PPD | Pettit Pharma & Device Search

Executive Search, Permanent Recruitment or Senior Contract: Which Model Fits the Business Need?

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:58:59 GMT

Your organisation is entering a critical growth phase and needs a leader to handle the operations strategically.

That could be a permanent leader for long-term capability building, or a temporary specialist for immediate support. Or perhaps, an executive who can shape the next stage of your organisation.

The question is, which hiring model fits your business need?

Should this be an executive search assignment, a permanent recruitment brief, a temporary placement, or a senior contract engagement?

Each serves a different purpose, so it’s critical to get the model right.

The right approach depends on your objectives, urgency, growth stage, talent availability, and risk.

This guide breaks it down.

The questions hiring leaders should ask first

Before settling on a recruitment model, start with your business requirement. Ask yourself these questions to understand your needs.

Is the need permanent or time-bound?
How urgently do you need the hire?
How specialised is the skill set?
What is the business risk of getting it wrong?
Do you need the leader for a specific goal or the long term?
Does this role have a clear internal growth path?

These questions provide a framework for understanding which approach could work for you.

Understanding Each Model

Once you understand the underlying need, you can consider which model might be appropriate.

Executive Search

You could consider executive search when you need to fill business-critical or highly specialised executive positions.

This approach is useful when most of your candidates are passive, limited in number, and require confidential outreach. The hiring cycles are long, and onboarding can take time, especially when the new leader replaces an existing one.

Rather than urgently filling vacancies, executive search is about identifying the right leadership capability that can support the organisation’s future growth.

Permanent Recruitment

When you need to fill a role that will serve ongoing business needs, permanent recruitment can provide the base for building long-term capability.

It helps you expand your workforce, strengthen teams, and retain knowledge within the business.

This approach is best used when you expect a role to form a part of the organisation’s future structure.

Temporary Recruitment

This approach works best when you need to urgently fill gaps in your team without a permanent position. Some situations include:

Short-term workforce requirements.
Maternity leave coverage.
Unexpected absences.
Seasonal demand.
Business continuity requirements.

Hiring temporary workers is fast and helps you scale quickly. The flexibility of having extra hands on deck when necessary, without the overhead, comes in handy to drive growth.

Senior Contract Recruitment

Senior contract recruitment can be appropriate when you need specialists for a defined timeframe or project.

The idea is to bring in an expert who specialises in things like transformation projects, product launches, or commercial expansion.

While their expertise is needed right now, it may not be required permanently.

Contract placement helps here by bringing specialist support without creating a long-term headcount commitment.

Comparing the Four Talent Models

Long-term leadership

Best fit: Executive search.

Possible fit: Permanent recruitment, depending on the role level and internal structure.

Limited fit: Temporary recruitment.

Possible bridge: Senior contract recruitment.

Specialised executive

Best fit: Executive search.

Possible fit: Permanent recruitment.

Limited fit: Temporary recruitment and senior contract recruitment.

Urgent workforce gap

Best fit: Temporary recruitment.

Also suitable: Senior contract recruitment when the gap requires specialist support.

Possible fit: Permanent recruitment.

Limited fit: Executive search.

Fixed-term project

Best fit: Senior contract recruitment.

Possible fit: Temporary recruitment.

Limited fit: Executive search and permanent recruitment.

Extended leave cover

Best fit: Temporary recruitment.

Possible fit: Senior contract recruitment.

Limited fit: Executive search and permanent recruitment.

Common scenarios and the most suitable approach

Let’s look at some real situations to understand how you can determine the right approach for each.

Replacing a Country Manager

A vacant Country Manager post has an impact on your country operations. You need a leader with industry experience and regional knowledge.

As the pool is smaller, you need to reach out to passive talent discreetly.

Likely fit: Executive Search

Growing a Commercial Team

In this situation, you need to hire employees who will stick to the organisation for the long term and contribute to its growth. Your recruitment method should help build future capability and team stability.

Likely fit: Permanent Recruitment

Supporting a Product Launch

Launching a product requires a senior specialist. However, the launch comes with a fixed timeframe, where you need quick access to knowledge. The services of the specialist won’t be needed after the launch, though.

Likely fit: Senior Contract Recruitment

Covering Extended Leave

When your existing employees go on an extended leave, you need to fill their gap quickly to ensure business continuity. However, you won’t need the new hire’s services once your employee returns.

Likely fit: Temporary Recruitment

The best solution is not always the obvious one

When a vacancy opens up in your company, you don’t always need to fill it with a permanent hire. Likewise, you don’t need to go looking for an executive for an urgent specialist leadership role.

The more important question is: what do you need this person to achieve, and how could that requirement change?

Let’s understand this with examples:

You need a senior leader, but the business structure is still changing. A senior contract could provide the expertise while the long-term structure becomes clearer.
The role exists, but the capability required for it has changed. You could opt for temporary recruitment until you reassess your needs.
You need an executive urgently, but rushing could create greater risk. Senior contract recruitment might be better in this case.
You have a temporary vacancy, but there’s scope for the role to expand. It might make sense to hire a permanent employee in this case.

The right approach could also be a mix of the above.

Organisations keep moving between different talent solutions as their needs evolve. So, it’s necessary to treat each situation independently.

This is where a workforce partner like PPD Search can help.

We support organisations across executive search, permanent, temporary, and senior contract recruitment. Our consultants understand your business requirements and then help you determine which solution best fits the role, timeframe, and capability required.

Start with the business problem, not the hiring model

Instead of recruiting for a particular position or starting the recruitment process with a hiring model in mind, it’s best to consider the challenge that the new hire will solve.

When your problem is clearly defined, you’ll be better placed to understand which approach makes the most sense for solving it.

From there, consider factors like timeframe, required capability, urgency, talent availability, and risk to make an informed decision, which could be a mix of two or more recruitment models.

The hiring model should follow the business need, not the other way around.

Not sure which model fits? Let's work it out together.

Below market, below potential: the true cost of underpaying in Australian pharma

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:41:58 GMT

One of the most difficult conversations in recruitment is telling an organisation that the role it has designed and the salary it has approved belong to two different markets.

A company may want an experienced pharmaceutical professional with deep therapeutic knowledge, established industry relationships, leadership capability, Australian regulatory experience or a successful record of product launches. Yet the approved salary may be better aligned with someone taking a step up into the role.

This disconnect is becoming increasingly apparent across the Australian pharmaceutical market. While organisations remain under pressure to control costs, paying below market can significantly restrict access to the people most capable of delivering growth, managing risk and advancing patient outcomes.

I recently spoke to Pharma in Focus on this. Read on for the full interview:

Are companies looking to pay below market?

The honest answer is yes, some are, although it is not always intentional. Salary bands may have been established several years ago and not properly reviewed. A global organisation may allocate a budget without fully considering Australian market conditions. A business may try to replace a departing employee at their historical salary, even though the market has moved considerably since that person was appointed.

We also see roles expand without the remuneration changing. A position that was previously focused on one brand may now cover multiple products, additional therapeutic areas, digital strategy, market access input, regional stakeholders and people leadership. The title and salary remain the same, but the expectations have become substantially more senior.

There is also understandable concern about internal relativities. Employers may recognise that attracting a new employee requires a higher salary but worry about what this will mean for existing team members. Existing employees almost certainly know what the market pays. Choosing not to hire at market doesn’t protect them from that knowledge, it just means the gap gets discovered later, and usually at their exit interview.

What does below-market hiring look like in pharma?

Medical Affairs provides a clear example. A new Medical Science Liaison without industry experience pays approximately $110,000 to $120,000 base salary, plus a car allowance, bonus and superannuation. An experienced MSL with five or more years in the industry is benchmarked at approximately $150,000 to $165,000 base, again with car allowance, bonus and superannuation.

A company seeking 5+ years of MSL experience, established key opinion leader relationships, specialist therapeutic expertise and the ability to manage a large interstate territory is therefore unlikely to access the strongest candidates with a base salary of $150,000 or $165,000. It is effectively seeking senior capability on an entry-to-mid-level package.

These figures are not fixed price tags. Company size, therapeutic area, team responsibility, location, travel, pipeline, technical complexity and the complete remuneration package all influence market value. However, they illustrate the problem when a business wants a proven Medical Manager but has budgeted for a Medical Advisor, or wants a Regulatory Affairs Manager with team leadership and complex submission experience but is offering a senior specialist salary.

Another common example is a senior pharmaceutical marketing role that requires launch experience, forecasting, P&L responsibility, digital capability, agency management, cross-functional leadership and regional stakeholder exposure but is remunerated at Product Manager level.

That is not simply a salary problem. It is a mismatch between capability, accountability and reward.

Is this happening because there is an oversupply of talent?

Australia’s overall employment market has softened, with the unemployment rate reaching 4.5% in July 2026. However, a national unemployment figure does not tell us whether there is an oversupply of experienced pharmaceutical professionals with a particular combination of therapeutic, technical and commercial expertise.

Some restructures, regional centralisation programs and changing investment priorities have brought more candidates into the market. Restructuring among some mid-sized biotechnology businesses has released experienced Medical Managers and MSLs, while the movement of roles into regional or above-country structures has also affected local talent availability. At the same time, intense competition for strong Medical Affairs candidates, particularly in oncology, rare disease and immunology, with leading candidates often considering multiple opportunities, exists.

There may be more candidates for some vacancies, but more candidates do not necessarily mean more appropriately qualified people. A company may receive 150 applications and still have only three people who possess the required Australian industry experience, therapeutic knowledge, stakeholder relationships and leadership capability. Applicant volume and talent availability are not the same thing.

Are candidates expecting salaries that are too high?

Sometimes they are, especially when they have been with an organisation for many years and they are on big money and expect their next company to pay them the same or more, which often won’t happen as the new company initially does not see the value as they are not yet proven.

Candidates often expect a substantial increase simply because they are changing companies, even when the opportunity is a relatively straightforward lateral move. In other cases, job titles can create confusion. A “Manager” in one organisation may be an individual contributor, while the same title elsewhere may involve people leadership, regional responsibility and budget ownership.

These expectations should be tested respectfully against several reliable sources, including recent placements, live job offers, current candidate feedback, sector-specific salary data and the precise responsibilities of the position.

However, employers can have unrealistic expectations too. Asking one person to combine medical, market access, commercial, digital, operational and leadership responsibilities does not make the role better value. It makes it broader and potentially more expensive.

The market rate is ultimately not one candidate’s expectation or one salary guide’s figure. It is the level at which appropriately qualified people are consistently prepared to accept the opportunity.

Does paying below market rate mean the person you've just hired could be taking the job to pay the bills before something better comes along. Could a below-market hire be a flight risk?

Yes, although accepting a below-market role does not automatically mean that the person is acting in bad faith. Someone may have been made redundant, completed a contract, returned from overseas, relocated for family reasons or simply need an income. They may accept a package below their preferred level because the role solves an immediate financial problem.

The risk arises when the salary gap remains apparent after they start and there is no credible path to address it. The employee may enjoy the work and perform well, but they are likely to remain receptive when approached about a similar role paying more. In that situation, the company may have secured an acceptance without securing long-term commitment.

Paying competitively does not guarantee retention. Leadership, culture, career development, flexibility, purpose, workload and the strength of the product pipeline all matter. But an uncompetitive salary can undermine otherwise positive employment conditions and make it much easier for another employer to attract the person away.

Organisations should also assume that remuneration differences may become known. Australian employees and prospective employees have a workplace right to share or ask about pay and relevant employment conditions, and pay secrecy terms cannot generally be enforced in modern employment contracts.

The better approach is to discuss the candidate’s motivations openly during recruitment. Employers should understand why the person is considering the role, what they may be compromising to accept it and what would need to happen for them to see a future with the organisation.

A vague promise to “review the salary later” is rarely sufficient and most candidates want this documented in an employment contract. Any proposed review should have a genuine date, agreed criteria and a realistic potential outcome.

What should companies do when market rates create internal relativity problems?

When paying a new employee at market rate creates an internal relativity problem, the market has not necessarily caused the problem. It has exposed an existing one. The first step is to benchmark the position itself rather than the person. This means evaluating the real scope of the role, decision-making authority, technical demands, leadership responsibilities, scarcity of skills and commercial impact.

The organisation should then map comparable existing employees against clearly defined salary bands. This may reveal salary compression, where experienced employees are paid only marginally more than new starters, or salary inversion, where a new employee must be offered more than an established team member performing comparable work.

The answer should not automatically be to reduce the new hire’s offer. Doing so may preserve the internal problem while making the external appointment substantially harder. Instead, the business should develop a remuneration correction plan. The most serious and inequitable gaps may need immediate adjustment, while other changes can be staged over an agreed period. The plan should include clear governance, budget ownership and communication rather than indefinite promises.

Any review should also examine gender and broader pay-equity implications. WGEA recommends regular pay-gap analysis, transparent salary bands, clear processes for determining starting salaries and documented reasons for appointments above an established range. It also recommends clear criteria for attraction payments, retention payments, bonuses and other discretionary remuneration.

Where base salary flexibility is genuinely limited, organisations can strengthen the total offering through performance incentives, additional leave, flexible working, professional development, car allowances, retention payments, sign-on bonuses or long-term incentives. These benefits can help, but they should not be used to disguise a significant structural shortfall in base salary. Ultimately, all candidates care most about the base salary, and often say, they are going to the bank for a mortgage, and the bank doesn’t care about non-guaranteed components of their salary package.

Finally, if the organisation truly cannot afford the market rate, it should redesign the role. It may appoint a developing candidate, remove some responsibilities, provide greater training and support, divide the position into two roles or engage interim expertise for a defined period. What it should not do is retain senior-level expectations, reduce the salary and assume the broader employment market will produce a bargain.

The real commercial question

Companies do not have to pay at the top of the market for every appointment. They do, however, need to align their expectations with what they are prepared to pay. A lower salary may be entirely appropriate when the organisation is genuinely open to a step-up candidate and has the resources to develop them. It is far less realistic when the company wants an immediately productive pharmaceutical professional with scarce expertise, strong relationships and a record of delivering in a comparable environment.

The apparent saving from hiring below market can quickly be absorbed through a prolonged vacancy, a limited shortlist, compromised capability, lost productivity, repeated recruitment costs or an early resignation.

The most useful question is therefore not simply, “What is the lowest salary at which we can fill this role?”

