A Swiss-based start-up that focuses on developing and manufacturing live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) for gut health, metabolic diseases, and immune modulation was experiencing a rapid growth phase and needed additional personnel to support them.
Specifically, they needed experienced production, quality control, and laboratory technicians with upstream and downstream processing experience for a drug substance site; along with, experienced QC professionals for a drug product site.
However, being a start-up, spending ability was limited and they were therefore cautious to work with agencies. While other agencies had approached them before us, we already had a relationship with the HR leaders based on working successfully with them in their previous companies.
Based on that relationship, our level of specialisation in their field, and our flexibility to design a solution specific to their needs, they agreed to work with us on a trial basis to see what we could do.
The first role we worked on for them was a QC position for which is was necessary to find someone with both drug product and drug substance experience with liquid and solid dosage forms. Based on our existing candidate network in the area we produced a shortlist within a couple of hours. Within one and a half months, the candidate started working for our client.
Based on that success, they expanded the scope of what they wanted our support on. We then built a specialist project team with recruiters experienced in sourcing for the specific roles this client needed to fill.
While this was a highly niche, candidate short market and the client location was in a rather rural area which hampered the ability to attract the right talent, we were able to tap into our Europe-wide network and headhunt from this client’s competitors to successfully fill all their open roles. The average time to hire was just one month.
In addition, based on our SECO licence and Swiss office, we were able to offer labour leasing services through our MSP programme, which not only removed the burden of sourcing from the client’s internal team, but also compliance, contractor care, work permits, relocation, and payroll.