Spain, December 4, 2018
PMFarma interviews Teresa Toro Estrada 
, Consultant, Middle Management, at STRAMMER.
STRAMMER, founded by David Mercier in 2008, is a leading international player in Talent Acquisition, Talent Management and Outplacement in Life Sciences. In 2016, a new era began with the development of the Full Talent Solution®. A unique programme offering organisations multidimensional solutions of a Value-Based Human Capital. To learn more about it all, we spoke with Teresa Toro, Senior Consultant, Science & Innovation within the company.
What does STRAMMER bring to Healthcare companies in the recruitment process that other recruitment firms don’t?
What differentiates STRAMMER from our competitors is the strength of the Full Talent Solution® and our processes at a local and European level, our teamwork in several searching processes and selection in Talent Acquisition & Talent Management. In the different phases of the process we support our clients and candidates with tools that give objectivity to our evaluation, helping people develop themselves. This includes: Assessment and Development Centres, Onboarding, Individual and Team Coaching and Outplacement.
STRAMMER presents a unique range of services in the Life Science industry. The Full Talent Solution®, provides integrated and customised solutions to meet the needs of our clients in Talent Acquisition (Top and Middle Management) and Talent Development (Assessment Centres, On boarding and Outplacement).
Our team originated in France and has successfully developed and expanded throughout Europe. The team is composed of 50 Talent Acquisition consultants and ICF certified Executive Coaches. All of them have experience in the Pharma and Medical Devices industries.
Is specialisation important to work in Life Sciences?
All sectors have their characteristics, and I believe it is currently important to work with a specialised firm to give a good ‘Executive Search’ service for the client and the candidate.
The Life Sciences industry is very broad, it includes: pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology, hospitals, medical devices, capital equipment, cosmetics, nutrition, veterinary, digital health and health tourism services.
We speak the same language as our interlocutors: sector, clients and candidates. Therefore, there is no need to explain the specificities, the jargon or acronyms such as GMP; HEOR, CMO, FDA, EMA, etc to the consultant. STRAMMER understands the concepts of the sector.
The briefing: a consultant from STRAMMER brings a lot of value to the client and enriches their perspective from having similar search experience for some of the client’s competitors therefore offering information that supposes a benchmark of the sector.
The recruitment: Specialised consultants can search in non-related companies, for instance those that have just entered the sector, the ones creating a division or even companies from other related sectors.
Interviews: when an interviewer knows the companies and the manager’s candidates, they have some advantage, understanding their needs and how candidates can fit it. In addition, they will learn about the company’s culture, their work environment, its track record of launches, successes and failures, etc. With this information they can easily conduct the interview through critical events to see the true value of a candidate beyond the answers.
Shortlist presentation: All those steps above lead to a shortlist presentation. The consultant now has the information needed about the sector, related segments,
STRAMMER
competitors and finalist candidates. They bring all that value to their client with concrete recommendations.
How has the search process evolved with the arrival of omnichannel?
Today, we can see how the search process itself has changed due to the use of tools such as competency interviews or new personality questionnaires which did not previously exist. These tools allow us to accurately evaluate the talent and potential talent in a more precise way and earlier on.
On the other hand, omnichannel, driven by technology, has influenced the identification of candidates due to the multiplication of channels for initial assessment and identification. Historically, candidate identification was based on direct search and networking. In today’s context of mass information, it is very difficult for candidates to be heard or seen due to the numerous channels such as social networks, media, online conferences.
To be at the forefront of information and communication, STRAMMER has managed to stand out from others. Using logarithms, we have been able to attract the interest of great potential talents in the Life Science industry that stand out of the Big Data on the internet.
Is the CV still as important as it used to be?
The CV is still our “calling card” but it each day becomes more important that candidates have the competencies and skills needed for specific positions. Our interviews are not based on the candidate’s CV, they are based on capabilities for an in-depth analysis of the candidate’s skills to ensure they fit our client’s needs.
What are the most demanded positions in healthcare today?
In 2017 and 2018, Market Access Manager, HEOR Manager, Tender Manager, MSL, Medical advisor, Medical Manage were the most demanded positions. Oncology, Immunology, Haematology and Rare Diseases were therapeutic areas that have grown the most.
Is there any change in trends or certain positions that are going to experience a boom in the coming years?
Mainly positions in digital marketing. Marketing is leaning closer to patients and not just medical professionals. Meaning we will see more open/creative marketing, in a sector that continues to be very “regulated”.
These positions will attract profiles outside the Pharma/Medical Devices industry, which will enable companies to create teams that are much more diverse in terms of experience and competences.
Are there differences between European countries throughout a selection process?
Cultures are different across all European countries implying that the search for executives is different from the beginning; in the approach, the first contact with candidates, the search development, deadlines and closing. This is why, in each of the countries where STRAMMER is present we have native consultants and we provide the same procedures and processes to guarantee maximum quality.