It is: “What level of investment will give us access to someone who can deliver what the business needs and who will still want to be here after the immediate attraction of a new job has passed?”

The best talent is not always the most highly paid. But the best talent usually has choices.

What is an employee value proposition? Building an EVP in pharma and medtech

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:28:33 GMT

An employee value proposition (EVP) is the complete deal an employer offers in exchange for someone's skills and energy: pay and benefits, yes, but also the work itself, the development on offer, the culture, the flexibility and the meaning. It is the answer to the question every candidate silently asks: why would I build the next chapter of my career here rather than anywhere else? Employer branding is how you communicate that answer; the EVP is the answer itself, and in a talent market as small and networked as Australian pharma and medtech, the companies that can articulate theirs win a measurable share of the candidates everyone is chasing.

We sit in the middle of these decisions daily, hearing why candidates choose one offer over another, so this is both the definition and the field notes.

What an EVP is made of

Five components, in the balance that varies by company: compensation and benefits, the work and its impact, career development and mobility, culture and leadership, and flexibility and wellbeing. The critical discipline is honesty: an EVP is not an aspiration statement, it is a description of the actual deal, because candidates in this industry check claims against the network within a day, and a proposition that interviews well but proves false converts into resignations and reviews. The test of a real EVP is that current employees read it and nod.

What moves candidates in pharma and medtech specifically

Generalist HR content misses the levers that actually decide offers in this industry. The ones we hear weekly:

Purpose with evidence. Patient impact is the industry's shared currency, so it differentiates only when it is specific: the therapy areas, the unmet need, what the pipeline means for real patients. “We improve lives” is wallpaper; “you will launch the first new therapy in this disease in a decade” moves people.
Scientific credibility. Candidates from clinical and research backgrounds weigh the quality of the science, the medical leadership and the evidence culture. Companies where medical affairs has a real voice attract them; companies where it clearly does not, repel them quietly.
Field-force reality. For sales and MSL teams, territory design, call expectations, vehicle and tools, and how performance is actually managed are EVP, whatever the careers page says. Field candidates interview their future manager as hard as the manager interviews them.
Pipeline as career security. People join molecules and platforms as much as companies. A visible pipeline is a promise of launches, growth and headroom; a thin one is a countdown, and experienced candidates read it exactly that way.
Development that shows. Named pathways, real training investment and visible internal moves. In a market this small, candidates simply look up where a company's alumni went and how its people progressed.

Building one that works

The build sequence is research, define, articulate, embed. Research: ask current employees why they stay and departed ones why they left, and have your recruitment partners feed back what the market says when your name comes up, which is intelligence we provide employers as a matter of course. Define: choose the three or four pillars that are true and differentiating, resisting the urge to claim everything. Articulate: rewrite the careers page, job advertisements and interview talking points so the pillars appear everywhere consistently, in plain language. Embed: brief every hiring manager, because the EVP candidates believe is the one they hear in interviews, and measure it in offer acceptance rates, quality of applications and early-tenure retention. Our employer tips hub and the employers page cover how we work alongside that process, and for executive-level positioning, our guide on working with executive search firms is the companion read.

Frequently asked questions

What is an EVP?

The complete deal an employer offers, pay, work, development, culture, flexibility and purpose, and the honest answer to why someone should build their career with you.

What does employee value proposition mean in practice?

The set of true, differentiating reasons people join and stay, articulated consistently across careers pages, advertisements and interviews, and confirmed by the employees already there.

How do you build an EVP for a pharmaceutical company?

Research what current and former employees actually say, define three or four true pillars, articulate them everywhere candidates look, and embed them in how hiring managers interview.

Why does an EVP matter in a small talent market?

Because reputation travels faster than advertising. In Australian pharma and medtech, candidates verify claims through the network within a day, so the honest EVP compounds and the inflated one backfires.

Want to know what the market says when your company's name comes up? Submit a vacancy and ask us for the candid version; it is the most useful research an EVP project can start with.

Major pharmaceutical and medical device companies in Australia

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:25:35 GMT

Australia's life sciences employer landscape has three layers: the global pharmaceutical companies running local commercial, medical and clinical operations, the global medical device and diagnostics firms doing the same, and a home-grown layer led by CSL, one of the world's major biotechnology companies, alongside Australian success stories like Cochlear and ResMed. For anyone planning a career in the industry, the map matters more than any ranking, because where the companies cluster, what they do onshore, and which therapeutic areas they own decide where the roles actually are.

This is a factual reference, kept deliberately neutral: who operates here, what they are known for, and where they sit. It is maintained content, so the visible date above tells you when it was last reviewed.

Global pharmaceutical companies with Australian operations

The multinationals with substantial local operations include Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Roche, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, GSK, Sanofi, MSD, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Takeda and Bayer. Most run their Australian commercial and medical affairs operations from Sydney, with the Macquarie Park precinct in particular functioning as the industry's unofficial head-office district, while Melbourne hosts significant operations for several. Onshore activity goes beyond sales: AstraZeneca manufactures in Sydney, and most of the majors run local clinical development, regulatory and market access functions, which is where a large share of the industry's scientific careers live. Therapeutic ownership shifts with pipelines, but the current centres of gravity include oncology, immunology, diabetes and obesity, vaccines, and rare disease.

The Australian-grown layer

CSL headquarters in Melbourne and stands as the country's flagship biotech, spanning plasma therapies, vaccines and iron and nephrology medicines, with major manufacturing and R&D onshore. Cochlear, headquartered in Sydney, leads the world in implantable hearing solutions. ResMed, founded in Sydney with major operations still here, dominates sleep and respiratory care technology. Around them sits a deep bench of ASX-listed and private innovators, Telix in radiopharmaceuticals, Nanosonics in infection prevention, PolyNovo in surgical biomaterials among them, plus established names like Mayne Pharma and the generics and consumer health operators, led locally by Arrotex, with global generics firms such as Viatris and Sandoz alongside. The Australian layer matters to careers for a practical reason: it hires across the full value chain, research, manufacturing, quality and supply, not just the commercial functions.

Global medical device and diagnostics companies

The device multinationals with substantial Australian operations include Medtronic, Stryker, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Baxter, B. Braun, Smith+Nephew, Zimmer Biomet and Edwards Lifesciences, with the imaging and diagnostics giants GE HealthCare, Siemens Healthineers and Philips completing the picture. Sydney again hosts the largest share of head offices, with strong Melbourne and Brisbane presences across the sector. Device careers concentrate in territory sales and clinical support , marketing, regulatory and quality, and health economics, and the theatre-based specialties, orthopaedics, cardiology, surgical technologies, are where clinical backgrounds convert most directly.

The layer people forget: services and research

Around the product companies sits the services economy that keeps them running, and it hires constantly: contract research organisations delivering clinical trials , regulatory and market access consultancies, medical communications agencies, and the distribution and logistics operators moving product into hospitals and pharmacies. For candidates, this layer is both a career in itself and the industry's best-known side door, since CRO and consultancy experience converts cleanly into sponsor-side roles, and plenty of the industry's leaders came through exactly that route.

How to use the map

Three practical reads for candidates. Location: Sydney offers the deepest pool of head-office roles, Melbourne pairs commercial roles with CSL's research and manufacturing depth, and strong field-based careers exist in every state. Portfolio: match your science to the company's therapeutic areas, because oncology experience moves fastest at oncology-led companies, and the same logic runs through every area. Layer: multinationals offer structured development and global mobility; the Australian layer offers breadth, ownership and proximity to decisions. The current openings across all three sit on our healthcare jobs board , our expertise page maps the functions we recruit, and the medical devices page covers that side of the market in detail.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Australia?

The global majors, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Roche, J&J, GSK, Sanofi, MSD and their peers, run substantial local operations, while CSL leads the Australian-headquartered layer.

Who are the major medical device companies in Australia?

Medtronic, Stryker, J&J MedTech, Abbott, Boston Scientific and the other global device firms, alongside Australian leaders Cochlear and ResMed and the imaging majors.

Which pharma companies have offices in Australia?

Nearly all of the global top tier, concentrated in Sydney, with Macquarie Park the densest cluster, and significant Melbourne operations across the industry.

Where are the life sciences jobs in Australia?

Sydney for head-office density, Melbourne for CSL and biotech depth, field-based roles nationally, and Brisbane growing across devices and health services.

Working out where you fit on the map? Submit your resume with your therapeutic areas and preferred locations, and we will match the map to the live market.

STAR method examples for healthcare, pharma and medical device interviews

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:08:52 GMT

The STAR method structures behavioural interview answers in four beats: the Situation you faced, the Task you were responsible for, the Action you took, and the Result it produced. Every “tell me about a time when” question is an invitation to run that sequence in sixty to ninety seconds, with most of the time spent on Action and Result. The framework is universal; the answers that win interviews in this industry are not, because a hiring manager in pharma or medtech is listening for clinical credibility, compliance instincts and commercial outcomes that generic examples never contain. So here is the method, followed by worked examples from the roles we actually place.

The method in sixty seconds

Situation: two sentences of context, no more. Task: your specific responsibility, said in one line, because “we” stories score as nobody's achievement. Action: the heart of the answer, the steps you took and why, in first person. Result: the outcome with a number attached wherever one exists, plus what you took from it. The classic failures are drowning in situation, narrating the team's work instead of yours, and finishing without a result, which leaves the story a shrug. Prepare six to eight stories before any interview and you can cover almost every behavioural question by re-angling them.

Worked example: territory sales

Tell me about a time you turned around an underperforming account.

Situation: A major teaching hospital in my territory had shifted most of its usage to a competitor after service issues before my time. Task: It was my region's largest account, and my target for the year was unreachable without it. Action: I asked the theatre staff directly what had gone wrong, rebuilt the basics first, reliable case support and stock accuracy, before pitching anything, then brought our clinical educator in to run refresher training the previous rep had let lapse. Only then did I propose a trial on one product line with agreed review criteria. Result: The account returned to majority share within nine months and finished the year as my largest, and the surgeon who had driven the switch became a reference site. The lesson I carry: win the service argument before the sales one.

Worked example: clinical and scientific roles

Describe a time you had to deliver difficult scientific feedback.

Situation: As a clinical research associate , I found consistent consent documentation gaps at a high-recruiting site during routine monitoring. Task: The site relationship mattered to the study, but the findings had to be reported and fixed without softening. Action: I documented precisely, walked the coordinator through each finding on the day rather than surprising them in a report, agreed a corrective plan with training I helped deliver, and escalated transparently to my sponsor with the plan attached, not just the problem. Result: The site passed its follow-up review clean, recruitment continued, and the coordinator later requested me for their next study. Difficult feedback delivered respectfully builds relationships rather than costing them.

Worked example: cross-functional and regulatory

Give an example of managing competing priorities under deadline.

Situation: Two submissions landed in the same quarter after a portfolio change, with the same small team responsible for both. Task: As the senior associate, I had to deliver both without quality slipping on either. Action: I mapped every task against the two deadlines, surfaced the genuine collision points to my manager early with options rather than complaints, negotiated an external quality review for one dossier, and ran a weekly fifteen-minute cross-check so nothing fell between the two workstreams. Result: Both submissions lodged on time and passed validation without deficiency letters, and the collision-mapping approach became the template for the next dual deadline. Escalating early with options is the skill; the spreadsheet was just where it lived.

Adapt the pattern, not the stories: your own examples, with your numbers, in your voice. Interviewers can smell borrowed anecdotes, and this industry's world is small enough to check. For the questions around the behavioural core, our guides on answering why you want to leave your current job and the interview mistakes that get candidates rejected cover the rest of the interview, with more on our candidate tips hub .

Frequently asked questions

What is the STAR method for interviews?

A four-part structure for behavioural answers, Situation, Task, Action, Result, delivered in sixty to ninety seconds with the weight on your actions and the measurable outcome.

What are STAR method examples for healthcare interviews?

Stories drawn from clinical credibility and compliance moments: account turnarounds won through service, monitoring findings delivered without softening, competing submissions landed on time.

How do I answer behavioural questions in a pharma interview?

Prepare six to eight quantified stories across sales, stakeholder, compliance and pressure themes, tell them in first person, and always land the result.

How long should a STAR answer be?

Sixty to ninety seconds. Long enough for a real story, short enough that the interviewer asks a follow-up rather than checking the clock.

Interview coming up in the industry? Submit your resume and we will tell you what your target companies actually ask, because we hear the debriefs weekly.

Made redundant in pharma or medtech: what to do next

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:01:30 GMT

If your position has just been made redundant, do these five things in order: take a genuine breath before making any decisions, get the paperwork and confirm the practical details of your exit, tell your network you are transitioning to a new career opportunity, rebuild your resume around achievements rather than duties, and treat the search itself as your interim job, with structure, targets and support. Redundancy in this industry says almost nothing about you and almost everything about portfolio decisions made far above your role: products lose exclusivity, pipelines shift, companies merge, and entire teams are restructured out regardless of performance. The people who land well are rarely the least affected; they are the ones who run the next ninety days deliberately.

We work with people at exactly this moment constantly, on both sides: candidates rebuilding, and companies engaging outplacement support for departing teams. This is the playbook that works.

The first fortnight: stabilise

Resist the urge to apply for everything within 48 hours. Applications sent in the raw first week read like it, and a scattergun start burns bridges with roles you would actually want. Instead, close out the exit properly: collect your paperwork, confirm timing and practical details with your employer, and seek advice on your specific circumstances from the appropriate professionals where you need it, since every exit has its own particulars and they are worth getting right rather than guessed.

Then do the harder thing: tell people. Redundancy still carries an irrational sting, and the instinct to go quiet is exactly wrong in an industry this networked. A short, composed message to former managers, colleagues and the specialists you have worked alongside (“my role was made redundant in the restructure; I am exploring senior regulatory roles from March”) turns your network on months before advertisements would find you. In pharma and medtech, a large share of roles are filled through exactly these conversations.

Rebuilding the story

A redundancy resume has one job: to make the restructure a footnote and the achievements the headline. Lead every role with quantified outcomes, territory growth, submissions approved, trials delivered, teams built, and let the exit be a single unremarkable line. Our guide to writing a pharmaceutical resume covers the format that works in this market. In interviews, the winning tone on the redundancy question is factual and forward: what happened, in one sentence; what you are targeting, in two. No bitterness, no apology, because neither is warranted.

