The move from
finding a job to
finding your
calling in life sciences
finding a job to
finding your
calling in life sciences
Bespoke embedded hiring solutions for high-growth businesses within BioTech, MedTech and HealthTech, as well as other life sciences sectors. BioTalent provides a tailored solution based on your specific project scope, underpinned by our high quality, diversity-focused methodology removing unconscious bias at every stage.
BioTalent Agile is a bespoke outsourced hiring solution for access to on-demand talent to deliver specific projects. BioTalent provides a tailored solution based on your specific project scope to ensure you deliver on-time and within budget, with our virtual bench allowing access to diverse talent pools at short notice.
Retained hiring solutions for all your talent acquisition requirements. Exclusive support from our expert recruitment teams ensures the highest level of quality and support. Giving you complete confidence, the search will be completed for the highest calibre talent within the agreed timeframes.
Begin and become with BioTalent. For more than just a life sciences job, we nurture you, the change makers, to match you with opportunities to make the greatest impact. Within the life sciences sector we recruit across Research & Development, Data Science & AI, Bioprocessing & MSAT, Clinical, Regulatory, Engineering & CQV, Manufacturing & Operation, Quality, Medical & Drug Safety.
When we partner with our clients, we offer more than just a one-off recruitment service. We offer a full consultancy service — including advising on current market trends, organisation structures, and succession planning, and offering competitor analysis — as well as top-quality talent. The more we work with you, the more our understanding of your business grows, and the more we can help. We have bespoke product solutions that we will tailor to your specific project scope. And we do this all with a diversity focussed methodology.
Join us. We have a culture of belonging where diversity is the default. Your recruitment career with us will give you the opportunity to grow and develop in a way the industry has never done before.
We are BioTalent Social, an event and networking platform established in 2020. We like to discuss all things Life Sciences related and create and host networking and knowledge-building events within the sector. Wide-ranging discussions are led by a panel of market-leading experts, offering sharp, focused insight on issues of the day. Our Race in STEM community is a platform, under BioTalent Social, designed to discuss areas of bias towards people of different ethnic backgrounds within the Life Sciences industry.
For our latest Race in STEM podcast, our global community manager, Steven Fuller, caught up with aviation and sustainability expert Kwame Bekoe. Born and raised in the UK of Ghanaian parents, Kwame went back to Ghana for three years of secondary school, gaining a deeper understanding of his culture and background, before returning to the UK and finishing his education. It was far from plain sailing in the part of southwest London where he spent the first part of his childhood. “The town I was actually born in was a stronghold for the British National Party, so I remember actually in my youth seeing these marches happening all around me, all these people filled with anger and hatred.” It was Kwame’s parents, and his father in particular, who helped him come to terms with experiences like these. “He would explain to me about really what is going on, why people think like this and you know, a lot of it is down to indifference and lack of understanding – and really just how to navigate my way through that and not let it become a deterrent or a hindrance as to where it is I feel I want to go in life.” Kwame combines this measured approach for all life throws at him with a strong resolve and willpower – something his father also had no small part in instilling. “He is someone who’s really filled with grit, with determination. I think someone of his generation to be able to move from Africa, to move from Ghana, pretty much the first I would say in my direct and indirect family, with the passion to just study and learn and really just to go for that dream and to do something different.” Kwame’s certainly doing something different with his current role as commercial director at Zero, a company revolutionising the way aircraft are powered and reducing their environmental impact. Listen to the complete conversation as Kwame talks family responsibilities, having a dream your teachers don’t believe in and ensuring better representation within the STEM space.
Most drugs and devices have to go through clinical trials before they hit the market. By volunteering to participate in these trials, patients can help pharmaceutical or medical device companies answer specific health questions about a new product development, whether it’s a drug or a medical device like a pacemaker.But it’s an unfortunate fact that most minority groups, whether lifestyle or ethnic groups, are underrepresented in clinical trials. Making trials more inclusive is not just important because we want greater representation – we need to make sure the groups being studied are the groups that are most affected.In our latest clinical diversity webinar, Race in STEM community director Steven Fuller was joined by Tiffany Ashton, Barry Holmes Jr., Téa Romero and Michael W. Young to discuss clinical diversity, specifically representation.Watch the webinar to find out more about the importance of representation in clinical trials and how we can understand and overcome the barriers to ensure more diverse participation.
