What are the Biggest Challenges for Hiring Stakeholders in 2022?

In episode #09 of Talent Acquisition Matters, we sat down with Sven Steinebach, who is the Vice President, Head of Global Talent Acquisition and Employer Branding at Evotec.

It was great to speak to him about all things talent-related, from employer branding to vision and values and how this should translate and permeate throughout the whole business.

We’ve highlighted our favourite takeaways for you below.

What part does talent acquisition play in retention and internal mobility?

“I think this starts getting into the employer branding piece because it’s all about managing expectations and telling the stories, right. So, why is the person going to be joining our organisation?

What are their motivations? How is their suitability for this specific organisation? Those things we need to be cautious and clear about and see how we identify that throughout the process to ensure that we have that right hire at the end of the day.”

How do you dig deeper into the values or the vision of the team?

“Well, I think that the secret sauce of any good recruiter is talking to people. But, at the same time, listening; truly, actively listening to what they have to say. It’s not only about what people are doing, it’s why they’re doing it and what their purpose is.

After being in a number of industries myself, I feel very lucky in having landed in Life Sciences. Because from my perspective, what we do, and the outcome of our work, has an impact on people and their lives. How much better can it get?”

How do you cut through the noise when hiring?

“So this is where you need to see what your key differentiators are. You must be clear about how you’re telling your story, how you’re positioning it and what the true meaning of the organisation is.

We must be very careful when we’re telling those stories, they need to be realistic. Also, when you meet someone that you like, what is their personality? You know, how do they act? What do they like, what they don’t like. And, then you start seeing if you can connect to that individual. That is the same regarding connecting to the vision of the organisation.

I think being able to translate those stories to be clear about what’s the messaging behind all of this – that is, what makes the difference.”

How do you ensure that that is integrated into how people feel about the business?

“From my perspective, the best way to do this is ensure that every single person within that process has the same understanding.

I always talk about the role of the recruitment coordinator, or let’s say their administrative support in the recruitment process, right, which is, for me is one of the most underestimated jobs within recruitment. Because, for me, that is a hugely important job, right? Really being that face to the candidate throughout the scheduling process, making sure they feel okay, etc.

It’s an experience of getting to know someone, and them getting to know an organisation. And sometimes you come to these organisations, where you’ve never even heard about them yet, but then suddenly, you’re able to open the doors.

And for me, the important thing is that once you open those doors, you make the “wow” effect. And you say, “wow, I did not expect this, this is much better than I expected”. You can only achieve this if every single person in the process really understands what we’re doing.”

You can listen to the full episode here.

Talent Acquisition Matters aims to answer the most pressing TA questions and gains valuable insights from some of the most engaging and innovative global professionals. Subscribe to us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to get alerts when new episodes are posted.

Fraser Dove International is a talent consultancy operating exclusively across the life sciences industry. While our roots lie in executive search, we provide more than the traditional recruitment services. Uniquely placed within the market, we have been providing cutting-edge talent solutions and insight to organisations at all stages of their journey – from start-ups to established leaders – since 2013.