This is also the honest moment to ask the direction question while the calendar is briefly yours: same role at a competitor, a sideways move into medical affairs or market access, contracting for flexibility, or the pivot you have deferred for three years. Structured career coaching earns its keep here, converting a shapeless “what now” into a target list.

Running the search like a job

Give the search the structure the old role used to provide: a working week with target lists, application quality bars and follow-up rhythms, plus honest rest, because a search run from burnout shows in every interview. Register with specialist recruiters early and specifically, telling them the roles, therapeutic areas and locations in scope, since a large share of this industry's vacancies move through networks before they are advertised, and a consultant can only match what they know you want. And track the pipeline like the professional you are: who has your resume, what stage each conversation is at, and when the next touch is due.

What an outplacement service is

Outplacement is career transition support that an employer funds for departing staff: typically coaching, resume and interview preparation, market navigation and structured search support, delivered by an external specialist. For the affected person it converts a hard exit into a supported landing; for the employer it is how a restructure is done decently, and it shows in how alumni talk about the company for years afterward. If you have been offered outplacement, use it fully; it is part of your package. If you are a HR leader planning a restructure, industry-specific outplacement matters, because generic career advice does not know what a market access manager is. Ours is built for this industry specifically .

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first after being made redundant?

Pause before deciding anything, close out the exit details properly, then activate your network with a short composed message. Structure beats speed in the first fortnight.

What is an outplacement service?

Employer-funded career transition support for departing staff: coaching, resume and interview preparation, and structured search help from an external specialist.

How do I explain redundancy in interviews?

One factual sentence on the restructure, then forward: the roles you are targeting and why. Redundancy is a portfolio event, and interviewers in this industry know it.

How long does it take to land a new role?

It varies with seniority, specialisation and the market's timing, which is precisely why the search deserves structure, network activation and specialist support rather than volume applications.

Rebuilding after a restructure, or supporting a team through one? Submit your resume or talk to us about outplacement ; either way, the next ninety days go better with a plan.

What does a medical science liaison do? Role, requirements and salary in Australia

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:58:37 GMT

A medical science liaison (MSL) is the scientific face of a pharmaceutical or biotech company in the field: a medical affairs professional who builds peer-to-peer relationships with key opinion leaders, clinicians and researchers, exchanging scientific evidence about disease areas and therapies in a strictly non-promotional capacity. In Australia, MSLs typically hold a PhD, PharmD, medical degree or strong postgraduate science qualifications, often with clinical or research experience layered on top, and current market ranges sit roughly between $140,000 and $190,000 base plus superannuation, vehicle or allowance and bonus, with senior and therapeutic-area lead roles above that.

It is the most asked-about career pivot in the industry, from the lab bench, the pharmacy and the clinic alike, and most of what candidates read about it online is written for the American market. This is the Australian version.

What the role actually involves

The centre of the job is scientific exchange: sitting with a specialist and discussing trial data, mechanisms and emerging evidence as a peer, not a promoter. Around that centre orbit the rest: supporting investigator-initiated research and trial site relationships, gathering field insights that feed medical strategy, training internal teams on the science, presenting at advisory boards and congresses, and responding to unsolicited clinical questions with balanced evidence. The split matters legally and culturally: MSLs sit in medical affairs, separate from sales, and the non-promotional line is governed by industry codes and taken seriously. A good MSL is measured on the quality of scientific relationships and insights, not on prescriptions.

The lifestyle is field-based: a territory of hospitals and academic centres, regular travel including interstate for congresses, and calendars built around clinicians' availability, which means early mornings and the occasional evening event. Autonomy is high, structure is low, and the role rewards people who can run their own week.

Requirements: do you need a PhD?

In Australia, a PhD is the most common credential and the safest signal, but it is not an absolute rule the way much overseas content suggests. Pharmacists, medical doctors, and masters-qualified scientists with strong clinical or research depth are hired regularly, particularly when they bring therapeutic-area expertise a team needs right now. What is genuinely non-negotiable is the ability to hold a peer-level scientific conversation with a specialist: the credential is a proxy for that, and interviews test the real thing, commonly through a data presentation exercise where you are handed a paper and asked to present and defend it.

The strongest transitions we see: postdocs and research scientists with communication flair, hospital and industry pharmacists, clinical trial professionals moving from site or CRO roles, and experienced pharma professionals deepening into medical affairs. What each pivot needs to demonstrate is the missing half: scientists prove they can engage commercially aware stakeholders; commercial people prove scientific depth.

The interview reality

MSL interviews are unusually predictable in format and unusually demanding in standard. Expect the data presentation: a published paper, sometimes provided in advance and sometimes on the day, presented to a panel playing sceptical clinicians. What is being tested is not memorisation but behaviour under scientific pressure: balance, honesty about limitations, and the ability to say “the data does not answer that” without flinching. Candidates who treat the exercise as a peer discussion rather than a performance pass it; candidates who oversell do not, because overselling is precisely what the role must never do.

Getting in, and what it pays

Entry MSL roles exist but are contested, so the practical routes run through adjacency: medical information, clinical research, and therapeutic-area alignment, since companies hire fastest when your science matches their portfolio, oncology for oncology, immunology for immunology. Salaries scale with experience and therapeutic area; the ranges above reflect the current market, with the full breakdown by function in our salary benchmarks and industry trends report . MSL vacancies move through specialist channels more than job boards, which is exactly why registering matters: our pharmaceutical recruitment team occasionally works medical affairs briefs, and if there are live roles they will sit on the healthcare jobs board .

Frequently asked questions

What does a medical science liaison do?

Builds peer-to-peer scientific relationships with key opinion leaders and clinicians, exchanges evidence non-promotionally, supports research, and feeds field insights back into medical strategy.

How do I become an MSL in Australia?

Bring strong postgraduate science or clinical credentials, therapeutic-area depth, and proven scientific communication, then enter directly or through adjacent roles in medical information or clinical research.

What is the salary of a medical science liaison in Australia?

Typically $140,000 to $190,000 base plus super, vehicle and bonus at the establishment level, rising for senior and lead roles. Treat figures as current market guides and see the salary report for detail.

Do you need a PhD to be an MSL?

It is the most common credential in Australia but not an absolute requirement; pharmacists, doctors and masters-qualified scientists with real depth are hired regularly. Peer-level scientific fluency is the true gate.

Thinking about the pivot? Submit your resume with your therapeutic area front and centre; in medical affairs, the science match is what moves first.

How Long It Takes to Fill a Medtech Leadership Role

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:43:13 GMT

Most executive searches for senior leadership roles run somewhere between three and six months from brief to accepted offer. For a medtech leadership role in Australia, the real number usually sits at the higher end of that range, largely because of the seniority required and how few people actually fit the brief.

If you're trying to plan around a start date, it helps to know where that time to hire actually goes, and which parts of a medtech recruitment process can genuinely be shortened versus which parts can't.

What a Typical Medtech Executive Search Timeline Looks Like

Wondering how much time it takes to hire a medtech role? The timeline can vary depending on the speed of decision-making for the scope of the role and the number of good applicants available, but here's a rough timeline:

The first week is spent on the brief itself: agreeing the mandate, the reporting line, and what success actually looks like in the role. This step gets rushed more often than it should, and a poorly scoped brief tends to cost more time later than it saves at the start.
From there, market mapping and direct outreach typically take another three to five weeks to produce a genuine shortlist, not just a list of people who happened to apply. For a specialist medtech leadership role, this stage is where the timeline tends to stretch, simply because the pool of people with the right commercial and clinical background in Australia is small.
Interviews, referencing, and internal evaluation usually add another four to six weeks on top, followed by one to two weeks for offer negotiation once a preferred candidate is identified.

All up, that puts most searches at around twelve weeks from kick-off to signed offer – and that's before the person you've hired has worked out the notice of their current job.

Why Medtech Leadership Searches in Australia Can Run Longer

Notice periods

Senior and executive employment contracts in Australia commonly specify three months' notice, and it isn't unusual to see six months written into contracts at the top end. That period sits entirely outside the search itself, so a hire made in month four might not actually start until month seven.

Confidentiality

Particularly for the multinational pharma, medtech, and digital health companies that make up a lot of the demand for senior hires in this market. A search for a new country manager or commercial director often needs to run quietly, without signalling change to the wider market or the outgoing leader's team, which rules out open advertising and slows down how quickly a shortlist can be built.

Size of the local talent pool

Australia's medtech sector is smaller than markets like the US or UK, and senior roles – country manager, commercial director, medical affairs director – need someone who already understands the local regulatory environment and has existing relationships with the right hospitals, specialists, or channel partners.

That combination narrows the shortlist quickly, and it's one of the main reasons generalist recruitment firms struggle to move fast on these roles.

What Can Speed the Timeline to Hire a Medtech Role

A recruiter who already knows the medtech market

This cuts out a genuine chunk of the timeline, mostly because they're not spending the first few weeks learning who's who. If a search partner already has relationships with the passive candidates worth approaching, market mapping collapses from weeks into days.

Fast internal decision-making

This matters just as much on the client side. Searches lose momentum when feedback on a shortlist takes two weeks instead of two days, or when an interview can't be scheduled for a fortnight because calendars haven't been cleared. Senior candidates notice slow decision-making, and the best ones have other options.

A clear, well-scoped brief

From the outset, this helps to avoid one of the most common causes of a stalled search: realising three weeks in that the mandate has shifted and having to re-map the market against a different set of requirements.

Plan Your Medtech Executive Search

If you're planning to fill a senior medtech, pharma, or digital health role in Australia and want a realistic view of the timeline involved, PPD Search's executive search team specialises in medtech recruitment across this exact part of the market and can talk you through what a search for your specific role would actually look like.

Sources: Sprintlaw and FairWork Mate , Australian notice period and senior executive contract conventions (2025–2026); PPD Executive , executive search for employers.

The Real Cost of a Bad Hire in Medtech

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:37:32 GMT

PPD Search has spent two decades placing commercial, clinical, and regulatory talent across pharma and medtech in Australia, and the same pattern shows up whenever a hire doesn't work out: the business budgeted for the obvious costs and missed the real ones.

A bad hire is expensive anywhere, but in medtech it compounds faster. A mismatched regulatory hire can delay a TGA submission. A mismatched commercial hire can leave a hospital account uncovered while a competitor moves in.

The real cost is rarely the severance payment or the recruitment fee paid twice – it's the time lost in a business where the deadlines that matter are set by regulators and tender cycles, not by you.

What a Bad Hire Actually Costs

Research shows the average cost of a bad hire at somewhere between 15% and 21% of the employee's salary, and found that poor hiring decisions account for around 10% of all staff turnover in Australia. Other Australian industry estimates run higher again for senior or specialist roles, where the cost of getting it wrong compounds the longer it takes to notice and fix.

The same research found that 55% of Australian HR managers rate lost productivity as the single biggest impact of a bad hire, ahead of team morale and direct financial cost. In practice, that cost tends to show up across a few different areas at once:

Recruitment spend, twice over – the original search cost, plus the cost of running it again
Onboarding and training investment – time and resources that don't carry forward to a replacement hire
Lost productivity – both from the mis-hire themselves and from the team members covering for them
Manager time – performance conversations, documentation, and eventually an exit process
Team morale – colleagues notice when someone isn't pulling their weight, and it affects how they see the hiring process generally

Why Hiring Mistakes Tends to Cost More in Medtech Specifically

Medtech roles carry a layer of cost that a generic hiring mistake doesn't.

A territory manager, key account manager, or country manager builds relationships with surgeons, hospital procurement teams, and specialists over years, not months. When that relationship sits with the wrong person for a while, it isn't just productivity that stalls – it's trust with the people your business depends on to keep buying, referring, and advocating for your products.

Senior and executive medtech hires carry the same risk at a bigger scale. A commercial director or medical affairs director who isn't the right fit can quietly cost a business market position, reputation, KOL relationships, and internal credibility well before anyone officially calls the hire a mistake.

The Good News: The Cost of a Bad Hire is Avoidable

None of this is really about how expensive a bad hire can be. It's about how much of that cost sits within your control before you ever make the offer. A handful of practical things make the biggest difference:

Scope the role properly before you start looking. A vague brief is one of the most common reasons a hire doesn't work out – not because the wrong person applied, but because nobody was clear on what the role actually needed to achieve.
Assess for the medtech-specific stuff, not just the CV. Clinical credibility, existing KOL relationships, and comfort operating in a hospital or theatre environment matter more in this sector than a generic sales track record does.
Move at a pace that respects the seniority of the role. Rushing a senior medtech hire to save a few weeks tends to cost far more than it saves if the fit turns out to be wrong.
Work with people who already know this market . A recruiter who understands medtech specifically can spot mismatches – clinical, cultural, or commercial – earlier than a generalist process usually will.

None of this guarantees a perfect hire every time. What it does is shift the odds meaningfully in your favour, which is really the whole point.

Get Your Next Medtech Hire Right

If you're hiring for a medtech, pharma, or digital health role and want a process built around getting the fit right the first time, PPD Search's employer team works exclusively across this sector and can talk you through what that looks like for your specific role.

And if you're the one considering your next move rather than doing the hiring, the same logic works in reverse – being matched against roles that are a genuine fit benefits you as much as it does the employer. Register your profile and PPD's consultants will keep you in mind as the right opportunities come up.

How to Get into Medical Affairs

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:32:39 GMT

There's no single pathway into medical affairs jobs. Most people get there from one of two backgrounds – a scientific or clinical career, or clinical research – and each route gets you there in a different way.

What's consistent across both is that it's competitive to break in, particularly at MSL level, where a lot of entry-level postings still ask for prior MSL experience.

If you're working out how to get into medical affairs yourself, knowing which route fits your background – and what the path looks like once you're through the door – makes it easier to plan the move deliberately rather than apply broadly and see what happens.

Main Pathways Into Medical Affairs Jobs

Coming From a Scientific or Clinical Background

This is the classic entry point, and it's still the one most companies lean towards for medical affairs jobs at entry level. PhD graduates, postdocs, pharmacists, and the occasional doctor move into a medical science liaison role without having worked in industry before.

Most MSL roles ask for an advanced scientific degree – a PhD, Pharmacology, or MD – and big pharma companies in particular tend to hold that line. Biotech and smaller companies are sometimes more flexible, and will consider a master's degree paired with strong therapeutic-area experience. Either way, tailoring your application to a specific therapeutic area close to your own research background tends to carry more weight than a broad, generalist CV.