BioTalent hosted the latest CGT Circle event at The IN Group’s London office on Thursday 6th June. Host Christina Giakou and our panel of life sciences leaders made up of Charlotte Smerdon (Purespring Therapeutics), Jacqueline Abbas (BioSolutions), Ming Ewe (Smart Biotech Solutions) and Jyothi Kumaran (Laverock Therapeutics) discussed promoting career resilience among women, attracting investment to startup companies, factors to consider when joining startups and advice for coping with redundancy. Here are the key takeaways.How to promote resilience for women facing career challengesIn a demanding and often uncertain biotech industry, there was a consensus among the panellists that women often feel they face a trade-off between doing a good job at home and doing a good job at work. In reality, they can be good at both by building their resilience.It sounds like a contradiction, but vulnerability’s an important tool in growing resilience. Don’t be afraid of showing weakness. If you get stuck, be open to asking for help from mentors, coaches or colleagues you really click with. When you need to vent, are lacking confidence or maybe questioning your career, it helps to have a peer with whom you can discuss your challenges, whether they’re personal or professional. Find someone you trust either inside or outside the company for mutual, honest support.Having a supportive boss and a team who back you up are a big part of that. With workplaces now so much more flexible and understanding, this is hopefully turning into the norm for women in biotech. When you’re struggling to bond with anyone around you, that’s where the power of your network really comes to the fore. Make sure you connect with professional groups, take every opportunity to grow your network and speak to like-minded people so you know you’re not alone.How to attract investmentThe panel shared some useful strategies for startup companies in the life sciences sector looking to attract early-stage investment.VisionEnsure the long-term vision is clear for investors, covering all your key milestones, budgets and inflexion points. This will give everyone confidence in your mission. Venture capitalists (VCs) will then get more involved in decision-making and hopefully be more willing to loosen the purse strings, as they’re much more informed.DataYou need to build up a data package to give investors confidence in your manufacturing process and chances of success. When you’re presenting your data, plans and strategy to investors, make sure you’ve considered the risks and mitigations. If you don’t disclose the risks, investors will assume you haven’t thought about them.Don’t ask for too little funding or you’ll risk running out before you have the chance to get the data. When asking for funding, you’ll need at least 12 months before your funding runs out or you’ll be in a weak negotiating position. RegulationThere was a feeling that in the startup environment, regulation’s often brought into the process too late. You need to work collectively across the company to deliver the right information to the regulators, in turn giving investors confidence in the regulatory input. What to consider when joining a startupWhen presented with the opportunity to join a startup, what do you need to think about? What questions should you ask to make sure you make the right decision?Do your due diligence by looking at the company page on LinkedIn, press coverage and information from Companies House. See how many people they’ve got in the team, what departments they have, how far they’ve progressed in clinical trials. If they’re very preclinical, their funding might be pushed back if VCs feel the clinical data isn’t strong enough.Understanding the company’s funding will give you an idea of the security and longevity of the role. Look at what funding they’ve received, whether it’s seed, series A or B, or venture capital. If they have only VC funding, how risky would it be to join them? Is there a chance they’ve spent all their funding on manufacturing? Diversified funding – there might be a number of VCs investing in the company, or partnerships with other biotech companies – could be a reassuring sign.Ask about the company’s vision and its plan for the next few years. It could have just received a large amount of funding for its immediate plan, but what’s its long-term strategy? What are its growth plans? If it's planning to double its headcount in the next year, is that kind of growth sustainable or indicative of stability? Similarly, a focus only on the immediate term is a big red flag.Ask about its culture and values. What’s it like to work for? When it grows, how will it maintain that culture? Does what you see on the company website and social media match up with your impression of the hiring process?Don’t underestimate the importance of gut feeling when deciding whether to make the move. In the fast-moving startup world, the company could change direction at any moment. Whatever you decide to do, go into it with your eyes open.What you could gain in a startupIf you can stay long enough, the stock options could be quite lucrative – but you might find yourself doing the same job for a number of years. In biotech, the role is so broad that you can take it wherever you want, whether getting involved in industry initiatives or speaking at events.What you can learn is often more valuable than the financials. Understand the gaps in your experience and look for ways you can fill them. An internal project could be a good way of increasing your portfolio of skills. Even if the role doesn’t work out in the long term, it could be an opportunity to build your CV.How does the role fit into the life you want to have outside work and where you want to go in your career? With fewer layers of hierarchy, there’s also an opportunity to get involved in mentoring, which is not only hugely rewarding but gives you the chance to exchange knowledge. Getting through redundancyRedundancy is a sad fact of life in any industry, but particularly in life sciences. Remember it’s the role that’s being made redundant, not you. It’s usually a decision based on a business need. Never lose sight of the fact that you’re good at what you do and finding your next opportunity is only a matter of time. You’re not trying to get every job you apply for – you’re trying to get one.Your network is more important than ever – both in providing support and connecting you to potential opportunities. That’s why you always need to be working on expanding your network, speaking to peers and getting involved in initiatives where you can get to know new people.Most importantly of all, take care of your mental health. If you’re able to, take the opportunity for some time off. Stay busy, whether it’s immersing yourself in the job hunt, taking up hobbies or going for walks to keep your mind clear. This is a chance to go about your daily life without the pressures of work. Become a part of the communityThe CGT Circle aims to realise and harness the collective power and experience of women in cell and gene therapy through community-led events. Offering support with careers and professional development, it aims to connect women and have conversations about complex topics as they navigate careers and life. Find out more about the CGT Circle here.If you’re looking for your next role in cell and gene therapy or you’re a pharmaceutical company looking to make your next hire, please contact the BioTalent team.
The Dublin Tech Summit took place on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May at the RDS, bringing together global leaders in innovation, technology and business to shape the future of global trends. Among them were founder of Race in STEM Steven Fuller and C-suite engagement director for The IN Group, Natalie Whittlesey.In our latest podcast, Nat discusses how being at one of Europe’s leading tech festivals was a key learning experience: “I have to talk to a lot of really interesting tech leaders and I have to keep myself well informed, make sure I know what’s going on, what the leading trends are in tech, data, digital.” She gives her first-hand perspective on the three fascinating talks she attended at the summit, covering:The robots are here – With Ireland at the forefront of the robotics and machine learning revolution, how are companies successfully leveraging AI?Using tech and AI during times of political crisis – With the UK and US general elections coming up, how could tech potentially be used for the purpose of disinformation? How can tech advancements help, but also hinder, the relationship between the state and citizens?Return on investment of DEI, hosted by our very own Steven Fuller – How return on investment can manifest in financial performance, staff retention and customer satisfaction – but DEI needs to be embedded in the heart of a business with commitment from the top, rather than a tick box exercise or a sentence on a website.Listen to the full conversation to learn more about this year’s Dublin Tech Summit and the big trends shaping the tech market.
