Doing Life Sciences Recruitment Differently at Panda | Daisy Tazelaar

From Panda’s approach to working with MSPs as a strategic supplier, to the importance of making an impact in vital projects and innovations, what makes Panda different?

Let’s take a look at what Daisy had to say.

What do you think defines yours and Panda’s approach to life sciences recruitment?

Life sciences recruitment, for Daisy, has always been about making connections and building trust.

“If you make connections and build trust, then you build long-term relationships… you need someone who understands what you’re going through. It’s not just about what you need in the next year; what about the next ten years?”

Primarily, Panda recognises that recruitment is a people-driven business, operating under the vision of being the trust partner to elevate life sciences businesses with talent.

“Which DNA fits your team, your organisation, where are you now, and how can we help that growth? By becoming a trusted partner, you take the worry about recruitment away.”

How do you see Panda continuing to evolve and grow in the future?

A big part of the business is delivering to MSP businesses that service global life sciences organisations, which requires a high level of understanding on Panda’s part because it’s completely different from working with a direct client.

“Whilst a lot of agencies see MSPs as somewhat of a ‘necessary evil’, we see them as an amazing partner to accelerate growth and for us to be that supplier that can make a difference for them.”

Life sciences is, after all, a very MSP-driven sector, which means that Panda’s position as a strategic supplier with higher-than-average fill rates is essential.

“We’re growing with the companies, so when they’re expanding into other geographical areas, we grow with them.”

Part of Panda’s evolution is also reliant on understanding a client’s needs - such as where the market is going - and what an MSP vendor is looking for in a supplier, and being able to accommodate both.

When it comes to Panda’s outlook for 2023, Daisy says that it will be a very big year because of how strong of a foundation they have for making sure Panda is the go-to agency.

Can you tell us about any specific projects or initiatives that you’ve been a part of at Panda that you’ve found particularly rewarding or impactful?

Cell and gene therapy is an area Daisy cites as mind-blowing due to the patient-focused nature of CGT in tackling rare diseases through people’s own cells and genes.

“My mum has a rare disease that there has never really been any treatment for because there’s no money in it. That’s what rare diseases are. It means that very few people have access to these orphan drugs because not many people have this specific illness.”

Cell and gene therapy offers the opportunity to help patients in the future with potentially less invasive treatment that is revolutionary, but to do so, they need skilled people, which isn’t really easily achievable at the moment.

Being able to make such an impact on people’s quality of life is an extremely exciting venture for Daisy, who believes that Panda can come in to find those people who are hard to find. 

What do you think the critical element is for Panda when it comes to making a difference?

A challenge facing most life sciences businesses is talent scarcity, says Daisy.

“We see it constantly in the news that there’s a shortage of skilled people and that businesses need to shut down because they don’t find the right people.”

By understanding clients and their needs, Daisy believes that they can overcome this scarcity and also provide talent that matches the organisation and has the right skills.

“What we do is we make sure that we connect the talent to our clients, but not just someone that fits the criteria. We find someone that also fits the organisation.”

Can you describe any unique or innovative practices that Panda utilises in the recruitment industry?

Panda, Daisy says, is not shy to invest in innovation, whether this is starting to use AI for sourcing methods or implementing other innovative tools to streamline processes – after all, tools like AI are rising in popularity for the efficiency they can provide.

“We use a lot of tools to make our way of working more efficient. As an organisation, we’re always considering what we can do better, and if it means we need to invest money in order to save time and become a more lean organisation, that’s what we’ll do.”

Being ahead of the game is something Panda does well, according to Daisy, and part of this is due to continual investment in the organisation and in Panda’s people.

Why should job seekers work with a life sciences recruiter?

The main driver for Panda as an organisation is to treat people in the way that you want to be treated, Daisy says – having a candidate’s best interests at heart every time means that Panda will negotiate for them to get the best outcome possible.

“We take a lot of time to understand candidates because if we know what it is that’s important to them, we can find them the right job. For one candidate that might mean being able to pick up their kids every day at 3:30 at school. That means they need to find a 30-hour job near their house. Whatever they want, we should be able to find them the best opportunity.”

Panda has a specific consultant that is responsible for customer experience, taking new candidates on from the moment they’re placed until they’re off-boarded, showing that candidate experience is a high priority.

Get in touch

If you’re looking for a role in the life sciences industry, Panda can help.

We provide all of the support, expertise and opportunities you’re looking for when taking the next step in your life sciences career – take a look at our vacancies or get in touch to find out more.

Looking for the best life sciences talent?

Panda is trusted by leading life sciences companies worldwide to provide the best contingent talent and deliver seamless candidate experiences.

For more information on how we work and what we can do for your organisation, contact us today.