Coming From Clinical Research

Clinical research associates and other trial-based roles are another established route in, particularly into medical affairs scientist positions, which sit closer to evidence generation and publication work than field-based liaison roles. For people who've already spent years close to trial data, this tends to be a sideways move rather than a leap into something unfamiliar.

How the Medical Affairs Career Path Progresses

Medical affairs careers tend to follow a fairly consistent structure once you're in, though the exact steps and titles vary by company size and therapeutic area. Most people start in medical information or as an MSL, move to senior MSL once they've built a track record with key opinion leaders, and from there the path typically splits into a medical advisor or medical manager role.

From medical manager, the usual next step is medical director, overseeing a therapeutic area or business unit. Beyond that sits country or regional medical director, and eventually global medical affairs leadership for people who stay in the field long enough to get there.

It isn't the only shape a medical affairs career can take. Some people move sideways into medical affairs scientist roles that stay closer to research. Others move out towards regulatory affairs or brand management once they've built enough internal credibility to make that jump. None of these are dead ends – they're different uses of the same foundation.

What Can Help You Progress in Medical Affairs Jobs

A handful of things separate the people who land their first medical affairs role from those who keep applying without much luck.

Having the right qualification for the door you're knocking on matters most. Big pharma companies still tend to want a science related degree with postgrad qualifications for MSL roles, while biotech and smaller companies are often more open to a master's degree combined with solid clinical or research experience.

A tightly focused CV helps just as much as the degree itself. If your background is in oncology, apply for oncology roles and make sure your CV reads that way from the first line. Hiring managers in medical affairs are generally looking for depth in a therapeutic area, not breadth across several.

Mentorship and a genuine network inside the industry make a real difference too, especially for people coming from academia who haven't had to interview for an industry role before. Talking to people already working as MSLs, even informally, helps close the gap between understanding the science and understanding how the job itself actually runs day to day.

Where to Go From Here

If you're working out your next move into medical affairs, or hiring for a medical affairs role yourself, PPD Search's healthcare recruitment team works across this exact part of the market.

If you'd rather have someone keep an eye out on your behalf while you weigh up your options, register your profile and PPD's consultants will match you against medical affairs jobs as they come up.

Medtech Career Path in Sales: Sales Rep to Director

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:14:24 GMT

If you're a few years into medical device sales and wondering what actually comes next, you're not alone. Medical device career progression in sales in Australia tends to follow a similar path from one company to the next, even if the job titles shift slightly depending on where you work.

Knowing what that path looks like is genuinely useful. It gives you something to measure your own medical device sales career against, and it helps you focus on what gets you promoted, rather than just clocking up years in the same seat and hoping someone notices.

Medical Device Career Progression by Level

Territory Manager or Sales Representative

Most people start out here, whether they've come from a clinical background, allied health, or straight out of a graduate program. The job is pretty simple on paper: you're handed a patch of hospitals and judged on how much revenue you bring in against target.

In practice, it takes a while to get good at it. Building real trust with surgeons and clinicians doesn't happen overnight, and that trust is usually what gets you noticed for the next step. Most people spend three to five years in this seat before moving on.

Product Specialist or Clinical Applications Specialist

Not everyone goes straight up the ladder from here. Plenty of people take a sideways step into a product or clinical applications role first. Instead of chasing a sales number, you become the person everyone turns to for how a device actually works.

It's a good option if you've got a clinical background and want to stay close to the technical side of the job without giving up on commercial experience altogether.

Senior Territory Manager or Key Account Manager

Once you've shown you can hit target consistently, the usual next move is into a senior territory or key account role – bigger accounts, a bigger patch, more responsibility riding on you.

What you're actually selling starts to matter more at this stage too. If you're working with something more technical, like orthopaedics, cardiac devices, or surgical robotics, doors tend to open a bit faster. That kind of selling asks more of you clinically, and hiring managers notice when someone's handled it well.

Area or Regional Sales Manager

This is usually the first taste of managing people rather than just managing a territory. You'll pick up a small team of territory managers spread across a state or region, and suddenly your success depends on how well they perform, not just you.

It's also around here that careers genuinely start to split. Some people love being out on the road selling and choose to stay in that lane. Others start pushing towards management from this point on, and that choice tends to shape everything that follows.

National Sales Manager or Commercial Director

At the top of the ladder sits the national sales manager or commercial director role. Your own sales numbers matter a lot less now – it's more about setting the strategy, owning the forecast, and being accountable for how the whole business performs.

Getting there usually comes down to two things: a track record people can actually point to, and proof that you can build and lead a team, not just hit your own number year after year.

What Can Speed Up a Medical Device Sales Career

A few things can help with speeding up medical device career progression.

What you're selling

Something like implantable devices, capital equipment, or robotics-assisted surgical systems asks a lot more of you clinically, and that kind of experience stands out when you're going for a more senior role.

Who you work for

The bigger multinational device companies usually have a clearer path into leadership mapped out, while smaller distributors can be a bit more hit and miss. However, smaller companies often sometimes hand you more responsibility earlier simply because they need someone to step up and there's no one else in line.

Being open to moving around

Whether that's relocating for a regional role or trying your hand in marketing or clinical education for a stretch before coming back to sales. A lot of people who end up in director roles have spent time outside a pure sales seat somewhere along the way, and it tends to change how they think about the business once they're back in it.

Plan Your Next Step in Medical Device Sales

If you're weighing up the next move in your medical device sales career, or you're the one hiring for it, PPD Search works exclusively in medical device recruitment across Australia .

Have a look through our live roles for candidates at every stage of a medical device career, from territory manager through to commercial director. Or if you'd rather have someone keep an eye out on your behalf, register your profile and PPD's consultants will match you against roles as they come up.

Regulatory Affairs Salaries in Australia

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:11:43 GMT

Regulatory affairs salaries in Australia – or RA salary, as it's commonly abbreviated – spans a wide range, from a graduate associate working through labelling and compliance checks to a director overseeing regulatory strategy across an entire product portfolio.

Public salary data on regulatory affairs associate salaries in Australia and more senior roles varies considerably depending on the source, the company type, and the product category involved – TGA-regulated pharmaceuticals, medical devices and combination products all carry different levels of regulatory complexity and pay reflects that.

Here is how regulatory affairs salaries in Australia breaks down by level, and what actually drives them higher.

Regulatory Affairs Salaries in Australia by Level

Graduate or Regulatory Affairs Associate

Regulatory affairs associate salaries in Australia typically starts here, usually for candidates moving across from a science degree or a QA/QC background. Glassdoor's data averages $93,000, with a typical range of $73,000 to $112,000. PayScale's figures sit lower, averaging around $81,000 base, consistent with early-career pay in the first one to two years.

Regulatory Affairs Specialist or Senior Associate

Specialist and senior associate roles follow several TGA lodgements and independent submission experience. Glassdoor's Regulatory Affairs Specialist data averages $105,250, with a typical range of $84,500 to $130,525, while Senior Associate roles average $121,000. SEEK job ad data places the market average closer to $110,000 at this level.

Regulatory Affairs Manager

RA salary data moves meaningfully at manager level. Indeed's dataset averages $166,144 for Regulatory Affairs Manager roles, and Glassdoor's Senior Manager figures average $184,000, with most falling between $170,000 and $190,000. SEEK job ad data (via Jora) sits lower, at around $140,000, reflecting the wide range of team sizes and portfolio complexity that “manager” covers.

Regulatory Affairs Director

At director level, PayScale's data averages $181,266, with base pay ranging from $155,000 to $238,000 and total packages reaching similar heights once bonuses are included. This is typically someone accountable for regulatory strategy across an entire portfolio, rather than individual submissions.

What Drives RA Salaries in Australia

Company type

Regulatory roles inside large multinational pharmaceutical or medtech companies generally pay more than equivalent roles at smaller local manufacturers or niche consultancies, reflecting the scale and complexity of the submissions involved.

Product category

Complex Class III devices, biologics and combination products carry more regulatory risk than a Class I device or generic pharmaceutical, and that risk is typically priced into the role.

TGA experience specifically can move pay in either direction. Some employers pay a premium for deep local TGA knowledge; others place more value on broader APAC or global regulatory exposure.

Location

Sydney and Melbourne roles generally sit above the rest of the country, reflecting where most head offices and larger regulatory teams are based.

Get a More Accurate Read on Your Potential Salary

Public averages are a useful starting point for regulatory affairs salaries in Australia, but they don't account for your specific product category, TGA experience or seniority.

PPD Search's 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report draws on proprietary data from hundreds of health, medtech and pharma professionals across Australia and New Zealand, with detailed benchmarks by role and seniority.

To benchmark your own regulatory affairs salary, register your regulatory affairs profile with PPD Search or browse live regulatory affairs and quality roles currently being advertised across the market. PPD Search's consultants are also available on +61 2 9959 2211 for a confidential conversation about where you sit against current benchmarks.

Sources: Glassdoor Australia (Regulatory Affairs Associate, Specialist, Senior Associate, and Senior Manager, 2025–2026); Indeed Australia (Regulatory Affairs Manager, 2025); PayScale Australia (Regulatory Affairs Associate and Regulatory Affairs Director, 2026); Jora/SEEK job ad salary data (Regulatory Affairs Associate and Regulatory Affairs Manager, 2026); PPD Search 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report .

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Salaries in Australia

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:03:33 GMT

Pharmaceutical sales rep salaries in Australia can vary, largely because the title covers everything from a graduate rep six months out of a science, nursing or allied health degree through to a senior specialist running a portfolio of hospital and key accounts independently.

Reported averages range from around $90,000 to $150,000-plus across Glassdoor, Indeed, SalaryExpert and SEEK-listed job ad data, depending on the experience level each dataset measures, so a single headline figure tends to hide more than it reveals.

Here's how pharma sales salaries in Australia actually breaks down by level, plus what pushes it higher or lower.

Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Salaries in Australia by Level

Graduate or Entry-Level Rep

A graduate or entry-level pharmaceutical sales rep typically earns between $85,000 and $95,000 base, with total package closer to $120,000–$130,000 once incentives are included. SalaryExpert puts average entry-level pay (1–3 years' experience) at just under $86,000, while Indeed's broader Australian data averages around $93,000 across all experience levels – graduate and in-house roles generally sit toward the lower end of that range before a rep moves into a full territory.

Territory Manager or Medical Rep (Standard Field Role)

This is the core of the pharmaceutical sales rep salary in Australian data most job seekers compare against – often listed under medical rep salary or territory manager job ads. Glassdoor's national pharmaceutical sales representative figures average around $102,000, while medical representative-specific listings average $94,500, with a typical range of $81,750 to $114,500 – a reasonable band for someone with two to five years across GP or specialist sales roles.

Sales Specialist

Pharmaceutical sales specialists with eight or more years' experience, particularly those managing hospital, specialist, or key account portfolios, commonly report total packages between $115,000 and $150,000. Glassdoor's Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist data puts the 90th percentile at just over $142,000, and SalaryExpert's senior-level figures climb higher again for reps in high-commission, high-complexity categories.

Regional or National Sales Manager

Base salaries for regional and national sales manager roles generally start above $140,000, with total remuneration frequently exceeding $200,000 once bonuses and team overrides are included. Jora's SEEK-listed job ad data averages around $177,500 for pharmaceutical sales manager roles nationally, while Glassdoor's broader figures average $165,000.

What Affects Pharma Sales Salaries in Australia

Therapeutic area is one of the biggest levers on pharma sales salaries in Australia. Reps covering specialist categories such as oncology, immunology, or hospital-only products tend to command a premium over primary care or GP-facing roles, given the additional clinical knowledge and account complexity involved.

Company type matters too – originator and multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers generally pay more than generic or smaller local distributors at the same experience level, partly reflecting bigger detailing budgets and more structured incentive schemes.

How much of the package sits in base versus incentive pay is another factor. Most medical rep salaries in Australian data blends a base salary with quarterly or annual bonus targets, and a rep hitting stretch targets in a high-value category can significantly out-earn a peer on the same base through bonus alone.

Location also plays a part, with Sydney and Melbourne-based roles typically advertising above regional or Adelaide-based positions, reflecting where most head offices and larger territories sit.

Get a More Accurate Insight on Your Potential Salary

Public salary averages are a useful starting point, but they rarely account for your specific therapeutic area, company type, or years of territory experience.

PPD Search's 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report draws on proprietary data from hundreds of health, medtech, and pharma professionals across Australia and New Zealand, with detailed benchmarks by role and seniority.

If you're benchmarking your own pharmaceutical sales rep salary or considering your next move, register your profile with PPD Search or browse live pharmaceutical sales roles to see what's currently being offered across originator, generic, and specialty pharma companies.

You can also speak with PPD Search's consultants on +61 2 9959 2211 for a confidential read on where you sit against the market.

Sources: Glassdoor Australia (Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Medical Representative, and Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist, 2026); Indeed Australia (Pharmaceutical Sales Representative and Medical Representative, 2025–2026); SalaryExpert/ERI (Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Australia, 2026); PayScale Australia (Sales Representative, Pharmaceuticals, 2026); Jora/SEEK job ad salary data (Pharmaceutical Sales Manager, 2026); PPD Search 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report .

Medical Device Sales Salary Guide (Australia)

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:54:36 GMT

Medical device sales salaries in Australia ranges widely, from around $80,000 base for an associate territory manager role through to $170,000-plus in total package for an experienced territory manager, key account manager or clinical specialist.

What separates one end of that range from the other comes down to seniority, device complexity, and how much of the package sits in commission rather than base pay.

For anyone weighing up a move into medtech, or benchmarking where they currently sit, understanding how these numbers break down by role is more useful than a single average figure.

Medical Device Sales Rep Salaries in Australia by Level

Associate Sales Representative

Entry-level medical device sales rep salaries in Australia typically starts between $80,000 and $90,000 base, with total package closer to $100,000–$120,000 once incentives are included. This is the standard entry point for candidates moving across from clinical, allied health, or graduate backgrounds.

Territory Manager

This is where most advertised roles land, and where the bulk of data sits for medical device sales salaries in Australia. SEEK-listed roles average around $115,000 in Sydney and $120,000 in Melbourne, with total remuneration commonly reaching $150,000 once commission is factored in.