The latest Race in STEM podcast saw global community manager Steven Fuller chat to Zahir Carrington, a medical tech sales professional based in the US.Growing up in Philadelphia, a strong family dynamic has been a key foundation of Zahir’s life from an early age. “I grew up in a very big family, a very close family. If you messed with one of us, you messed with all of us. If I think about some of the values that we had as kids, early on it was always to watch out and look out for each other as cousins, being the oldest of two younger brothers.” But most importantly of all, “I was always surrounded by a lot of love from all these people as well.”Zahir’s enjoyed a varied career, which started as a professional basketball player. But despite his natural talent for sport, his parents would only allow him to get involved in extracurricular activities if he was doing well at school. Everything had to be based on strong educational foundations.“I remember vividly my dad standing over me at the kitchen table as I’m practising my penmanship and cursive handwriting which you don’t even use anymore, but they were so dialled into ensuring that we had all the necessary schools to be taken seriously in the world and to be in a better situation. I hated it as a kid, I couldn’t stand it as a kid, but I really, really appreciate it now.” That academic grounding proved to be crucial in paving the way for his future success.Listen to the complete conversation to hear more about the importance of family in Zahir’s career, how he became a successful account manager for a global pharmaceutical company, and how hard work and commitment have allowed him to make the most of life’s varied opportunities.
The 20th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) took place at the Grand Hyatt Washington from 29th April to 1st May. Centred around the theme ‘Storytelling: Its Art and Power,’ this year’s gathering delved into both the creative and methodological aspects of medical publications and communications, emphasising their influence in making healthcare more relatable. Among hundreds of attendees were Steven Fuller, community director for Race in STEM, and Elizabeth Bevan, associate director for BioTalent, who took part in roundtable discussions with leading life sciences professionals on all things DEI. Here are their key takeaways. 1. We need a more inclusive hiring process There’s an argument that the hiring process in the pharmaceutical industry is exclusionary by its very nature. While a written test provides a good indication of a candidate’s acumen and ability to handle pressure, is it a fair mode of assessment? Finding the time to do a test can be difficult, particularly if a candidate is working two jobs or has family commitments. Could companies look for a more inclusive way of assessing candidates so they can reach different groups? One agency promotes diversity through employee resource groups (ERGs) for the LGBTQ+, disabled and other underrepresented communities, providing a safe space to speak and connect. Increasing organisational understanding of underrepresented groups is key when it comes to reaching out to them on job opportunities. Pharma is a career choice that involves pursuing a particular academic pathway. It’s not necessarily something you fall into. Due to the lack of diversity in the academic pool, the requirement for a PhD can exclude minorities. This means the pharma industry’s largely made up of people from the same few schools. How do you change that? It’s about where you recruit. It’s easy to say that diverse talent isn’t out there when you keep looking in the same places. Think about who’s applying to your roles and how you reach them. Then build networks and understanding with your target talent pools, clearly communicating the career path within your organisation. Clinical trial recruitment is based on white male bodies as the ‘field standard’ that is then applied to everyone else. Overcoming subconscious discrimination starts with healthcare – educating residents, targeting earlier career physicians and training the next generation. 2. Studies should reflect the local demographic In clinical studies, we need to represent various skin tones to reflect the ethnic groups in the patient population. But that’s not always the case. An example was given of a dermatitis study where all the training manuals were on white skin, and there seemed to be a higher placebo rate which wasn’t captured. It’s about being collaborative with patients to produce an accurate patient journey. This doesn’t just require diversity in the people who are making the decisions, but oversight of the end users to ensure a truly representative process. Although metrics can help to measure the success of programmes and implementations, we can’t be guided by statistics alone. We must keep our focus on empathy and relationship building so we can truly understand the patients’ needs and respond to them accordingly. When it comes to selecting the next generation of researchers, leaders need to be educated to prioritise diversity, not just ticking boxes. 3. Training is just the start DEI is moving so quickly that training quickly becomes outdated. In order to keep up with the latest topics of discussion, thinking and terminology, training needs to be continuous – just like training in IT systems or AI. At the same time, we need to continuously challenge our own unconscious bias. Do we get too hung up on the idea of encouraging our employees to bring their authentic self to work? Isn’t this the easiest thing in the world? When someone shares their story and we congratulate them for their bravery, we’re effectively acknowledging that it isn’t a safe space. A person shouldn’t have to be brave to communicate openly with their colleagues. Saying the workplace is a safe space doesn’t make it a reality. A safe and open environment can only be created from the top down. By the same token, training alone isn’t the answer. In isolation, it can have the opposite effect and make people feel they’re being singled out. Training and education must be allied to role modelling from leadership, who need to embody and actively display the qualities we desire in all of our people. 4. Allyship can include and inform There was a feeling that there’s “nothing about us without us.” Diversity is such a wide and complex entity that we need to work hard to be representative of all groups. Visibility is really important to people who are underrepresented in a particular sector, helping to give them a sense of being accepted. If we’re writing about them and designing communications for them, shouldn’t we be using our patients’ needs and preferences to guide us? One of our panellists described how their organisation had partnered with its patient advocacy group to create a patient narrative, with the intention of making the patient the author. It’s all about putting yourself as much as possible in the place of your target audience. Education is a big part of being a better ally. By learning about different people’s experiences, we can better understand their perspectives and represent those perspectives in our communications. Patients provide us with a lot of data and ultimately, give a lot to science. A patient advocacy arm gives you the opportunity to talk to patients and caregivers so you can cater your services exclusively to their needs. Using Datavision to track different populations after a presentation can provide a holistic view of whether publications are representative of those populations. Summary We can never achieve a truly equitable workplace if we keep treating DEI as a separate entity. It needs to be integrated into our working policies and ways of thinking, not subsequently applied to already embedded working practices. That means more inclusive hiring processes, clinical studies that reflect the local demographic, continuous training that allows us to keep up with the ever changing DEI landscape, and allyship that makes everyone feel included. ISMPP is a professional member association which aims to provide ethical and effective communication of medical research to inform treatment decisions. Find out more about ISMPP here. Race in STEM is a community for underrepresented multicultural voices in STEM. If you’d like to find out more about Race in STEM, or you want to talk to us about improving equality and diversity in your organisation, please get in touch now.
