next three years.


But to do so, a host of related skills are required, and not all of them are life-sciences specialisms. Leading life sciences recruiters here at Kelly have noted an increase in demand for digitally savvy candidates.


Running trials online or in a distributed way could require skills such as app development and UX design to ensure that participants can monitor themselves easily and effectively. Or in wearable technology, to take care of the monitoring without relying on participant input. There is also the production of e-consent forms and the management of digital data security to take care of. Finally, managing digital/distributed trials will require specialist digital project management skills. That sounds like a lot of new skills to search for, but you can find them in other industries, or search for in-demand candidates with a blend of life sciences and mainstream technological experience.

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Collaborative experience is set to shine


A shift to remote working has enhanced our ability to collaborate with people internationally, whether they are our colleagues in-house or teams in other businesses. In fact, almost half of late-stage pipeline assets developed in 2021 were the product of collaborations and partnerships.


 The opportunities this way of working brings are enormous, but it demands a novel range of skills. You’ll need leaders that can inspire and motivate teams even from afar, communicators that understand how to get your messaging heard in different regions and project managers that aren’t phased by working across time zones. Fortunately, individuals with experience in leadership, communication and project management can be found in almost every industry, so consider casting your net beyond your usual fishing grounds to snap up talented candidates for these roles.

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AI and Big Data: the next big things


We have been talking about the use of AI and Big Data for years, but it feels like these technologies are finally being brought into play in a major way. With applications in drug development, R&D and regulatory/compliance, investment in AI is growing despite the economic uncertainty of the past two years.


 Research suggests that employing AI in healthcare (in Europe) could save more than 400,000 lives, €200 billion and nearly 2 billion hours of HCP/clinician time a year. Harnessing this opportunity is going to require skills and experience that exists far beyond your usual talent pool. It’s likely to be well worth the investment to provide life sciences training to data scientists hired from other disciplines to allow them thrive in your company.

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How to find and attract these candidates?


Many of these candidates will come from relatively technical industries, such as start-ups, financial institutions and beyond. A life sciences role offers them the ability to put their hard-won skills to use in a way that benefits humankind, and in today’s world the appeal of that cannot be understated. The pandemic has inspired a newfound awareness of, and respect for, life sciences careers.


As a growing sector with exciting new developments occurring on a daily basis, promoting these roles should be a walk in the park. The trick will be getting your roles out to a wider audience than usual; this can feel uncomfortable, but the skills you are looking for are out there, and the competition are looking for them too.


You can also look in-house. Many life sciences employees will have played up their relevant experience, but could have complementary skills that you aren’t aware of. Creating a skills library for your organization could help you discover linguists, designers, project managers and more, all within your own ecosystem. At a time when retention is difficult due to the volume of opportunities available, offering variety or training could help you hang onto your star employees.

Change. How to turn your fear into fuel for a rocket move and wake up in a different reality.

14 Aug, 2023
Rephrasing the famous song, “Love is in the air”, let’s talk about change is in the air – and everywhere. We grow. We change. Look at your childhood photos. Watch your kid, your nephew, your niece. The change is there, and it’s incredible. Nature is constantly changing. We wait for summer as the time to enjoy outdoor activities and gardening, for a quick visit to the beach, or simply take time to relax and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. We wait for winter (even if we never see snow falling) to decorate the house for the holidays, pack presents for the people we love and unpack our own. The colour of the leaves changes, the weather shifts, and flowers blossom in their time – the landscape is constantly transforming. The world around us is changing. We travel to other countries and learn new things, cultures and languages. We take on new hobbies. We get new skills. After a couple of minor kitchen accidents (sometimes), we can cook delicious dishes and get compliments from family and friends. We transform our bodies at the gym or simply by creating the habit of walking every day. We meet new people, we sometimes fall in love, we build families, we have kids. And if you step back for a second, you realise you might have met your other half by pure accident. But you took a leap of faith into the unknown. We embrace many types of unknown change, except for the one that can change how we live five days a week – to change jobs. “I am too old/too young to change”, “I’m used to this environment; It’s my comfort zone”, “Well, I don’t get any promotion, and what I do doesn’t change the world, but it’s stable”, “I am afraid to ask for more interesting projects. What if my manager fires me?”. We often don’t want to change because that step requires a vision, courage, external support, and a leap of faith into the unknown. Scary? Yes. But also promising. A step into the unknown? Yes. But it can open a new door. Do your inner values marry what you do? Yes, it is essential. There is nothing terrible about staying in your comfort zone. At some stage of your career, staying put can be an excellent decision. But if you feel that you need a change – talk to Kelly. We don’t mind going the extra mile and support your wish to embrace the change. The one which will give meaning to what you do, feel proud, motivated and fulfilled. Ready for changing? We’ll make sure your talent can truly shine.

Balance. Why it is essential to keep your eyes on your destination and not to listen to applause.

10 Aug, 2023
You’ve seen these guys before when a circus came to your city or maybe on TV. They walk on a wire at an impressive height, sometimes without insurance, sometimes with a long stick that probes the void right and left. They walk slowly, trying the wire with their toes first, making small steps, their eyes fixed on the small platform where they plan to land soon. They never watch down. They don’t listen to an audience that applauses or gasps in awe. They are concentrated on keeping their balance. To keep balance. Let’s come down from the wire above the arena or stage. Let’s look closer at balance, where it has its roots and the secrets of keeping it. Is it an art? Or is it a skill? Can you learn to keep balance? Or is it an innate skill that only gymnasts, figure skaters, circus artists and ballet dancers are born with? Want to know the secrets of a ballerina that must perform 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at a high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe? First, keeping balance is a skill people must learn for years. In ballet, sport, circus, real life, and… work life. A ballerina is taught to pick one point and to fix her eyes on it when she makes her 32 fouettes, a complex ballet movement that requires turning 360 degrees at high-speed standing on the point of a ballet shoe. She focuses on one thing that keeps her upright. She doesn’t look anywhere else. Gymnasts in some disciplines are constantly trained to feel the bar under their feet. They are prepared to land precisely on the bar after they jump, and the incredible contortions we admire in competitions. But let’s come back to the circus artists we have begun with. Often, they have a long stick in their hands to keep their balance. Is their secret hidden in the stick? And what is the secret? You don’t need to be a ballet dancer, a gymnast, or a circus artist to get the idea of balance. Here are your first two steps in your balance training: 1. Keep your main priorities in mind. And have a clear idea about what is very important for you and where you are ready to compromise. But don’t listen to external opinions that don’t align with your ideals. Forget about the audience’s applause – focus on you. 2. Use some help to stay upright and get to your goals. Imagine your life split on two ends of the helping stick, your job is on one end, and your private life is on another. How comfortable do you feel at your height now with the load on both ends? You need support. We at Kelly pay a lot of attention to balance. The balance between people’s private lives and their jobs. The balance between feeling appreciated and professional goals or between achieving extraordinary results and being inspired. Talk to Kelly today. We are not ballet coaches or sports trainers, but we know much about how important work/life balance is in our lives.

Inspiration. Why we all are artists and how to restore the sparkle

03 Aug, 2023
We often associate certain qualities with individuals who seem to possess a natural talent for creativity. We convince ourselves that painting, singing, or dancing are pursuits reserved for these "real" artists while we remain mere spectators. Creativity? Inspiration? No, it's not about me.
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