Senior Territory Manager, Key Account Manager or Clinical Specialist

Total packages typically sit between $160,000 and $200,000, particularly in higher-complexity categories such as orthopaedics, cardiac rhythm management, electrophysiology, and surgical robotics, where clinical selling and case support in the operating theatre carry a premium.

Regional or National Sales Manager

Base salaries generally start above $140,000, with total remuneration frequently exceeding $200,000 once bonuses and team overrides are included.

Medtech Sales Salaries: Base Pay vs Commission

Base pay only tells part of the story.

Most medtech sales salary structures in Australia are built around a base-plus-commission or on-target-earnings model, and uncapped commission is common in high-growth device categories. A territory manager selling complex implantable devices will often out-earn a peer in a lower-complexity category on the same base, purely through commission structure and case volume.

Location matters too. Sydney and Melbourne roles tend to advertise higher figures than regional territories, though regional patches can offer larger territories and correspondingly higher commission potential.

Company type plays a role as well – multinational device manufacturers and specialist distributors structure incentives differently, and PPD Search's medical device recruitment consultants regularly see candidates move between the two for exactly this reason.

Get a More Accurate Read on Your Potential Salary

Public salary data gives a useful starting point, but it rarely accounts for your specific device category, territory, or years of clinical selling experience.

If you're weighing up your next move, register your profile with PPD Search or browse live medical device roles to see how your current medical device sales salary compares against what's actively being offered in the market.

Sources: Glassdoor Australia (Medical Device Sales, 2026); Jora/SEEK job ad salary data (Medical Device Sales Representative, 2026); PayScale Australia (Medical Device Sales Representative – Entry-Level, 2026); PPD Search 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report .

Clinical Research Associate Salaries in Australia

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:39:13 GMT

Clinical research associate salaries in Australia varies more than most life sciences roles, largely because "CRA" covers everything from a graduate monitor 18 months into the industry to a senior CRA running complex oncology or other medical trials independently.

Reported averages range from around $95,000 to $130,000-plus across Glassdoor, Indeed, PayScale and SalaryExpert, depending on the experience level each dataset measures, so a single headline figure tends to hide more than it reveals.

Here's how clinical research salaries in Australia actually breaks down by level, plus what pushes them higher or lower.

Clinical Research Associate Salaries in Australia by Experience Level

Entry-Level or Graduate CRA

A graduate or in-house CRA with 0–2 years' experience typically earns between $65,000 and $90,000 base. Entry-level CRA salaries in Australia sits toward the lower end of this band for in-house or line-CRA roles, and toward the top end once a graduate moves into field monitoring.

CRA I / CRA II (Standard Monitoring Role)

This is the core of the CRA salaries in Australia data most job seekers compare against. Glassdoor puts average pay for a mid-level CRA at around $95,000 in Sydney and $103,000 in Melbourne, while Indeed's broader Australian average sits closer to $103,000 – a reasonable midpoint for someone with two to five years' monitoring experience across CRO or sponsor-side roles.

Senior CRA

Senior CRAs with eight or more years' experience, particularly those running complex or oncology studies independently, commonly report total packages between $130,000 and $160,000. Top-end figures reported by SalaryExpert and Glassdoor's 90th-percentile data both cluster around this range for senior, sponsor-side positions.

What Affects CRA Salaries in Australia

Employer type is one of the biggest levers on clinical research salaries in Australia. Sponsor-side CRA roles (working directly for a pharmaceutical or biotech company ) generally pay more than CRO-based roles at the same experience level, partly because sponsors often carry fewer, larger studies per CRA.

Therapeutic area matters too – oncology, rare disease, and complex device trials tend to command a premium over more standard therapeutic areas, given the additional protocol complexity and site relationship management involved.

Whether the role is in-house (remote monitoring, coordination) or field-based (on-site visits, travel-heavy), this may shift the number, as does city: Sydney and Melbourne roles generally advertise above regional or Brisbane-based positions, reflecting where most sponsor and CRO head offices sit.

Get a More Accurate Insight on Your Potential Salary

Public averages are a useful starting point, but they rarely account for your specific therapeutic area, sponsor versus CRO experience, or years of independent monitoring.

If you're benchmarking your own clinical research associate salary or considering your next move , register your profile with PPD Search . You can also speak with PPD Search's consultants on +61 2 9959 2211 for a confidential read on where you sit against the market.

Sources: Glassdoor Australia (Clinical Research Associate, Sydney and Melbourne, 2026); SalaryExpert/ERI (Clinical Research Associate, Australia, 2026); PayScale Australia (Clinical Research Associate, 2026); Indeed Australia (Clinical Research Associate, 2026); PPD Search 2025 Salary Benchmarks & Industry Trends Report .

What Truly Differentiates an Executive Search Partner in Life Sciences

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:03:25 GMT

Every leadership hire comes with significant commercial weight. They inherit existing problems, navigate complex stakeholder relationships, and steer your organisation forward.

But in the case of life sciences, the stakes are much higher. Your leaders directly influence clinical progress, commercialisation, and growth.

A mis-hire at this stage can be costly.

In the interconnected markets of Australia and New Zealand, it can directly impact your brand reputation, destabilise internal morale, and disrupt clinical momentum.

That’s why it’s essential to find a candidate who doesn’t just look right on paper but also knows how to navigate the intricacies of the industry.

Executive search partners can streamline this process. But why should you choose a specialist? And more importantly, how do you select the right one?

Executive Recruitment in Life Sciences Isn’t Straightforward

One common question organisations ask is why they need to work with a life sciences specialist for executive recruitment.

It’s understandable. Why wouldn’t a seasoned generalist executive search firm deliver the same outcome?

But life sciences is an industry that comes with a unique set of challenges in Australia and New Zealand, making it necessary for companies to hire specialists.

The industry is small and highly connected.

But fewer applications isn’t the issue here. There are several other structural issues your executive search partners must navigate.

They should have a pulse on the current salary bands and perks to help you design competitive offers. Likewise, executive hiring cycles tend to be significantly long.

Senior executives in the industry usually have three-month notice periods. Additionally, they may have long-term incentives that they could risk by moving, or counteroffers from their current employer to retain them.

These factors make executive appointments fragile, as the candidate has to manage multiple considerations quite late into the process. Your search partner should be able to anticipate these friction points in advance and move ahead accordingly.

Beyond these, you also need someone who understands medicine, research, health economics, and regulatory affairs too. They should have clarity over whether a candidate’s past achievements are directly transferable.

A generalist agency won’t possess that level of market depth or healthcare experience.

What Should You Look for in a Life Sciences Executive Search Partner?

Even among life sciences executive search specialists, you need to look beyond credentials and assess how they manage the commercial, strategic, and reputational risk throughout the recruitment cycle.

In-Depth Industry Knowledge

Industry expertise should be your first priority when judging a potential executive search partner. Whether it’s medical devices or pharmaceuticals, you need someone who has a pulse on the market.

Their role is to advise you before the outreach even begins.

If you’ve gained approval for a particular salary band based on historical benchmarks, they should be able to tell you what the market is paying right now. It prevents a stalled process, where your offers fall short and you risk losing executives to competitors.

This becomes particularly important when the hiring process involves offshore stakeholders. In some cases, the organisational structures and salary bands are decided by the global headquarters based on data available to them.

These, however, may not reflect the market reality of ANZ. What might seem competitive globally may not be enough to attract executives.

There could also be friction between the local and global stakeholders regarding the role itself.

Global stakeholders may have a differing idea of the position and what it takes to succeed in the ANZ market than the local leaders. Proceeding without addressing these differences can cause the recruitment process to fail.

Deep market expertise matters even more when you’re establishing your footprint in ANZ.

If you’re a multinational hiring your first Country Manager to launch operations of your medical device sales in ANZ, you can’t afford to go wrong. It’d invariably delay your market entry and take away your early mover advantage.

A partner who understands the tightly knit local market well can help you identify and source the executives who can drive your growth.

Their local perspective can align the global and local stakeholders to reduce hiccups in the recruitment process. They’ll also know exactly what causes an executive appointment to fail and can advise you on how to retain talent.

Access to Passive Executive Talent

Posting on platforms like LinkedIn and other job boards captures active talent. But it completely misses the large share of transformative leaders who aren’t actively searching for a role but are open to the right one.

In life sciences executive search, the most obvious candidates may not be directly available. Instead, they could be sitting within a client organisation, have recently been placed in another business, or fall within an existing off-limits relationship.

That’s precisely where an executive search partner can help.

They understand who is genuinely accessible, whether potential conflicts exist, and where credible alternatives can be found.

Executive partners would have built a strong network and cultivated relationships with these candidates over the years. It allows them to approach them with context, rather than a cold introduction.

Those in-depth relationships provide market intelligence that can’t be easily generated internally. Your partners will know who’s genuinely open to a move and what motivates them.

This network becomes particularly valuable when you’re recruiting for a position that requires rare skills. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you’re hiring a Business Unit Director in Sydney who must possess experience with surgical heart valves. Your pool of qualified candidates is likely going to be a handful of people, and most of them might be working for your direct competitors.

A life sciences executive search specialist will have the network depth you need to find and engage such rare talent. They’ll know what drives these leaders beyond remuneration to convince them to make the move.

Discretion in Recruitment

The life sciences industry is small and highly connected. And at the senior level, you likely know all your peers working across Australia and New Zealand. That means reputational intel travels fast.

It makes decisions like quietly replacing an underperforming incumbent or building a stealth team for market entry extremely fragile. A single conversation can destabilise your team morale or cause a competitor to move in before you launch.

A specialist executive search partner acts as a strategic firewall here.

They conduct blind outreach and off-channel talent mapping to maintain confidentiality, especially when approaching passive leaders embedded in competitor networks.

Low-pressure, discreet conversations with these leaders well before the hiring time arrives allow these specialists to evaluate fit and motivation without exposing your identity.

This enables you to secure top leadership while safeguarding your commercial advantage and team stability.

Honest Counsel on the Brief

One of the most valuable contributions a specialist firm provides is early, unvarnished pushback on the role specification itself.

A failed search can cost you months, and the reason could be your brief, which asks for an impossible hybrid of regulatory clearance experience and therapeutic expertise, all on a mid-market package.

Broadening your brief without adjusting the remuneration correctly can burn months of operational runway.

A reliable partner challenges your brief and scope early, recommending whether to split the role into distinct segments, adjust the compensation, or opt for interim leadership before approaching the market.

Continuous Support and Technical Fluency

A key advantage of working with life sciences specialists is that they aren’t just recruiters but also possess technical knowledge.

The right agency will have consultants who have held leadership roles themselves or have in-depth experience working with companies in the industry. By partnering with them, you gain access to their judgement, not just theoretical knowledge.

For instance, using their market experience, they can provide insight into why a previous appointment might not have worked out. Patterns like an unrealistic mandate or a mismatch between the leadership environment may not be evident internally but could be apparent to an experienced partner.

By sharing this insight, they help you start the recruitment process and eventual onboarding on the right note and prevent you from repeating the same mistakes.

Additionally, the right agency will continue supporting your process until the new executive is fully integrated into your organisation.

How the Search Partner Operates in Practice

Several life sciences executive search partners will possess the deep expertise and discretion needed to drive successful appointments.

But the way they approach recruitment and your relationship, as a whole, matters.

You need firms that are transparent about their process and current industry remuneration standards before the recruitment process begins.

Top-tier agencies will also ensure you have the same senior consultant assigned right from the beginning until the new executive is appointed, enabling smooth communication.

Most importantly, they’ll adopt a consultative approach, working alongside your team as a strategic advisor rather than a recruiter. They’ll continue providing advice even after the appointment to support long-term success.

It’s the way we operate at PPD Search.

We’ve worked with pharma, digital health, and medical device companies across Australia and NZ for over two decades and understand the nuances of executive recruitment in life sciences and the privacy it demands.

From talent discovery to onboarding and beyond, our consultants will work as an extension of your team to deliver leaders who drive long-term growth.

Start Before the Need Becomes Urgent

In high-stakes recruitment for life sciences, timing is a major leverage. Because senior talent pools are highly concentrated in ANZ, delaying outreach narrows down your options to an extent where you may be forced to make unnecessary trade-offs.

The strongest appointments happen when your search begins on time.

Initiating conversations early enables you to test your briefs, tweak the remuneration packages, understand current market realities, and begin low-pressure discussions with potential executives discreetly.

Whether you’re planning a confidential succession, entering the market, or expanding your executive team, it’s necessary to start early.

Talk to PPD Search before your next leadership hire becomes urgent.

How to Stand Out When Applying for Healthcare, Pharma, and Medical Device Roles

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:54:15 GMT

In a competitive job market, the difference between landing an interview and being passed over often comes down to details that feel small on their own but add up fast. PPD Search breaks down the factors that actually impact your chances of success, whether you're moving between roles in the same sector or making a fresh start in one.

These healthcare job application tips are the ones recruiters wish every candidate would take on board before they send out the next CV.

Small Details That Derail a Healthcare Job Application

Your resume is the first impression a recruiter has of you, and even a tiny mistake can have a lasting negative effect. Attention to detail is a quality every healthcare employer values, so your CV needs to demonstrate it from the first line.

Before you send anything, check for:

Typos and grammatical errors. Proofread carefully, more than once if you can, and have someone else read it too. A pristine document reflects your professionalism and commitment.
Missing personal details. Your phone number, email, and location should all be easy to find. You don't need your full address, but listing your state at minimum is essential. Missing contact details means missed opportunities.
An inactive or unprofessional voicemail. Employers and recruiters often make initial contact by phone, so make sure your voicemail is active, professional, concise, and up to date. A missed call without a working voicemail is often a missed connection.

Pharma Job Search Strategy: Showcase Your Achievements

A strong pharma job search strategy goes beyond listing what you've done and demonstrates the value you brought while doing it. Your resume is the place to highlight accomplishments, not just responsibilities.

Quantifiable achievements catch a recruiter's eye faster than anything else. Think about:

Meeting or exceeding targets
Increasing revenue or market share
Implementing innovative solutions or processes

Numbers make your contribution concrete and immediately communicate the scale of what you've delivered. Where you have them, use them, because generic statements like "contributed to team success" don't give a recruiter anything to work with.

Tailoring Your Application for Medical Device Industry Careers

One of the most overlooked factors in successful medical device industry careers is the effort candidates put into crafting each application. The level of effort you put in reflects your genuine interest in the role, and recruiters notice the difference between a tailored CV and a copy-and-paste job almost immediately.