For this month’s Race in STEM podcast, global community manager Steven Fuller caught up with Rapulu (Ral) Ogbah, a pharmacovigilance and lifecycle management quality assurance professional based in the UK.Born in Nigeria and part of the Igbo tribe, Ral moved to Ireland when he was a child and has lived in Europe ever since. Family has always had a huge impact on his educational and career journey: “A whole lot of my upbringing has always been dictated by my immediate family, specifically my parents and even more specifically, my mum, who had a huge influence on my life. So growing up in an African family, there’s always that element of, you must respect your elders, you must respect authority, you have to listen.”But Ral’s not the kind of person to blindly accept the world for what it is. In fact, he’s already recognised as a powerful changemaker in life sciences. He’s the founder of the Black Pharma community, which aims to amplify voices and increase the representation of ethnically diverse professionals across the pharmaceutical industry.“I would actually say I’m a walking contradiction, because I wanted as much as possible to follow my own path, and I am quite headstrong. Anybody who knows me would describe me as a contrarian. I would do things exactly the opposite to what the general population is doing. Whether on purpose or not, I’m not 100% sure!”Listen to the complete conversation to hear more about the impact of family on Ral’s career, how he became an associate director for lifecycle management, regulatory compliance and PV QA for a global pharmaceutical company, and how Black Pharma is changing the lives of students, graduates and experienced professionals across the UK, US, Africa and Asia.
For the latest Race In STEM podcast, our global community manager Steven Fuller caught up with Mandy Budwal-Jagait, a mother of two and senior good clinical practice professional based in the Midlands.The daughter of immigrants from India, Mandy was brought up in a religious household. What kind of impact did growing up as a woman of colour and of faith have on her educational journey and her decision to pursue life sciences as a career? In Mandy’s words, “Sikhism is about fighting for your rights and equality, rising against injustice.” In that respect, her religion represents her perfectly as a person, as a professional and as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion.The teachings of her religion have been supplemented by a focus on education: “Education comes first, because once you have your education, no one can really take that away from you. Opportunities open. You’ll never be reliant on anyone else if you can kind of support yourself in that regard. If you’ve got a good education behind you, you have more job prospects. It wasn’t a case of, when I grow up, the expectations for me were to get married and have a family. I’m quite lucky in that regard, whereas culturally I know that has been an expectation for others. For me, it was very much, you take the opportunities that are available and you run with it.”Listen to the complete conversation to hear more about the part Mandy’s faith has played in her career, her journey to head of GCP at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and how we can achieve better representation within the STEM space.
A community that aims to support multicultural voices in the global science, technology, engineering and mathematics space, Race in STEM has grown from strength to strength since launching in 2023. Now part of The IN Group, Race in STEM is looking to extend its services to a wider range of clients, candidates and community members in 2024. Through events, conferences, podcasts, webinars and training sessions, it aims to: · Help organisations get comfortable with DEI so their people feel safe to discuss DEI issues openly. · Encourage businesses to face challenging issues head-on with openness and honesty, having difficult conversations and improving the workplace environment for everyone. · Offer recruitment expertise through our recruitment sister brand, BioTalent, who can help our clients secure the best diverse STEM talent. · Suggest talent retention strategies including upskilling, mentoring and clear pathways to career progression, allowing our clients to create a working environment where everyone has the opportunity to advance their careers. In our report UNLOCKED: Talent Insights 2024, Steven Fuller, founder and community director for Race in STEM, outlines his plans to expand the platform in 2024, helping to create a fairer and more equitable STEM sector. You canread his article here.
