April 18, 2024 • 5 mins
Jessica Gurley, recruiter on ThinkingAhead's Life Sciences team, talks about the "ThinkingAhead" effect, different types of approach by recruiters, and the importance of location, location, location!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hey y'all, Jessica Gurley, Thinking Ahead Executive Search, and I specifically work in market access, marketing, HUR reimbursement and sales.
So a couple of things.
I wanted to take a minute and talk to you about what I like to call the thinking ahead effect and what differentiates us from other firms out there.
(00:20):
Who our clients are, how we work with our candidates, and why our placement ratio is so much stronger than the average firm, and why we have become a member of Forbes top 150 placement firms in the country.
So our clients are considered to be some of the strongest executives across the board within life sciences.
(00:42):
And the reason that they have gained that reputation is because they are not idle.
They refuse to settle, they're ahead of market trends.
They're innovative and they do not hire mediocre talent.
They lean on thinking ahead, life science practice to find candidates that are not on job boards, don't have a large internet footprint.
(01:04):
And ultimately a lot of our candidates need shoulder tapping and finessing to make a change because these are individuals that have been recommended by colleagues and confirmed by others that they are in the top 20 percent of.
Professionals out there.
So when I get a job search and I start going through and looking at candidates going into extended networks or people I've talked to in the past.
(01:32):
Referrals and I talk to somebody and the first thing out of their mouth is tell me about the job.
I always backtrack and say, you know what?
Why don't we talk about you and what you've done?
And if this is the job for you, happy to talk about it with you.
If it's not, I'll know more about you and can think about you in the future.
From there, I'm have them walk me through their background, what they've done.
(01:54):
What has changed for them, if anything, and then ultimately what they would like to be doing in the future.
I can determine hard skills from soft skills beyond bullets of a resume, and then if I do think it's gonna be a good fit across the board with skills, personality for culture fit, and future goals.
Then I approach them about the opportunity.
(02:17):
Once I get the candidate's buy in that this is something for them, that's when I present their resume, and then walk them step by step through the process of being hired and interviewed at this organization.
This is what leads thinking ahead with our candidate and placement ratios.
So, average recruiting firms fill, One out of every four searches that they receive.
(02:39):
Thinking Ahead's ratio is much tighter with one and a half searches that we receive, we fill one and that's because.
Our unconventional recruitment method is just that much more effective and our placing strategy is that much more precise.
So, this is why these top of the line leaders reach out to Thinking Ahead when others miss the mark and can't find the talent that they're looking for to round out their team, to build an effective team, and to reach their goals to align with missions.
(03:14):
Bottom lines, all the things that these leaders have to think about on a day in and day out basis.
It is definitely more of a company driven hiring market.
There are a lot of candidates out there.
However, there is a lot of back and forth and tug of war regarding one specific thing.
Meaning location, companies are really trying to bring in employees in house and on site again for a variety of reasons, but they are trying to shift back to that model.
(03:44):
However, candidates are very satisfied with a remote hybrid that they've come accustomed to post pandemic.
So, companies, candidates, be flexible, compromise.
Everyone can win if there's a conversation about how to best work together.
Companies, you could be losing out on great candidates if you can't be flexible.
(04:05):
And candidates, you could be losing out on an opportunity to really grow your skill set, enter into a new area, take that next step for yourself if you can't come to some kind of agreement regarding a location.
I know that you guys get approached by recruiters on a daily basis, right?
You have people calling you all day.
Trying to pitch you something, talk to you about something.
(04:27):
So I am curious about how y'all like to be approached by recruiters.
Do you prefer a more soft approach where I call you and say, Hey, let's just get to know each other.
Talk to me about your career.
Talk to me about your role.
Talk to me about things that are important to you.
And over time engage in a more in depth conversation regarding how my services might match your needs.
(04:54):
Or, do you prefer a hard, bold, let's just get down to brass tacks, this is why I'm calling, this is who I am, this is the firm, this is our stats.
This is why we have an 87 percent return rate with our clients and a 98 percent candidate acceptance offer and just be super bold.
So I highly encourage you to speak to me, speak to a colleague.