For every application, take the time to:

Align your skills with the specific job requirements listed in the ad or brief, rather than relying on a generic summary.
Understand current industry trends relevant to the role, because recruiters in this space expect candidates to be paying attention.

Putting These Healthcare Job Application Tips Into Practice

The art of job seeking goes beyond submitting applications. It's about presenting your best self to potential employers and giving yourself the best possible chance at every stage of the process. The market is competitive, but with attention to detail and a deliberate pharma job search strategy, you can stand out and secure the opportunities you deserve.

For more guidance on putting your best foot forward, visit the PPD Search candidate tips section.

Why Your Motivations Matter Before You Start Looking for a New Role

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:51:54 GMT

When you're thinking about a career move, the first question worth sitting with isn't what roles are available or what salary you're after. It's why you want to leave in the first place. Understanding the ‘motivation to leave your current role’ question is the foundation of a job search that has the potential to lead somewhere good.

“Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job/Why Did You Leave Your Most Recent Job?” Answer: The Reasons Candidates Give Most Often

When recruiters ask candidates "What’s your motivation to leave your current role?’or why did you leave your most recent role question”, the same handful of answers come up over and over again:

More money. A pay rise or a better package is one of the most common drivers, particularly when the market shifts and candidates realise their current salary isn't keeping pace.
A better location. Shorter commutes, a move closer to family, or a change of city all fall into this bucket.
Work-life balance. Long hours, heavy travel, or a role that has slowly eaten into personal time push a lot of people to start looking.
Flexibility. Hybrid arrangements, flexible start times, and the ability to manage work around life are now baseline expectations for many candidates rather than a bonus.

These come up constantly, and they're completely valid. In this day and age, most people are looking for at least one of them. But they're also just the starting point. On their own, they don't tell the full story of what's going to make you genuinely thrive in your next role, not just get by.

What a Good Recruiter Wants to Know

A specialist recruiter will take the time to understand what truly drives you, not just what you need, but what will make you thrive. That means going beyond the surface-level answers and getting to what actually puts a spring in your step, even on the busiest days.

This is why the motivation to leave your current role question comes up for every single job on your CV, not just your most recent one. The pattern of why you've moved throughout your career tells a recruiter far more than any individual answer.

How to Answer "Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?"

The most important thing you can do before approaching the market is to be honest with yourself. Everyone has personal commitments that factor into a career decision, but beyond those, what is it that genuinely energises you at work?

That's the answer worth preparing. A good recruiter isn't trying to trip you up when they ask why you're leaving. They're trying to understand your drivers so they can match you to a role where you'll succeed, and so their client gets the right person for the right job.

Knowing your own answer to "Why are you leaving your current job" before you start interviewing makes every conversation that follows more focused and more productive.

Ready to Have That Conversation?

If you're ready to work with a recruiter who focuses on what you want, not just what's available, the PPD Search candidates page and PPD Executive candidates page are your starting points. Pick up the phone, have an honest conversation with a consultant, and walk through your motivations properly before you start interviewing. The clearer you are on what you want, the easier it is for a good recruiter to match you to a role where you'll actually thrive.

Why Recruiters Reject Candidates: The Most Common Interview Mistakes

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:48:22 GMT

In a competitive job market, understanding the most common recruitment rejection reasons can be the difference between landing an interview and wondering why you never heard back.

Recruitment Rejection Reasons

If you're sending out applications without success, there's a good chance one or more of these common interview mistakes are working against you. The good news is that most of them are entirely avoidable once you know what recruiters are actually looking for:

1. An Incomplete or Inaccurate Resume

Recruiters rely on your CV to assess your skills, experience, and qualifications. Any inconsistency, whether it's outdated information, gaps left unexplained, or details that don't stack up, can lead to immediate rejection. Your resume needs to be current, truthful, and tailored to the specific role you're applying for. A generic CV sent to every job on the market is one of the most common interview mistakes recruiters see, and one of the easiest to fix.

2. Failing to Research the Company and the Role

Recruiters expect candidates to demonstrate genuine interest in the organisation they're applying to. Walking into a process without having done your homework signals a lack of preparation and enthusiasm, and experienced recruiters will pick it up quickly. Before any interaction, know the company, understand the role, and be ready to speak to why the two connect with your background.

3. Poor Communication Skills

The ability to articulate yourself clearly matters in almost every role. If you struggle to communicate your experience and value in an interview, it becomes difficult for a recruiter to advocate for you internally. Prepare thoroughly, practise your answers out loud, and make sure you can speak confidently about your achievements without underselling them.

4. Overconfidence or Arrogance

Confidence is an asset, but candidates who come across as dismissive of others' opinions or overly self-assured can raise immediate red flags around cultural fit. Recruiters are assessing not just whether you can do the job, but whether you'll work well with the people around you. Humility and self-awareness go a long way, particularly in collaborative environments.

5. Unprofessional Behaviour Across the Application Process

This includes unprofessional email addresses, inappropriate social media content, and poor conduct during interviews. Recruiters are assessing you from the moment you make contact, not just when you're sitting across the table. Professionalism at every stage of the process is non-negotiable, and lapses are noticed more often than candidates realise.

6. Overlooking Soft Skills

Technical qualifications matter, but so does emotional intelligence. Teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving are qualities recruiters actively look for, particularly in roles that involve cross-functional collaboration or customer-facing responsibilities. Candidates who focus solely on hard skills and neglect to demonstrate these qualities may not align with the company's culture, regardless of how strong their CV looks on paper.

7. Failing to Address Employment Gaps or Frequent Job Changes

If you have a gap in your employment history or a pattern of short tenures, address it honestly and proactively rather than hoping a recruiter won't notice. Leaving these questions unanswered raises concerns that a straightforward, well-prepared explanation could easily resolve. Recruiters are not necessarily put off by gaps or career pivots, but they are put off by evasiveness.

Ready to Avoid These Recruitment Rejection Reasons?

Avoiding common interview mistakes starts with preparation, and the right support makes that process a lot more straightforward. Visit the PPD Search candidate tips section for practical guidance on everything from CV structure to interview technique.

When you're ready to take the next step, the PPD Search candidates and PPD Executive candidates pages are your starting points for connecting with a specialist consultant who understands your sector.

How to Write a Pharmaceutical Resume

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:41:24 GMT

Knowing how to write a pharmaceutical resume sounds basic, but it's something a surprising number of candidates get wrong. A good recruiter will call you despite a bad resume, but a company you're applying to directly probably won't, and that means you're missing out on opportunities without knowing it.

Here's what to get right when it comes to creating your medical device resume.

What Recruiters Look for in Pharma and Medtech CVs

The front page of your medical device resume should work as a snapshot that entices the reader to explore further. Four things need to be there:

Contact details. Phone number, email, and state at minimum. Check them. You may not be getting calls simply because your number is incorrect. While you're at it, set up a professional voicemail because small things like this go a long way.
A career summary. Keep it concise and focused on your skills and career goals. Tailor it to every single role you apply for. One of the most common mistakes recruiters see is a summary that has nothing to do with the job the candidate is actually applying for.
Qualifications. If you have relevant education, put it on the front page. If you don't, leave this section off entirely and don't be disheartened, because not all roles require formal qualifications.
Work experience overview. List your most recent position first with company name and dates. A table format works well here and gives the reader a clean, high-level view of your career.

Healthcare Resume Tips: Common Formatting Mistakes

The body of your resume is where detail works in your favour, but only if that detail is relevant. A common issue is resumes that read exactly like a job description. Instead of restating your duties, describe what you specifically did and what you achieved.

For each role include:

Company name, title, and dates with months, not just years. Writing "2021 to 2022" when you were in a role from January 2021 to December 2022 makes your tenure look far shorter than it was.
A clear list of responsibilities specific to what you personally managed
Achievements called out separately with specifics, for example: territory covered, ranking against target, products listed on formulary, awards received.

Pharma CV template: structure at a glance

Use this pharma CV template as your framework before you send a single application.

Front page

Full name, phone number, email, and state
Active, professional voicemail
Career summary tailored to the specific role you're applying for
Qualifications, if relevant
Work history table in reverse chronological order, with company, title, and dates

Body pages

Company name, job title, and start and end dates including months
Brief company descriptor if the organisation isn't well known
Key responsibilities written in your own words
Achievements listed separately, with numbers, rankings, and outcomes

And remember: if writing about yourself doesn't come naturally, AI tools can help you articulate your experience before you send anything out.

Looking for Your Next Move in Pharma or Medtech?

For more resume and job search guidance, visit the PPD Search candidate tips section. When you're ready to take the next step, you can submit your resume and explore current opportunities through the PPD Search candidates page.

How do you choose a pharmaceutical recruitment agency in Australia?

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:06:35 GMT

Choose a pharmaceutical recruitment agency on five tests: genuine specialisation in life sciences rather than a healthcare page bolted onto a generalist site, evidence of placements in your exact role type, consultants who can talk credibly about your therapeutic area and market, a process that reaches passive candidates rather than reposting your advertisement, and references from companies like yours. An agency that passes all five will shorten your search and lift its quality; an agency that fails the first test usually fails the rest on schedule.

The stakes justify the diligence. In a market as small and networked as Australian pharma and medtech, the agency you brief is representing your brand to the exact people you most want to hire, and doing it before you ever meet them.

The selection checklist

Test the specialisation. Ask what percentage of the agency's placements sit in pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare roles . For a true specialist the answer is all of them. Ask which roles they placed last quarter; the answer should sound like your org chart, from pharmaceutical sales and medical affairs through clinical, regulatory and market access.
Check the consultant, not just the agency. Recruitment is done by people. The consultant running your brief should understand the difference between a hospital specialist representative and a primary care one, what your competitors pay, and why your role is or is not attractive at the current market rate. Five minutes of conversation reveals this faster than any capability deck.
Ask how they find people who are not looking. The best candidates in this industry are employed and performing. An agency that answers with advertising platforms is a reposting service; an agency that answers with market mapping, direct approaches and a maintained network is a search partner. This is the single most separating question on the list.
Look for market intelligence as a service. Good specialists give you salary benchmarks from live placements, honest feedback on how the market reads your offer, and candidate availability by state, useful in a country where the answer in Sydney and the answer in Melbourne can differ. Our Sydney and Melbourne healthcare recruitment pages exist precisely because those markets behave differently.
Take the references. Ask for two clients with similar roles filled in the past year, and actually call them. Ask what the shortlist quality was like, how the agency handled the counter-offer stage, and whether they would brief them again tomorrow.

The engagement model conversation

Have it upfront. Exclusive gives one agency a defined window and typically buys a more thorough process. Retained search suits executive and genuinely hard-to-fill roles where you want a committed, exhaustive campaign rather than a race. A good agency will tell you honestly which your role needs.

For candidates

The same checklist works in reverse. If you are a candidate choosing which agency to register with, test whether the consultant understands your role well enough to represent it, ask which companies they are actually working with, and notice whether they discuss your career or just their live vacancies. The agencies worth your CV are the ones that pass the employer tests above, because depth serves both sides of the same market.

The red flags

CVs arriving before you have finished briefing. Consultants who cannot answer basic industry questions without checking. Pressure to lower the specification rather than widen the search. A different consultant on every call. And shortlists padded with candidates whose experience says the agency searched a job board, not a market.

Selection done well takes one focused week and pays back for the life of the relationship, because the second brief to the right agency starts from everything they learned on the first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I choose a pharmaceutical recruitment agency?

Test specialisation, interview the actual consultant, ask how they reach passive candidates, expect market intelligence, and call the references. Five tests, one week, better hires.

What should I look for in a healthcare recruiter?

Placement history in your role type, fluency in your market's language and salary levels, and a search process built on relationships rather than reposted advertisements.

What is the best medical recruitment agency in Australia?

The one that passes the checklist for your roles: pure life-sciences focus, credible consultants, passive-candidate reach and referenceable results in positions like yours.

Should I brief one agency or several?

For niche roles, one specialist on an exclusive or retained basis usually outperforms three agencies racing, because commitment buys thoroughness. Discuss the model before the brief.

Ready to put an agency through the checklist? Submit a vacancy and test us on all five, starting with the consultant conversation.

How Healthcare Executives Can Work with Executive Search Firms

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:04:12 GMT

The most senior healthcare executive roles rarely appear on job boards. They are filled through direct approaches, referrals and the kind of long-standing employer relationships that specialist search firms spend years building. If you are a senior leader looking to make a considered career move in healthcare, understanding how to engage productively with an executive search firm is as important as having the right experience on paper.

What Executive Search Firms Actually Do

Unlike contingency recruiters who post roles and respond to applications, executive search firms work on retained or exclusive briefs from organisations seeking to fill specific leadership positions. They identify and approach candidates directly, often targeting people who are not actively looking but who represent a strong fit for the organisation's strategic needs.

For candidates, this means that a relationship with a firm conducting healthcare executive search is not transactional. The firm is not simply matching your CV to a vacancy. They are assessing whether your experience, leadership style and career trajectory align with the types of organisations they represent and the roles they are likely to be briefed on. That assessment happens over time, through conversation, and it starts well before any specific opportunity is in play.

How to Position Yourself Before a Role Comes to Market

The executives who move most effectively through the senior market are those who invest in their professional profile before they need to. That means being clear on what you want from your next role, being able to articulate your leadership philosophy and commercial impact, and ensuring that your visible presence in the industry reflects your actual calibre.

When you engage with executive search firms in healthcare management, come prepared. Know your key achievements in quantifiable terms. Understand the kinds of organisations you want to lead and why. Be honest about what you are not looking for. A search consultant who understands your full picture is far better placed to advocate for you when the right opportunity arises.

You can find practical guidance on how to present yourself effectively at a senior level through the candidate tips section of the PPD Search website, which covers everything from how to approach senior interviews to how to frame a career transition.

The Value of a Long-Term Relationship Over a Transactional One

One of the most common mistakes senior candidates make is reaching out to a search firm only when they are actively looking. By that point, the consultant has no context for who you are, no feel for your leadership style and no established basis for trust. The relationship starts from zero at exactly the moment you need it to count.

The top healthcare executive recruiting firms operate on the basis of long-term relationships with both candidates and clients. They know who is likely to be right for what before the brief arrives. Building that relationship early, and maintaining it even when you are settled and not looking, is what puts you in position when the right role comes up.