How do we improve diversity in clinical trials? What are the barriers to entry that prevent minority groups participating in trials? What are the diversity challenges facing the healthcare system and the medical researchers themselves? This interesting and hugely important topic was the subject of our recent Race in STEM webinar, where we welcomed four leading experts in clinical trials.We were joined by Barry Holmes Jr – Vice President of Strategy and Development at Genisis Medical Research Group, Tiffany Ashton – Director of Operations at ClinEssentials, Michael W Young – Principal and Founder at biomedwoRx and finally, Téa Romero – Director, Alliance Management at Scout. Find out more about each of our speakers below.The increasing profile of clinical trialsOur discussion kicked off by addressing the reasons why there has been an increase in interest in clinical trials over the last few years. Before the pandemic, the world of clinical trials was possibly a little opaque. Anyone looking in from the outside would have had little idea what they involved, who was involved and how they could participate themselves. Michael Young, Principal and Founder at biomedwoRx, feels that COVID has brought clinical trials firmly to the public consciousness. "I think in the last four years, without doubt, the COVID epidemic has brought the phrase clinical trials to the kitchen table and everybody's house,” he said. “People wanted to understand how these were being conducted. How important and what data was being generated?”The importance of languageHow significant is the part played by language in discussing clinical trials? Téa Romero, Director of Alliance Management at Scout, feels we need to do more to understand a patient’s experience when participating in a clinical trial. "How is the patient feeling in this moment?” she said. “We're speaking in each other's language and to each other, but not really considering the patient and the fact that the patients are taking time out of their day to do this. The patient may be missing work to participate, for example.”We can improve understanding by tailoring the way we refer to people taking part in clinical trials. She argued that “We don’t talk about the participants as if they are full, whole people. We talk about them as participants, and I think we need to change that language.”It’s all about transparency, communication and valuing the patients as individuals.If you’d like to learn more about this topic you can catch up on the full conversation below and stay tuned for more insightful conversations like this one very soon.Many thanks to our participants for providing their insights. Find out more about the panelists below:Barry Holmes Jr: Vice President of Strategy and Development at Genisis Medical Research GroupBarry brings a diverse set of skills to the problem of diversity in clinical trials. Combining extensive experience in the industry with personal experiences navigating the healthcare system, Barry has the drive and knowledge to affect change in the industry.Téa Romero: Director, Alliance Management at Scout Téa specializes in face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid clinical meeting planning, patient payment, travel, and logistics support, as well as virtual collaboration and education.Michael W Young: Principal and Founder at biomedwoRxMichael’s company provides global go-to-market services to the contract research, biotech, pharma, and biomedical community (specifically between the clinical and marketing area).He’s engaged in projects designed to optimize revenue, strategic alliance collaboration, market adoption curves, and life-cycle opportunities for pre-market products and mature brands in the biotech, device, and e-commerce arenas. He’s done extensive work in the hematology and immunocompromised patient arena.Tiffany Ashton: Director of Operations at ClinEssentialsTiffany is an industry leader operating at the intersection of clinical research, training, and innovation. She combines efficiency and smart solutions to enable clinical research professionals to confidently thrive and improve the productivity and quality of services they deliver.Watch the webinar below
The latest Race in STEM roundtable took place in our New York office on Wednesday 13th March. Founder and community director Steven Fuller was joined by a panel of Bu Reinen, Zahir Carrington, Netra Macon, Smadar Dabush, Tamara Grow and Shetal Vyas, who discussed the common barriers faced by people from minority ethnic backgrounds pursuing STEM careers, and how organisations can promote cultural competence among staff and leadership. The need for greater diversity in STEM careers As an organisation, how do you create a diverse environment that provides equal opportunities for growth and development for everyone, regardless of their identity or background? Employee resource groups (ERGs) can be important for this because they provide a safe space for people with shared characteristics or life experiences to support each other, enhance career development and influence organisational policy. At the same time, people need continued support to grow beyond these shared experiences and maintain personal success and fulfilment within their careers.Tamara Grow, who’s been working in medical communications for 20 years, has met only a few people of colour within her niche during her transition beyond academia and throughout her career as a senior lead in scientific services. That lack of representation isn’t just concerning at an industry level. It can be disparaging at a personal level, and it raises questions about how to enhance diversity within organisations who seek STEM graduates and how to support their continued growth and success. The business case for diversityYou can’t build a diverse team as an afterthought – your efforts need to be woven into the fabric of everything you’re trying to do as an organisation. “It’s not a case of saying you want a diverse culture – it needs to be built correctly through inclusivity,” said Shetal Vyas, a general manager in the pharmaceuticals industry.If an organisation is looking to open a new manufacturing site, for example, it shouldn’t wait until the facility’s been built before thinking about how to attract diverse talent. Conversations about talent attraction need to happen during the planning stage, so that you can build your team at the same time as the facility itself.People of different ethnicities can go through various programmes in a bid to develop themselves, but what happens after those programmes? Tamara raised the very valid concern that women of colour need sponsors in the professional environment, especially in senior positions, who encourage their growth and cultivate an environment of inclusivity. “Having the support of senior leaders who value your potential is important to help you envision what’s possible, and the organisation is successful when you thrive,” she said. Behaviour is keyThe things that can make us feel uncomfortable at work are many and varied. The panel discussed the differences between microaggressions, biases and flat out discrimination. Although we might sometimes experience an immediate fight or flight reaction, having patience and understanding, and identifying how to move forward, are key to overcoming these obstacles.As