We spoke to Lisa, who reveals everything you need to know about applying for a role at Prime Global, what we look for in a candidate, and all of the opportunities for growth. Check out the full interview below.
What is your role at Prime Global?
I head up the Talent Acquisition team, so I oversee the whole recruitment process for Prime Global. This means I get involved in direct resourcing, reviewing of candidates, social media, and managing the team. A huge part of my role is working closely with the Group Managing Directors to discuss potential candidates.
How do you advertise roles?
We have an integrated recruitment platform, which helps us advertise across our website and other job boards like Indeed. We also post job roles on social media, such as LinkedIn.
A lot of our recruitment also comes from internal referrals, via the same integrated recruitment platform. This is really helpful in building strong teams that work well together.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
What I enjoy about the role is the thrill of going through the whole process with a candidate. I love the buzz when they accept the contract, and you know they are going to be brilliant in the role. It is fulfilling to help people progress in a career they really enjoy. We work closely with HR, so we also get to see when people settle in really well, get promoted, and have an impact on the business.
How do you think COVID has changed recruitment at Prime Global?
We have always offered remote working for the right roles. Our WORKsmart scheme enabled working from home and flexible start and finish times, but we did used to prefer candidates to be within commutable distance of an office. Now that we have worked remotely for over a year, it has opened up opportunities to look further afield for candidates.
We’re evolving our WORKsmart scheme to an even more hybrid model of working, where you can choose whether you want to work from an office or from home. This is supported by feedback from employee surveys we’ve run during the pandemic – people want the best of both worlds in workplace flexibility!
What I have noticed is the importance of an accessible office and social workspace for graduate candidates because they need to see an office environment. You learn so much from being in the office: from your peers, your line manager or just hearing conversations. Even with the training programmes we offer, you are not going to pick up what you would in an office by working from home. When we take on anyone for the IGNITE graduate programme, we think it’s really important that they are close to an office, while also allowing work from home flexibility.
How have you made new people feel welcome remotely?
Our recruitment platform enables us to answer questions that the candidate may have directly, rather than going through a recruiter. We make sure that we are accessible for a phone call or email when they need us. We’ve also streamlined our onboarding process, with a continuous flow between the Talent Acquisition team and the HR team. We tailor each induction to the person to make sure they have everything they need.
We also catch up with candidates and offer to be that go-to person if they have any nervousness on their first day. We are a friendly team!
For more information about joining Prime Global remotely, check out this Medcomms Networking webinar: https://primeglobalpeople.com/2020/12/23/recruiting-and-joining-remotely/
What opportunities for growth are there at Prime Global?
Lisa: Internal mobility is something we focus on. We would never want to lose a good team member because they aren’t getting the exposure or experience that they want. We have 10 agencies and consultancies, as well as several internal and cross-functional teams, so there is a lot of opportunity to move around internally. In terms of career progression, especially with client services and scientific roles, there is a very clear structure through from Associate Medical Writer and Account Executive roles all the way up to the top, which you naturally progress through. There’re regular reviews based on people’s goals and performance.
What are the top three things you look for in a candidate?
A life sciences degree (on the scientific side!), good experience and whether they will be a good fit for the team.
How much experience do you look for in a candidate?
It depends on the role but we are always looking for people at all different levels and stages of their career! You can come into Prime Global with medcomms experience or no industry experience at all. There are always opportunities so always get in touch with us!
Can a candidate come from another industry?
Yes, they can. They would need to be willing to potentially start in a more junior role to learn the industry. We’ve seen people joining from other industries progressing very quickly if they have the transferable skills.
How would you describe the culture at Prime Global?
We work hard but there is a laid-back, social culture. The teams are spread out over different global locations but we are great at keeping in touch. We make sure we hear from different people at the company meetings to get updates from everyone and we even have a team dedicated to helping people connect with each other.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Well, I have a 2-year-old so free time is non-existent! Instead, I spend my time on the swing outside! We get a really great holiday allowance at Prime Global though, so I try to go to the beach as much as I can, my dog loves a swim in the sea!
If you were to be shipwrecked on a deserted island but all your human needs, such as food and water, were taken care of, what would you take with you?
I am very particular about my pillow so I would take my pillow, a hammock and a good book and just sleep for a month! It sounds absolutely amazing to me.
Thank you for all your advice. We really enjoyed talking with you!
Click here if you think Prime Global could be right for you, we’re recruiting now!
