Making Multiple Hires in GMP Production Roles
Executive Summary
Our client partner needed to onboard 20+ individuals to join their highly-specialised GMP manufacturing facility to meet a spike in output, and were struggling to recruit enough people with sufficient experience in clean room production operations. Through consultation with Next Phase, which included a market mapping exercise and subsequently agreeing to broaden the range of technical backgrounds that the client would consider, all the positions were filled successfully.
Client Overview
The client, a prominent pharmaceutical company, recognised the need to expand its manufacturing teams to meet the growing demand and spike in output requirements. With a focus on maintaining quality standards and increasing production efficiency, the company sought to onboard over 20 new heads within 6 months, across various manufacturing roles, some of which were more machine-based (with some automation) while others were manual, patient-named drug production. Because of the need to meet high manufacturing demands, the client was unable to provide extensive training for inexperienced starters, and people would have to be able to pick things up quickly.
Recruitment Solution
The client engaged Next Phase after exhausting their own network, local advertising and internal staff referrals. There was a clear need for multiple hires, but a lack of people in the local area with specific Pharmaceutical experience. The first thing that we did was to review and summarise the local market, a project which was undertaken by our Business Analysis team. This included looking at local markets and compiling a list of target organisations where people would have been trained in ways that were reasonably similar to GMP. For example, a local automotive manufacturer, a cosmetics manufacturer and a food packaging company all had staff who had gone through extensive ‘shop floor’ training and were used to working in a highly process-driven way, completing batch documentation and maintaining a clean environment.
After presenting this information, the Client’s Production Managers agreed that people with these kinds of backgrounds would be suitably qualified to undertake their roles. Having agreed this, we were able to make proactive approaches to a wider range of potential candidates than had been previously considered.
We utilised a rigorous screening process to evaluate candidates' qualifications and suitability for the manufacturing positions. This involved initial CV screening, in-depth interviews, technical assessments (including English and Maths tests), and providing reference details. With our dedicated contracts management team handling all aspects of the compliant contractor set-up, the process was fast, efficient and ultimately successful.
Results
Through the collaboration between Next Phase and the Client, more than 20 new contractors were hired into their Production teams within the targeted 6-month period. Our ability to handle multiple requirements, combined with our industry connections and the evidence we produced about the suitability of people without relevant experience, enabled the client to secure highly qualified professionals who met the skill requirements for the roles and could pick up their responsibilities quickly.
Client Testimonial
“We were very grateful for the support you gave us for filling these roles – we got there in the end! We certainly appreciate now that we can hire people with transferable skills.”
Conclusion
This case study highlights the value of working with a recruitment agency who can undertake a significant project over an extended period of time, work fast to onboard new contractors and ultimately deliver when it is really needed. It also highlights the importance of building a strong partnership with an industry specialist that can guide on different solutions to talent acquisition challenges. Next Phase are able to personalise our recruitment services and we encourage all potential clients to contact us for a free, no-obligation discussion about their staffing challenges.
Contact Information
Telephone: 01403 216216
Email: jobs@nextphaserecruitment.com
Website: https://www.nextphaserecruitment.com