Innovations in recruitment to feed the French biotech talent pipeline
Jun 02, 2022

​The French government has invested hundreds of millions of euros into the Biotech industry in France, aiming to secure its place as one of the strongest Biotech actors in the world. But to use that money, the industry needs more talent than is currently available. How are specialist recruitment partners like Kelly, and the Biotech companies they work with, innovating to find the talent they need?


It’s a familiar story - a booming industry that is hungry for talent, but a weak pipeline of candidates that can compete at the level required of them. Biotech is a fast-paced and often highly technical industry; training and experience don’t come overnight.


In some ways, the increased use of artificial intelligence and automation reduces this burden. But roles relating to increased automation, such as operators, bioproduction technicians and maintenance roles, are also in high demand. Skills in AI and machine learning are also highly sought after in many industries. And of course, there is always a need for highly experienced, educated and skilled scientists, even when you have automated as much as possible!


The French government prioritises four key areas: oncology, cell and gene therapies, new biological systems for the production of these therapies and the establishment and optimisation of manufacturing sites. So how are the businesses in these areas tackling the shortage of talent?

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Hot topic at the France Bioproduction Congress 2022


Kelly Life Sciences was the only recruitment partner at this year’s France Bioproduction (by Polepharma and The Medicen Cluster) Congress on 7 and 8 April 2022. Amadou Tall, PhD, one of our scientist-turned-Business Leaders, led a roundtable discussion with 20 attendees from top Biotech companies in France. The focus was, of course, on innovations to help create a strong pipeline of life sciences talent. These are some of the key talking points from that event.

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Major players train their own talent from scratch


One of the approaches discussed was the creation of bespoke academic courses, such as SupBiotech’s Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology. The course, now launched, has its first year of students enrolled. It is designed to provide students with the knowledge to support the new production methods that are being employed and analyse the biological models that are now used.


The beauty of this approach is that it improves the employability of the graduates as well as increasing their suitability for work in this industry when compared to traditional courses that do not evolve as quickly.


For businesses that cannot run their own degree courses, it is still possible to support training programmes in a professional capacity. For example, by getting senior scientists involved in teaching, mentoring and running talks and workshops. Actively finding and reaching out to training providers to open a door into your organisation is a great way to support these initiatives and build a strong network with the scientists of tomorrow.

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Small, fast-moving start-ups need talent that’s ready to go


But what about smaller, newer organisations that don’t have the time or resources to create a whole degree programme?


Well, internships and apprenticeships, although not new, are also valuable approaches for getting existing employees up-to-speed with the latest technologies and techniques. For example, training scientists from other fields in bioproduction (e.g., proteins, vectors, analytics). They can also provide a way to turn candidates with traditional skills and education into multi-skilled workers, for example by introducing applied data science skills.


Additionally, the current situation creates the perfect market for contractors. People with highly sought-after skills know their value, and many are taking advantage of the opportunity to work on short or medium-length contracts to boost their income. But that can make them unaffordable to a start-up that needs to hire multiple roles, or even whole departments. Working with a recruitment specialist to create contract-to-permanent roles is a relatively novel way of harnessing that workforce and tempting them ‘perm side’ while still offering that initial flexibility that they desire - and allowing the company to ensure they are a good fit during the contract phase).

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A hybrid approach


There are many ways to mix-and-match traditional skills, education, experienced scientists and recent grads to give the desired effect. When managing a hybrid approach, though, there is an intrinsic need to operate with both scientific and recruitment knowledge.


This is not a purely skills-based issue - it’s to do with managing people, careers and networks of contacts. For example, to identify role profiles from non-life sciences industries (aeronautics, food production, manufacturing, data science) that have valuable transferable skills. Then, to identify routes to attract, train and retain them. And then, to identify late-career scientists who can become the mentors and trainers of the next generation of scientists that are arriving at factories with the knowledge but no experience.


There is also a strong case to be made for building your brand and reaching out beyond your usual network. Involvement in the science and research ecosystem, through trade associations, for example. But also by considering job spec requirements and where you advertise to ensure you’re visible to those wishing to cross into the sector from other fields.


And the biotech industry has a lot to offer - salaries are high and candidates can expect good job security while competition for talent is so high. With a global pandemic still ongoing, there’s also newfound interest in life sciences careers.

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Why work with specialist recruiters?


Over 70% of Kelly Life Sciences consultants are scientists, many with PhDs and experience working within the industry, which means that they understand the scientific landscape and the pain points that organisations face. We also maintain strong relationships with schools, professional associations, multinational organisations and start-ups. We are still seeing a strong interest in relocation, so this global network gives our clients a big advantage.


As well as this network, we also have the experience of designing bespoke solutions for companies of all sizes, which means we have seen first hand what works - and what doesn’t.


If you have roles that need filling (whether that’s one, or a whole department) or want specialist help managing the entire recruitment process, you can reach out for a no-obligation chat with one of our experts today.

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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