Hiring Tips for The Lab Tech Industry

On one hand, hiring in the lab tech industry may be very different from hiring in other industries. The unique skills, qualifications and experience you want your lab techs to have mean that well-qualified candidates may be easy to see on paper. On the other hand, there are a lot of other normal hiring considerations to take into account. Will this person work well with your team? What type of impression do they make? Do they strike you as a leader, or as someone who would rather follow directions?

Putting it all together requires that you take several steps. We’ve laid it out for you in an easy-to-follow process. Here’s how it works.

The Job Description

The job description should certainly tell applicants what actual functions they’ll have to perform and what level of experience and qualifications you’re looking for. You should also note soft skills that you think the ideal candidate should possess. Your company culture may be different from what some applicants are used to. If you address this early on, you can potentially find a better match for your lab.

Hiring from Outside vs. Promoting from Within

This can be a delicate decision to make. One benefit of hiring from within is that it’s good for morale. Your employees see that hard work can lead to promotion and movement upward. On the other hand, now you have to fill that position.

And sometimes you want to shake things up with an outside hire. That’s not always a bad idea either. It really depends on your company and your specific needs at the moment. You might look around and simply not see someone that you think can adequately fill the empty position.

Still, it’s a personal choice for each business. At Lifecycle, we use our M.I.T. Leadership program to help prepare employees to grow into larger roles within the company. We find that this preparation puts us in a good position to promote internally when a vacancy does come up.

Announce the Job

If you’ve decided to hire from outside the company, or at least consider outside candidates, then now is the time to post your job. Where you post it may be more important than the amount of times it’s posted. For instance, on LinkedIn, you can advertise the job to a certain group based on their experience, geographical location or other criteria.

Screen Your Top Candidates Over the Phone

Speaking with your top candidates over the phone should narrow the search even further. You can press for a more in-depth explanation of their skills and qualifications and get a better understanding of what the learning curve might look like for a potential hire.

You can also talk with them about relocation. This is almost always a decision that takes a lot of thought and may not be up to the candidate entirely. That’s especially true when you’re looking for a high-level employee with years of experience. Those extra years may mean that they have a more settled life in one area of the country. Exploring these topics, as well as what might be required for compensation will help you to identify your strongest candidates and move to the final phase.

Interview Your Best 3-4 Candidates

In-person interviews will give you a chance to really get a feel for the candidate. Be straightforward and ask the questions that you want answers to. Talk about the position, why they want to move on from their current role, what they want to be able to do in the position. This is not the time to hold back from getting the information you need to make your decision.

When it’s all said and done, you should have a candidate that you’re comfortable with and are excited to hire. Contact their references to hear more about how they operate and work with others. If everything checks out, then you’ve found your candidate.

Looking for more tips on how to keep your lab running smoothly? Then visit our blog, or contact us to learn more about what Lifecycle can do for you.