At PPD Search, executive candidates are supported through every stage of their leadership journey, not just at the point of active search. That ongoing engagement is what allows us to make introductions quickly and with confidence when the right brief lands.

What to Expect from a Quality Search Process

If a search firm approaches you about a specific healthcare executive job, the process will typically involve an initial conversation to assess fit, a more structured interview with the search consultant, and then, if there is alignment, an introduction to the client organisation. At every stage, a quality firm will give you honest feedback, share what they know about the organisation's culture and leadership expectations, and help you prepare effectively.

What you should not experience is being submitted to a role without a briefing, being kept in the dark about where you sit in the process, or receiving vague feedback that tells you nothing useful. If that is happening, it reflects the quality of the firm, not the quality of your candidacy.

How PPD Search Approaches Executive Healthcare Recruitment

PPD Search works exclusively within pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics and life sciences. Our values reflect a commitment to depth over volume: fewer searches, better outcomes and a genuine understanding of the commercial and clinical environments our clients operate within.

We work with Boards, CEOs and HR leaders across Australia to fill senior leadership positions, and we maintain active relationships with experienced executives at every stage of their careers. Our approach to healthcare executive search is built on the principle that the best placements come from the best relationships, not the fastest turnarounds.

Ready to Have a Conversation?

Whether you are actively considering a move or simply want to understand how your experience maps to the current senior market, we are glad to have that conversation. Get in touch with the PPD Search team to discuss your career position and where the opportunities in healthcare executive jobs are heading.

How Medtech Leaders Recruit High-Performing Commercial Teams

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:02:01 GMT

Building a high-performing commercial team in medtech is harder than it sounds. The candidate pool with genuine sector experience is small, the commercial roles are technically demanding, and the consequences of a mis-hire at the senior level ripple quickly through revenue performance and customer relationships.

Getting medtech recruitment right is a strategic priority for any organisation serious about commercial growth.

Why Medtech Commercial Hiring Requires a Different Approach

Commercial roles in medtech sit at the intersection of clinical credibility and revenue performance. A territory manager selling complex surgical devices needs a different profile to a FMCG sales representative, and an experienced medtech sales leader knows the difference. The challenge for many organisations is that their internal hiring processes are built for generalist recruitment, not for a sector where product knowledge, clinical relationships and regulatory literacy are baseline requirements.

This is where specialist leadership recruitment in medtech becomes a genuine competitive advantage. Firms with deep sector experience maintain active relationships with high-performing commercial candidates who are not visible on job boards: these are the people who are open to the right conversation but not actively applying. Reaching those candidates requires trust, sector credibility and a track record that generalist firms simply cannot replicate.

The Commercial Profiles That Drive Medtech Growth

Not all commercial roles carry the same weight in a medtech organisation. The hires that most directly influence growth tend to cluster around a few key profiles.

National and state sales managers who can coach a team while maintaining strong territory relationships of their own.
Clinical specialists and clinical education managers who bridge the gap between product capability and clinical adoption.
Market access and reimbursement specialists who understand the funding pathways that determine whether a product reaches patients at scale.
Commercial directors and general managers who can translate clinical value into commercial strategy across a P&L.

Each of these profiles requires a recruiter who understands not just the job description, but the commercial environment the person will be operating in. The best medtech recruiters in Australia know how to assess these candidates properly, and they know which high performers are worth approaching before a role even goes to brief.

How a Specialist Recruiter Adds Value Beyond the Brief

When a medtech organisation engages a specialist search firm, the brief is just the starting point. A quality recruiter will challenge assumptions about the role requirements, flag where the specification may be limiting the candidate pool unnecessarily, and bring market intelligence about salary benchmarks, competitor activity and candidate expectations that internal HR teams rarely have access to.

That advisory layer is particularly valuable for medtech commercial leadership recruitment, where the stakes of getting it wrong are high and the lead time for finding the right person is longer than most hiring managers expect. PPD Search works with medtech and life sciences employers on this basis, bringing sector knowledge and honest counsel to every search rather than simply filling the brief as written.

Building a Recruitment Strategy, Not Just Filling Vacancies

The most effective medtech organisations approach commercial hiring as an ongoing strategy rather than a reactive response to vacancies. That means maintaining relationships with specialist search partners before a role becomes urgent, having a clear view of what strong commercial talent looks like in your specific therapeutic area, and building employer brand credibility in a market where word travels fast.

Our employer tips resource covers a range of practical considerations for organisations looking to strengthen their approach to senior commercial hiring, including how to structure a compelling offer for candidates who are weighing multiple options in a tight market.

The commercial talent market in medtech is competitive enough that passive candidates, those who are performing well in their current role and not actively looking, will only consider a move if the opportunity is positioned correctly and the recruiter approaching them has credibility in the sector. That credibility is not built overnight, and it is one of the core reasons why working with a specialist firm makes a measurable difference to hiring outcomes.

Why PPD Search for Medtech Commercial Recruitment

PPD Search works exclusively within pharmaceutical, medical device and life sciences markets in Australia. Our values reflect a commitment to building long-term relationships on both sides of the market, with employers who want access to the best commercial talent, and with candidates who want honest, well-informed career guidance.

Our approach to medtech recruitment is built on sector depth, not volume. We run fewer searches than a generalist firm, which means each engagement gets the attention it deserves. For employers looking to build or rebuild a commercial team, that difference in approach consistently translates into better candidate quality and stronger long-term retention.

Talk to Us About Your Commercial Hiring Needs

Whether you are replacing a single senior role or building out an entire commercial function, PPD Search can help you identify and secure the right people. Get in touch with our team to discuss your medtech commercial leadership recruitment requirements and what the current talent market looks like for the profiles you need.

Preparing for the Fair Work Legislation Amendment: What the 'Right to Disconnect' Means for Your Business

elizabeth.pettit@ppdsearch.com.au (Elizabeth Pettit) — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 23:31:06 GMT

The Australian landscape of work-life balance is set to shift significantly with the introduction of the Right to Disconnect . This amendment to the Fair Work Act (effective August 26, 2024, for non-small businesses and August 26, 2025, for small businesses) empowers employees to switch off and prioritise personal time outside of working hours.

Given the fast-paced and demanding nature of the Pharma & MedTech industries, these new laws might seem daunting to your business. To ease the transition and foster a healthy work-life balance while keeping up with the demands of everyday operations, we’ve compiled some helpful information and strategies your business can implement to prepare for and integrate the Right to Disconnect effectively.

Understanding the 'Right to Disconnect'

The 'Right to Disconnect' was introduced by the Federal government through the Closing Loopholes Bill No. 2. It grants employees the right to switch off and refuse to monitor and respond to work-related communications outside their working hours unless it is unreasonable for them to do so. This right extends to various forms of contact, including calls, texts, emails, and workplace messaging systems such as Teams, WhatsApp, and Slack.

Key Aspects of the Legislation

Effective Dates:

For businesses with 15 or more employees: August 26, 2024.
For small businesses (fewer than 15 employees): August 26, 2025.

Employee Rights:

Employees can ignore work-related communications during unpaid personal time.
Employers can contact employees after hours but cannot demand responses unless it is unreasonable for employees not to reply.

Existing Agreements:

Employees who already have a stronger right to disconnect in their relevant awards, enterprise agreements, or employment contracts will retain the existing right.

Dispute Resolution:

Disputes should first be raised and discussed in the workplace.
If unresolved, disputes can be escalated to the Fair Work Commission for potential Stop Contact Orders.
Failure to comply with stop orders may result in penalties.

Determining "Unreasonable" Refusal

The Fair Work Commission will assess whether an employee's refusal to respond outside of work hours is considered "unreasonable" by considering several factors:

Nature of Contact: Urgent issues impacting patient safety or critical business operations may fall under reasonable contact.

Method of Contact: Urgent situations might justify calls or texts, while everyday matters can likely wait until working hours.

Level of Disruption: The potential consequences of delayed response will be weighed.

Compensation: Employees compensated for on-call duties or overtime might have a higher threshold for "reasonable" after-hours contact.

Employee Role & Responsibilities: Senior executives or those with critical on-call roles may have different expectations.

Personal Circumstances: Family emergencies, health issues, or pre-existing commitments should be considered.

Preparing Your Business for Compliance

To ensure your business is ready for the Fair Work Legislation Amendment, consider the following steps:

Review and Update Policies

Examine your current communication policies and update them to reflect the new 'Right to Disconnect' rules. Ensure all employees are aware of their rights and the company's stance on after-hours communication.

Communication Training

Train managers and HR professionals on the nuances of the new legislation. Emphasise the importance of respecting employees' personal time and the conditions under which after-hours contact may be deemed reasonable.

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

Clearly define roles and responsibilities to determine when after-hours communication is necessary and reasonable. Establish guidelines for what constitutes an emergency or urgent situation that justifies after-hours contact.

Implement Technology Solutions

Use technology to manage communication boundaries effectively. Set up automatic email replies indicating non-availability during off-hours and use scheduling tools to delay non-urgent messages until regular working hours.

Monitor and Evaluate

Regularly monitor the effectiveness of the new policies and make adjustments as needed. Conduct surveys or feedback sessions with employees to gauge their experience and address any concerns.

Dispute Resolution Mechanism

Establish a clear internal dispute resolution mechanism to handle any issues related to after-hours communication. Ensure that employees know how to escalate unresolved disputes to the Fair Work Commission if necessary.

Implications for Recruitment and HR

For HR professionals and executives in the medtech and pharmaceutical industries, the 'Right to Disconnect' legislation presents both challenges and opportunities:

Attracting Talent

You’re able to demonstrate your company's commitment to work-life balance and compliance with the 'Right to Disconnect' to attract top talent. When advertising for roles, be sure to highlight flexible working conditions and respect for personal time.

Employee Retention

Through this legislation, you can better foster a supportive work environment that values employees' personal time. To actively demonstrate this support, recognise and reward employees who manage their work-life balance effectively.

Performance Management

When it comes to managing performance in line with these new changes, look to shift the focus from availability to productivity and outcomes and encourage employees to manage their time efficiently during working hours.

Wellbeing Initiatives

As part of a wider wellbeing program, integrate initiatives that support employees' mental health and work-life balance. For example, you could offer programs that help employees manage stress and prevent burnout.

The Right to Disconnect: A Positive Step Forward

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment's 'Right to Disconnect' is a pivotal change for businesses in Australia. As a leading recruitment agency specialising in the medtech and pharmaceutical industries, we’re urging our clients to proactively prepare for this legislation.

By updating policies, training staff, and fostering a supportive work environment, you can ensure compliance and enhance your company's reputation as an employer of choice. Embrace this change as an opportunity to promote a healthy work-life balance, ultimately leading to happier, more productive employees.

If you’d like support with navigating this changing workplace landscape and building a future-proof recruitment strategy, get in touch with the team at PPD Search today.

Understanding Psychosocial Hazard Management

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 03:41:49 GMT

In this webinar we will cover:

What are psychosocial hazards?
What is included in the new regulations and what does this mean for employers?
Where to start in your psychosocial hazards management journey.
Who should be involved in your organisations approach.
Types of control measures.
Case scenarios and examples.

This webinar is for leaders who need to understand how to manage psychosocial hazards at work according to Australian law and create a culture of safety and care for employees. In January 2024, 42% of Australian business leaders said talent acquisition and retention is their biggest issue. Current employees are crucial, but it's equally important to show you care about your people to attract future talent.

Unlocking Success: The Imperative of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hiring Practices

sahar@ppdsearch.com.au (Sahar Nawaz) — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 06:18:00 GMT

As part of the recruitment industry, I can't emphasise enough the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in hiring practices. It is crucial to build a fair and equitable workplace as this is a significant driver of innovation, creativity, and overall company success.

Embracing diversity involves acknowledging and appreciating the distinct perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds that each individual offers. This not only cultivates a more inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and appreciated but also encourages a broad range of ideas and problem-solving approaches.

Equity aims to guarantee fairness and impartiality in how all employees are treated, irrespective of their backgrounds or identities. It recognises that different employees may have unique needs and circumstances and therefore focuses on implementing policies and practices that promote equal opportunities for recruitment, hiring, promotion, and compensation.

Inclusion requires intentional efforts to cultivate a feeling of belonging and unity among all employees, regardless of their differences. It goes beyond mere representation, aiming to ensure that each individual feels welcomed, accepted, and valued for who they are.

Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter

Innovation and Creativity: Diversity of thought, background, and experience breeds innovation. When individuals from varied backgrounds collaborate, they bring fresh perspectives that can result in unique ideas and solutions.

Attracting and Retaining Talent: In today's competitive job market, top talent seeks out inclusive workplaces where they feel valued and respected. Employers who practise DEI have wide advantages in talent access, fill rates, and attraction. It not only attracts diverse talent but also encourages employee loyalty and retention.

Better Decision-Making: Diverse teams are better equipped to make informed decisions. By considering a variety of viewpoints, organisations can make more thorough and effective decisions.

Enhanced Customer Insights: Inclusive workplaces are better aligned to understand and serve diverse customer bases. Employees from different backgrounds can offer valuable insights into customer needs and preferences, leading to improved products and services.

Financial Performance: There have been far-reaching changes in the business environment over the past few years, yet companies with diverse leadership teams continue to be associated with higher financial returns .

So, how can companies ensure their hiring practices are truly inclusive? Here are some strategies:

Unbiased Job Descriptions: Ensure job descriptions are free from biased language and requirements that possibly discourage certain individuals from applying. Use language that focuses on the skills and qualifications necessary for success in the role.

Varied Sourcing Platforms: Expand your recruitment efforts to reach a more diverse pool of candidates. This might involve posting jobs on platforms specifically designed for underrepresented groups, collaborating with organisations advocating for workforce diversity, or launching focused outreach campaigns.

Structured Interview Processes: Implement structured interview processes that are designed to minimise bias and ensure a fair evaluation of candidates.

Diverse Interview Panels: Whenever possible, involve a group of interviewers from different backgrounds in the hiring process. This not only helps to eliminate bias but also sends a powerful message to candidates that your organisation values diversity at all levels.

Transparent and Inclusive Decision-Making: Ensure that your decision-making processes are transparent and incorporate input from all stakeholders. Keep candidates informed at every stage of the process and provide feedback regardless of the outcome. Encourage open dialogue and feedback from employees to continually improve your hiring practices.