(05:18):
We work cross functionally against all of the functions within life sciences and would love to have a conversation with you about how to best partner together, what you're looking for in a firm, and what you're looking for in your candidates that you bring on.
Hey y'all, Jessica Gurley, Thinking Ahead Executive Search, and I specifically work in market access, marketing, HUR reimbursement and sales.
So a couple of things.
I wanted to take a minute and talk to you about what I like to call the thinking ahead effect and what differentiates us from other firms out there.
(00:20):
Who our clients are, how we work with our candidates, and why our placement ratio is so much stronger than the average firm, and why we have become a member of Forbes top 150 placement firms in the country.
So our clients are considered to be some of the strongest executives across the board within life sciences.
(00:42):
And the reason that they have gained that reputation is because they are not idle.
They refuse to settle, they're ahead of market trends.
They're innovative and they do not hire mediocre talent.
They lean on thinking ahead, life science practice to find candidates that are not on job boards, don't have a large internet footprint.
(01:04):
And ultimately a lot of our candidates need shoulder tapping and finessing to make a change because these are individuals that have been recommended by colleagues and confirmed by others that they are in the top 20 percent of.
Professionals out there.
So when I get a job search and I start going through and looking at candidates going into extended networks or people I've talked to in the past.
(01:32):
Referrals and I talk to somebody and the first thing out of their mouth is tell me about the job.
I always backtrack and say, you know what?
Why don't we talk about you and what you've done?
And if this is the job for you, happy to talk about it with you.
If it's not, I'll know more about you and can think about you in the future.
From there, I'm have them walk me through their background, what they've done.
(01:54):
What has changed for them, if anything, and then ultimately what they would like to be doing in the future.
I can determine hard skills from soft skills beyond bullets of a resume, and then if I do think it's gonna be a good fit across the board with skills, personality for culture fit, and future goals.
Then I approach them about the opportunity.
(02:17):
Once I get the candidate's buy in that this is something for them, that's when I present their resume, and then walk them step by step through the process of being hired and interviewed at this organization.
This is what leads thinking ahead with our candidate and placement ratios.
So, average recruiting firms fill, One out of every four searches that they receive.
(02:39):
Thinking Ahead's ratio is much tighter with one and a half searches that we receive, we fill one and that's because.
Our unconventional recruitment method is just that much more effective and our placing strategy is that much more precise.
So, this is why these top of the line leaders reach out to Thinking Ahead when others miss the mark and can't find the talent that they're looking for to round out their team, to build an effective team, and to reach their goals to align with missions.
(03:14):
Bottom lines, all the things that these leaders have to think about on a day in and day out basis.
It is definitely more of a company driven hiring market.
There are a lot of candidates out there.
However, there is a lot of back and forth and tug of war regarding one specific thing.
Meaning location, companies are really trying to bring in employees in house and on site again for a variety of reasons, but they are trying to shift back to that model.
(03:44):
However, candidates are very satisfied with a remote hybrid that they've come accustomed to post pandemic.
So, companies, candidates, be flexible, compromise.
Everyone can win if there's a conversation about how to best work together.
Companies, you could be losing out on great candidates if you can't be flexible.
(04:05):
And candidates, you could be losing out on an opportunity to really grow your skill set, enter into a new area, take that next step for yourself if you can't come to some kind of agreement regarding a location.
I know that you guys get approached by recruiters on a daily basis, right?
You have people calling you all day.
Trying to pitch you something, talk to you about something.
(04:27):
So I am curious about how y'all like to be approached by recruiters.
Do you prefer a more soft approach where I call you and say, Hey, let's just get to know each other.
Talk to me about your career.
Talk to me about your role.
Talk to me about things that are important to you.
And over time engage in a more in depth conversation regarding how my services might match your needs.
(04:54):
Or, do you prefer a hard, bold, let's just get down to brass tacks, this is why I'm calling, this is who I am, this is the firm, this is our stats.
This is why we have an 87 percent return rate with our clients and a 98 percent candidate acceptance offer and just be super bold.
So I highly encourage you to speak to me, speak to a colleague.
(05:18):
We work cross functionally against all of the functions within life sciences and would love to have a conversation with you about how to best partner together, what you're looking for in a firm, and what you're looking for in your candidates that you bring on.
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