A version of this article first appeared in LinkedIn. Please feel free to connect with me if you find value in it or if you’d like to know more about technology transfer recruiting. We provide clients with best practices and solutions in hiring as well as candidates that fit their needs and the needs of the department.
You’re excited. You have the opportunity to hire someone amazing.
Or maybe you’re a little put out that you need to fill a position.
Either way, this is an opportunity. It’s a chance to hand select someone who will be a major influence in your department’s success. Yes, it can be time-consuming but the more effort you put into finding your ideal candidate, the better situated your tech transfer department will be once you have your new person in place.
However, before you run off and dig out the licensing manager job description from the last time you posted it, there’s one thing you need to do.
Why a Landscape Assessment Is Good for You and the Department
Would you build an addition to your home without surveying the area? Do teams go to the draft without knowing where their vulnerabilities are? Do scientists form a hypothesis without studying previous research?
No, in all of these cases.
You can’t visualize what it takes to succeed without assessing your current structure. Through this type of assessment, you can better identify weaknesses, needs, and strengths of your team. Here are some questions to help you see your team structure objectively:
- What’s the salary range for my team?
- What’s the median level of experience or years in the industry?
- What does my team have in common (such as D., JD, RTTP, CLP designations)
- Thinking of my most challenging employee, what makes that person so? (You’ll want to keep this in mind when interviewing others. Relationships are like chemical equations. Pick the wrong combo and it could be explosive or fizzle into nothing.)
- Based on your current department, make broad generalizations about the person you would hire if you were hiring someone very similar to those you already have. Keep this sketch in mind when you interview. You can continue down the same path or hire someone completely different. Your recruiter can speak with you about the pros and cons of both.
Once you answer these questions about your team, you can begin working to draft a job description with your future success in mind. Every new employee is an opportunity to find an extraordinary fit for your department. Seize the opportunity or not. It’s up to you.