much as we might want to, and as much as it might seem necessary, we can’t just change the world. Sometimes we need to regulate our behaviour within that world in order to get our message across. Smadar Dabush, a global clinical trial manager, spoke eloquently about the importance of being patient and sometimes accepting the imperfections of our environment. “It’s not a step backwards,” she said. “It’s a step to the side to find another way forward.” Common barriers within STEMThere’s an assumption that people of colour are the only ones encountering cultural barriers in their STEM careers, but are they really? There was a feeling among the panellists that the hiring process, by its very nature, can be a significant barrier to entry for many groups.Transferrable skills are so important when it comes to getting into a new, and quite niche field. If you work in quality assurance in pharma, you could also work in quality assurance in food and beverages. Although you’ll need to learn new things in order to make the move, you have the platform and the skills to build that knowledge. Tamara felt that there’s great value in taking someone with a PhD in another space and training them to help transition their transferrable skills into medcomms. This puts the onus on organisations to think outside the box when looking for new talent. Where allyship gives way to competitionDo people from underrepresented groups help each other in their STEM careers? In reality, people often find themselves in competition. If there’s one spot at the top, for example, only one person can have that spot while everyone else can only aspire to it. Instead of looking to outdo or replace that person, we need to showcase, support and advocate for them, showing other people from underrepresented groups that they can achieve their aspirations. By channelling the inclusive energy of an ERG, we can create a positive and supportive environment where allyship doesn’t have to take second place to competition. Cultural competenceWe need to work hard to understand and respect differing values, attitudes and beliefs, and respond appropriately to those differences, in order to communicate effectively with people of other cultures. At the same time, external perceptions are critical to our credibility and our ability to attract talent. Having equal numbers of people of different ethnicities going for the same job might look great externally – “We can’t be out of sync with the optics,” said Steven Fuller – but are some leaders more concerned about being seen to be committed to diversity, than genuinely understanding the value of an inclusive environment?Do we see colour? It’s a complex question with many angles of approach. If we get too obsessed with colour, we lose sight of a person’s value as a professional and a human being, and start to define them by their ethnicity. And if we don’t see colour, we run the risk of overlooking a person’s challenges and failing to provide the equitable environment they need. That’s where employers need to be tuned in to their people’s needs, understand their everyday challenges and introduce policies and processes that give everyone the chance to thrive.Many thanks to our attendees for a fantastic discussion. Race in STEM is a community for underrepresented multicultural voices in STEM. If you’d like to find out more about Race in STEM or to talk to us about improving equality and diversity in your organisation, please get in touch now.
The latest Race In STEM podcast saw our global community manager Steven Fuller catch up with Netra Macon, an HR professional within the life sciences healthcare sector, based in New York. Being exposed to different lifestyles, cultures and communities from an early age has helped to shape Netra into the openminded individual she is today. Just as her upbringing was geographically polarised – she was born in North Carolina but grew up in New York – her experience of school before second grade could not have contrasted more with her experience from second grade onwards. Having attended a nursery school where the children were predominantly of colour, she suddenly found herself in a new school among only a handful of minority children. “The school I attended up until second grade closed suddenly and then I had to go to a school that was predominantly white, and it was a handful of us minorities and I was the only black kid in the class. So that was an experience that was very unique and different, and as a child you don’t know if it’s because it’s just a new school. That point of reference of colour and race was just not part of the conversation.” Growing up, HR wasn’t a career path she could have foreseen: “I did not wake up one day deciding I want to be an HR professional. I had no idea what that meant.” In fact, she had planned to be a journalist. Now a global people lead and board advisor who forges talent strategies, instigates DEI initiatives and connects people at all levels, she’s certainly exceeded her own expectations. Listen to the complete conversation to hear more about Netra’s remarkable personal journey – one where she’s learned that we should avoid putting each other in boxes, and appreciate that we all show up in different ways before we can have effective discussions about culture and people.
The last year has seen a global rise in chronic health conditions such as diabetes and a significant increase in wearable medical technology and wireless in-home healthcare, as companies focus on how to diagnose and treat patients faster and more accurately.While large medtech companies with products focused on COVID diagnostics have been forced into significant layoffs as their COVID testing businesses have dropped from their pandemic peaks, many small to mid-size organizations have seen continued growth as they seek regulatory approval and commercialization for Class II and III devices.What’s the outlook for medtech talent in 2024? Which technologies will be most important in diagnosis and treatment? And which skills will be top of hiring companies’ wish list as medical technology continues to advance?To find out more on the key areas medical device and diagnostics leaders need to prepare for in 2024, check out our medical device and diagnostics market snapshot in UNLOCKED: Talent Insights 2024.
The end of 2023 saw BioTalent join forces with The IN Group and Investigo’s existing life sciences team to create a specialist global life sciences division of over 50 experts who are leading the way in the life sciences staffing sector. In our report UNLOCKED: Talent Insights 2024, we look at how this move will help us expand our capabilities and create new opportunities for our clients and candidates. We also take a detailed look at the year ahead in the life sciences industry. In particular, where will we see strong investment and growth in 2024? How will an increasingly complex regulatory environment affect life sciences organisations? As AI, machine learning and computational chemistry become increasingly prominent in the world of life sciences, which skills will organisations need in order to utilise these technologies in the year ahead? For our breakdown of the key areas life sciences leaders need to prepare for in 2024, check out our BioTalent brand spotlight in UNLOCKED: Talent Insights 2024.
For the latest Race In STEM podcast, Steven Fuller, global community manager for Race in STEM, caught up with Bimpe Shitta-Bey on the importance of education, how to balance learning with the internal pressure to socialise with your peers, and why Desmond’s is an important cultural touchpoint for people of African descent growing up in the UK. Bimpe is a regulatory strategy lead based in London. One of the most striking things about her is her strong sense of purpose and endless positivity. But despite her spontaneity and desire to make the most of opportunities when they come along, she’s never lost that clear vision of what she wants to achieve. “I’ve always been lucky because I’ve always had a real sense of self, what I wanted to do. Like everybody, you can be kind of pulled by what others are doing, but in myself I know what the right thing is and what I want to do, what I’m trying to get to, and so I don’t allow myself to be moved from that path. And I think that’s always done me good – just do the thing that it’s telling me inside to do, not what’s going on outside.” Trained as a pharmacist but realising very early on that the life of a pharmacist wasn’t for her, Bimpe went on to complete her PhD in pharmacy and embarked on a career that’s taken her from the civil services to global pharma and small start-up companies. Now, as a regulatory strategy lead, she draws upon her diverse experience in the pharma and biotech industry to devise and implement innovative regulatory strategies and manage complex and novel regulatory issues. Listen to the complete conversation (or watch on YouTube) to hear more about her fascinating personal and professional journey, characterised by an incredibly powerful drive and an infectiously positive outlook on life.
People are increasingly looking for meaning in their role, which means that we as employers need to provide them with purpose beyond payment. That includes wellbeing and mental health support, an equitable workplace where everyone’s needs are understood and catered for, and a commitment to social responsibility. The IN Group’s report UNLOCKED: Talent Insights 2024 looks at some of the major themes redefining the workplace and driving talent strategies for organizations of all types. The magazine includes: Updates on The IN Group’s brands BioTalent and Investigo. Market snapshots on each of our specialisms – medical communications, medical device and diagnostics, and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Expert insights on how charity strategies galvanize workplace culture, sustainability as a purpose, the significance of allyship and employee wellbeing in 2024.Read our insight hereClick to read (USA) The IN Group Talent Insights 2024
The IN Group’s London office hosted the latest Race in STEM roundtable on Thursday 25th January. Host Steven Fuller was joined by a panel of Rapulu (Ral) Ogbah, Dr Wayne Mitchell, Marcia Philbin, Stephen Vinter and Mandy Budwal-Jagait, to discuss ways of increasing multicultural representation in STEM and share personal experiences and insights from their own careers. Here are five key takeaways from the discussion.1. The power of intention When it comes to DEI, there has to be an intention behind what you’re trying to do, allied to clear objectives. If there’s no intentionality for change, change will not happen. Intentionality gives clarity and credibility to your objectives, and the seriousness of your intention will invariably be reflected in the result you achieve. Giving yourself something tangible to aim for will help you achieve change that is impactful, practical and long lasting, rather than merely performative. Key to this are accountability, leadership and sponsorship from your senior stakeholders – the people who can actually effect change. They need to buy into your initiative and be willing to drive it. Make everyone accountable for their own objectives and if someone says they’re going to do something, follow up and make sure it gets done. 2. You have to see it to be it… Being around people of your own ethnicity gives you a sense of identity and belonging. Our attendees described how they’d been inspired to pursue their future careers by someone who looked like them (whether in life sciences or even, in Marcia’s case, Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek!) Lack of representation, both in fellow students and professors, is a significant barrier to people of colour putting themselves forward in the field. If you’re the only person of your ethnicity in a lecture – which has particularly been the case for Black students studying STEM subjects – this can play on your sense of social identity. Being the only one means you don’t have the opportunity to express your own cultural identity, forcing you to develop strategies and techniques to achieve a sense of belonging. It’s easy to find yourself assimilating and developing other people’s identities just to get by. You can’t be who you want to be. And if you are, it feels like people want to penalise you for it. Having already encountered significant obstacles before they even got to the institution – such as lack of access to additional tuition, or A-level programmes that might not have given them the mathematical skills they needed – many students from ethnic minorities don’t think about continuing into PhD and beyond. 3. …but you can still be it if you can’t see it “Don’t think, ‘I can’t see them so I can’t do it.’ Dare to dream.” Dr Wayne Mitchell Although there’s the argument that people have nothing to aspire to without visible role models from a similar background, we shouldn’t restrict ourselves to the parameters of what’s gone before, otherwise we’ll never take things any further. Wayne observed that no one had been to the moon before, and someone had to do it first. The question is how we remove the barriers to getting where we want to go. We need to provide equity of opportunity and resources, creating pathways to attainment and enabling impactful change. Through mentorship programmes, engagement initiatives and building communities, we can help underrepresented groups excel at university instead of feeling that they survived it. 4. The power of trust In life, we often size people up as soon as we meet them, creating barriers in the process. It’s necessary to break down those barriers before we can see the value of the individual. We might not all be the same, but when we talk and listen to each other’s stories, we start to see the crossovers. We start to develop trust. It’s about creating a sense of belonging – a shared experience and a shared story. People need to know that it’s safe to talk about their experiences. That’s why organisations need to create a psychologically safe space where their people feel like they can express themselves and challenge where necessary. If people don’t trust you, they won’t engage. But if you haven’t made the effort to engage in the first place, why should they trust you? That’s why it’s so important to proactively reach out to underrepresented communities so you can understand their needs and barriers, start to build trust, and encourage them to join committees dedicated to DEI initiatives. You can’t just ask a certain select group for their views, produce some written guidance catering to their specific needs and then think your work’s done. 5. Looking in the right places Organisations in STEM will often point to a lack of diverse applicants for roles. But if looking in the same places hasn’t yielded the talent you’re hoping for, you’re looking in the wrong places. Think about who’s applying to your roles. What are their backgrounds? How do you engage with them? Hold yourselves accountable and check for biases. Build networks and understanding. Clearly communicate that there’s a career path within your organisation. People applying to your organisation, or looking to progress within it, need to know that they don’t have to tick all the boxes for a role. Belonging’s about so much more than sharing an ethnic group. Many of us will sometimes struggle with that feeling of not quite belonging – feeling that we don’t match those around us, whether in our educational, career or social background. But we will have something in our favour, something other people don’t, that allows us to get our foot in the door and then progress. We need to help our people understand their unique skills and how they can use them to have a positive impact. After all, that is the essence of an effective team. Many thanks to our attendees for a wonderfully engaging discussion and we look forward to hosting the next roundtable event later in the year. Hear the panel’s key takeaways in the short video clips below:Rapulu (Ral) OgbahDr Wayne MitchellMarcia PhilbinStephen VinterMandy Budwal-JagaitRace in Stem is a community for underrepresented multicultural voices in STEM. If you’d like to find out more about Race in STEM, or you want to talk to us about improving equality and diversity in your organisation, please email marketing@raceinstem.com. We’d love to hear from you.
In the latest Race in STEM podcast, Steven Fuller, global community manager, sat down with Dr. John Ndikum to talk making a difference, breaking through barriers and finding the right voices which resonate with you as an individual. Dr John Ndikum is an author, educator, pharmaceutical physician, clinical researcher, and currently, medical affairs professional based in the UK. Although he’s achieved so much, one of the most striking things about him is his humility and desire for continual learning. “I do remember being in a hospital with my dad when I was about three years old in Cameroon and while we were waiting, we were seeing these people in white coats. I remember turning round to my dad and saying, ‘Who are those people, why are they wearing lab coats?’ ‘Those are doctors, John.’ I said, ‘Wow, what do they do?’ He said, ‘They help people.’ And I said, ‘I want to do that when I grow up.’” After going to medical school at Bart’s, John was a doctor in the NHS for around seven years before completing his master’s in public health at Yale University. He worked in clinical trials before moving into medical affairs. As a senior medical affairs manager, he’s involved in pre-paunch strategy and planning, strategic insight gathering and HCP engagement, collaborative working and cross-functional education. Listen to the complete conversation to hear more about his fascinating personal and professional journey, in which a desire to help others, through the many insights and experiences he’s gained along the way, has been a defining characteristic.
In the latest instalment of the BioTalent Social podcast, our very own Steven Fuller, Global Community Manager of Race In Stem, sat down with Sarah Mardle to talk leadership, gender bias, the evolution of the life sciences industry and creating lasting change. “I definitely wanted to be a scientist and I was able to do two degrees, one in pharmacology and one in biochemistry, and was also lucky enough to have a year out in industry. And that really opened my eyes to what I might want to do next.” Sarah Mardle is an experienced healthcare executive known for her adept leadership in quality, regulatory, and operations management. With a two-decade track record in biotech, pharma, and medical devices businesses, she has guided organisations through complex projects, regulatory processes, and sustainability initiatives. As the Business Operations Director at Team Consulting, a medical device consultancy, Sarah oversees the strategic development and operational management of Team's Business Operations teams. She is committed to fostering diversity and implementing sustainable practices. Listen to the complete conversation (or watch on YouTube) to hear how Sarah has grown from strength to strength professionally, but also gain insight into her personal life and how she navigated life and a senior position. More about BioTalent Social Our BioTalent Social podcast is for professionals in the life sciences industry, who can have access to wide-ranging discussions that are led by market-leading experts, who offer sharp, focused insights on current affairs within the Life Sciences sector.
We’re delighted to have expanded our global presence by becoming part of global talent solution provider The IN Group. The deal will combine The IN Group’s specialist recruitment arm Investigo’s life sciences practice with our own, creating a specialist global life sciences division of over 50 experts and adding a presence in New York City, San Diego and Philadelphia to our existing offices in London, Zug and Boston. James Cox, CEO and Co-Founder of BioTalent, said: “Joining forces with The IN Group and Investigo’s existing life sciences team creates an exciting opportunity for our people at BioTalent and expands our US operation. Both companies have shared values and a commitment to creating a unique high performance culture. Combining BioTalent’s industry expertise with Investigo’s exceptional life sciences offering elevates our product offering for clients and candidates alike. Our team is excited about the future and about what we will achieve in this new combined offering as we take our business to the next level.” Nick Baxter, CEO of The IN Group, added: “James and his team have built an incredible business that is leading the way in the life sciences staffing sector. Coupled with our existing offering, our combined teams have an industry leading proposition that will excite both current and potential customers and candidates, bringing real value to the US market. These are exciting times for The IN Group and we’re thrilled to be working with such a talented team as we continue our expansion.” We’re very happy to be joining The IN Group’s family of brands and we can’t wait to work with the Investigo team as we continue to grow into new markets and geographies. Visit The IN Group Website