Diversity Training and Education: Offer diversity training and education programs to employees at all levels of the organisation. This can help to raise awareness of unconscious biases, enhance cultural competence, and therefore create a more inclusive workplace culture overall.

Supportive Policies and Practices: Implement policies and practices that support diversity and inclusion, such as flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, and employee resource groups. Creating an environment where everyone feels supported and valued is key to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and will prevent attrition.

Diversity, equity and inclusion not only help employees to thrive but also lead to stronger, more resilient organisations that are better equipped to meet the challenges of today's global marketplace.

Time to take action!

At the heart of every successful organisation lies a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now is the time to take actionable steps towards creating a more inclusive workplace. By implementing unbiased hiring practices, fostering a culture of belonging, and supporting every employee's unique needs, we can drive innovation, attract top talent, and make better decisions for a brighter future.

The Importance of Effective Recruitment in the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industries

elizabeth.pettit@ppdsearch.com.au (Elizabeth Pettit) — Thu, 23 May 2024 06:33:41 GMT

Getting your hiring and retention strategy ‘right’ is something that most organisations would consider important but if we look at pharmaceutical and healthcare recruitment, there’s certainly some unique factors to consider in industries like ours. Whether it’s safeguarding public health and ensuring the wellbeing of millions across Australia, managing regulatory changes or rapid industry advancements – recruitment plays an even more pivotal role. But with complexity, comes challenges.

Why recruitment is important in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries?

We know effective recruitment can reduce costs in the long run, enhance your employer brand and most importantly, create a competitive advantage over others in the space. But in the pharma and healthcare industries in particular, your recruitment practices are influenced by so many additional factors.

It drives innovation

From ground-breaking medical devices to revolutionary treatments, innovation drives progress and improves the standard of care in the long-term. For employers in this space, it means identifying and attracting individuals with the creativity, expertise, and drive to push boundaries – creating a culture of innovation that ultimately, improves patient outcomes and enhances the lives of Australians.

Uncompromising standards

When it comes to pharmaceuticals and healthcare, there's zero room for error. Every role, from medical device sales to clinical staff, must be filled with individuals who can not only do the job well, but those who are 100% committed to meeting the safety and ethical standards the industries demand.

Patient-centric care

With every decision ultimately revolving around the wellbeing of patients, a deep-seated commitment to patient-centric care is non-negotiable within most roles in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. This means not only assessing candidates' technical competencies but also their empathy and ability to thrive in high-pressure environments where patient outcomes hang in the balance.

Evolving technological landscape

Advancements in technology are revolutionising pharmaceutical and healthcare practices, from precision medicine to telehealth. As we adapt to innovative new technologies in areas like AI, cybersecurity, and data science, the demand for professionals with tech skills has surged in recent years.

Common Recruitment Challenges

The complexity of our industries means there’s often a few more hurdles to face when hiring in pharma or healthcare. Some of these include:

Regulatory compliance - This one speaks for itself. With all the regulatory frameworks and regulations that organisations must abide by, there are a few more hoops to jump through, not to mention keeping up with the many regulatory changes that occur.
Specialised skill sets – when you think about the niche roles we work on, it’s no surprise that organisations are often met with talent shortages - creating significant challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining your best people .
External threats - when you think about our ageing population and the emergence of new health threats, we continue to grapple with so many issues that are putting more strain on our healthcare industry.
Competition for people – adding to the scarcity of talent is increased competition thanks to the growth of the pharma and healthcare industries, something that has become even more prominent post-COVID.

How Can PPD Search Help?

Despite all the challenges of recruitment, it’s not something you need to tackle alone. Partnering with a specialist pharmaceutical and healthcare recruitment agency can often be the key to navigating the complexities of our space, from sourcing top-tier talent, reducing long-term costs and enhancing your employer brand.

Working exclusively across the pharmaceutical, medical device, med tech and digital health industries, PPD Search has been supporting employers for almost two decades. To discuss how we can support your recruitment efforts, reach out to the PPD Search team .

The Art of Approaching Passive Candidates

elizabeth.pettit@ppdsearch.com.au (Elizabeth Pettit) — Thu, 23 May 2024 06:16:37 GMT

The success of the Digital Health, MedTech, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical industries hinges on attracting and retaining the best minds. Groundbreaking research, the development of life-saving treatments, and the creation of cutting-edge technologies, medicines & medical devices all depend on a skilled and passionate workforce.

Due to the highly specialised nature of these sectors, companies in Australia and New Zealand face unique challenges in finding top talent. Sourcing candidates for roles, including executive search, in this area requires a strategic and nuanced approach, and this is where effective talent acquisition strategies, like engaging passive candidates, come into play.

The Power of Passive Candidates

A significant proportion of the workforce in high-skill industries consists of passive candidates—those who are not actively seeking new job opportunities but are open to compelling offers. According to a LinkedIn Global Talent Trends report, passive candidates represent about 70% of the global workforce. Engaging these candidates effectively is crucial, as they often include the most qualified and experienced professionals in their fields.

These candidates tend to carefully consider their options before making a move, ensuring that the new role is a significant improvement over their current situation. This often results in better alignment with the new company’s culture and goals, leading to longer tenure and greater mutual satisfaction.

Why Focus on Passive Candidates?

The specialised nature of the Digital Health, MedTech, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical sectors means that the expertise required is often specific and advanced, and active job seekers may not always meet the unique skill sets required for cutting-edge projects and roles. Passive candidates, however, often possess the desired competencies and experience but may require more persuasion to consider a change.

Passive candidates are often those who have reached a level of comfort and competence in their current roles, which typically translates into high qualifications and valuable experience. They are usually well-integrated within their current organisations and are achieving their career objectives, which means they are not looking actively for change. This level of contentment and achievement makes them highly desirable prospects, as they bring proven skills and stability.

How to Recruit Passive Candidates: Effective Engagement Strategies

Approaching passive candidates requires a carefully nuanced strategy. Here are some of the key considerations and steps that we recommend:

Research & Personalisation

Understanding the candidate's current role and the industry they are in is essential. This information allows for a tailored approach that addresses the candidate’s potential professional desires and how your opportunity might align with their career trajectory.

Acknowledging their background and outlining clear opportunities for further growth or impact within your organisation to make your offer particularly compelling, is necessary.

Building Relationships

Successful engagement with passive candidates often depends on establishing trust and rapport over time. Regular communication that offers value and insight into the industry can position your organisation as an attractive potential employer.

Keep in touch through professional networks, regular updates about developments in the industry, and invitations to industry events to help build a rapport and keep your company top of mind.

Highlighting Opportunities for Impact

Candidates in healthcare are often driven by the desire to make a difference. Highlight how your role offers the potential to impact patient care, innovation, and the advancement of medical technology & drug development.

Emphasise the direct link between their work and its outcomes, such as improving patient diagnostics, developing ground-breaking therapies, or enhancing healthcare delivery systems. Demonstrate through examples or case studies how previous employees have made tangible impacts, reinforcing the meaningful nature of the work in your organisation.

Overcoming Internal Recruitment Challenges with External Expertise

If you have, or are part of, an internal recruitment and HR team, the pressure to deliver within these high-stakes industries can be overwhelming. Limited resources, the high cost of hiring mistakes, and the rapid pace of technological advancements add layers of complexity to the recruitment process.

This is where specialised healthcare recruitment agencies add value:

Expertise & Networks

Executive Search & recruitment firms specialising in the Digital Health, MedTech, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical sectors offer a distinct advantage due to their extensive expertise and vast networks within these highly specialised fields.

They have a thorough understanding of the market's intricacies and trends, enabling them to be aware of the evolving demands of the industry, such as emerging skill sets, regulatory changes, and technological advancements that could influence hiring needs.

Extended Reach

Recruitment professionals have tools and techniques at their disposal to discreetly reach out to passive candidates who may not be accessible through conventional channels or job boards.

They may already have or can establish meaningful connections with these passive candidates, adopting a personalised approach that not only expands the candidate pool but also ensures a higher likelihood of engaging top-tier talent who are genuinely interested in exploring career advancements within your organisation.

Strategic Partnership

Working with a specialist healthcare recruitment agency can give you access to strategic advice on crafting appealing employer value propositions and navigating the complexities of the employment market in these industries.

Talent advisors in healthcare recruitment agencies know exactly what top candidates in the industry value most in potential employers, from innovative project involvement to benefits and work-life balance. They also offer insights into competitive salary benchmarks and other compensation strategies that can make your offer more attractive within the labour market.

Let the Numbers Do the Talking with PPD Search

Since 2006, PPD Search has placed over 4,000 people in permanent and contract positions in Digital Health, MedTech, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical companies across Australia and New Zealand. Scoring 97% in our client satisfaction survey, we are confident that we can help you find and place the best candidates for whatever positions you need filled across all job families and our search offering deploys a technology platform based on scientific, evidence-based, objective assessment.

As one of the top Digital Health, MedTech, Healthcare, and Pharmaceutical search and recruitment agencies in Australia, we leverage years of expertise to redefine the landscape of talent acquisition & retention strategies. Our commitment goes beyond traditional methodologies, as we embrace cutting-edge approaches and a technology platform designed to propel our clients toward hiring talent to meet strategic imperatives for critical revenue growth.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you source the best passive candidates in Australia and New Zealand, get in touch with us today.

The Key to Retaining Top Talent

elizabeth.pettit@ppdsearch.com.au (Elizabeth Pettit) — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 06:09:53 GMT

When it comes to retaining your best people, often the difference between low and high turnover comes down to employee engagement. This is something that’s influenced by almost every part of a person’s experience in your workplace, whether it’s the way they are rewarded (both extrinsically and intrinsically), communication, meaningful work or even the daily commute. While it’s impossible to avoid attrition altogether, engaged employees are more productive, more loyal and more likely to stay with you in the long run.

Why retention matters?

Hiring the wrong person is costly – not just from a financial perspective, but the impact on your culture and brand can be significant:

Recruitment and training costs – lost time and investment throughout the recruitment and onboarding stages, as well as having to do it all over again to recruit a replacement.
Loss of productivity and morale – are colleagues having to pick up the slack? Bad hires can often create a domino effect, increasing staff turnover as a result.
Brand reputation – if the role is outward-facing, the impact can go beyond the walls of your business, damaging relationships with external stakeholders too.

In most cases, you’ll find the true cost being roughly 3.5x their annual salary. To find out the true cost of your bad hires, use our calculator here.

Creating a culture of engagement

Creating a loyal, engaged workforce means taking proactive steps at every stage of the employee lifecycle… don’t leave it to the exit interview to find out what people really think! It’s worth remembering that employee engagement is a continuous process that can be improved and iterated over time.

Open communication

Transparency. While there’s always certain things that are on a need-to-know basis, promoting open communication throughout your business is critical to employee engagement. Think about how day-to-day announcements and news is shared in your organisation. You’ll probably find that once is never enough for messages to sink in. From people being on leave, or messages going in one ear and out the other – overcommunication is key (e.g. using internal communication tools such as Slack/Teams to reiterate key messages) This becomes even more important during times of change – where anxiety and reluctance to change can easily create barriers for leadership teams.

Feedback loops are also important here. From onboarding to exit, collecting feedback at every stage of the employee lifecycle will help inform you on those areas that are working perfectly, and any aspects of employee experience that need attention. But asking for feedback is only half the battle. Without action, it’s meaningless, so keeping your people engaged in the long-term means ensuring any feedback is analysed and acted upon (within reason). It’s important to note that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While some will prefer to use 1-1s with managers, others may prefer to vent anonymously through the likes of employee engagement surveys. Don’t forget to check review sites (such as Glassdoor).

Growth opportunities

Growth goes beyond simply moving up the ladder. From the development of new skills to career changes and mentorships, every one of us is on a different journey, each with different wants and needs. For organisations, that means working with your people at an individual level – what do they want to achieve in the next one, two or five years? What’s needed for them to excel in their current or future roles? Is there a case for external training? Asking yourself these questions, and then putting a plan in place is the perfect recipe for helping your people to engage (and excel) in their jobs.

Recognising employee achievements

As humans, a sense of recognition for what we do in our day-to-day roles is only natural. But we’re all motivated in different ways. While some may be motivated by monetary rewards, for most, it’s rarely just about money. Our people want to feel valued and heard – not just from colleagues but leadership too. It all comes down to feedback loops we discussed earlier. What channels could you use internally? From setting up a ‘shoutouts’ channel within your internal communications platform to establishing more structured recognition initiatives, it’s all about highlighting those people who are regularly going above and beyond.

The bottom line

From boosting morale and lower recruitment/training costs, to more internal promotions and stronger customer relationships, the impact of retention goes far beyond just who stays and who goes. To discuss your employee retention strategy or other recruitment advice, have a chat to the PPD Search team – recruitment leaders across the med tech, med device, pharmaceutical and digital health care industries.

Fair Work Australia- New Legislation from 6/12/23 regarding Fixed-Term Contractors.

elizabeth.pettit@ppdsearch.com.au (Elizabeth Pettit) — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 12:38:46 GMT

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PPD Search Webinar – Future Proofing Your Leadership Skills

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:47:00 GMT

Future Proofing Your Leadership Skills

In this webinar we covered ;

Guess who’s about to be poached?

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 01:09:00 GMT

With redundancies sweeping through four pharma companies so far this year – mostly affecting commercial teams – device companies desperate for sales reps are ready to snatch top pharma talent.

PPD Search Managing Director Elizabeth Pettit, who has specialised in the Australian pharma and medical device recruitment space for 17 years, said although commercial roles are diminishing they are still an integral part of the industry.

“Certainly, I think there are less sales roles in pharma than ever before, however, for sales reps who can demonstrate their worth and achievements, there are opportunities,” she told Pharma in Focus .

“If pharma reps want to transition to medical device sales, this is the time, as many device companies are desperate for people in sales.

“Research is key here – knowing why they want to transition and what they can offer over a long-term device rep.

“Maybe it’s a fresh approach, pharma companies usually train their people very well, they are disciplined in their sales tactics and execution, if they can articulate all of this and be confident about what they can deliver, this is the chance to move across to medical devices.

“However, they need to make sure they know why they want to be in medical devices and have a strong proposition as to why they should be hired by a device company and how they will address any gaps going from pharma to devices.”

In March, Biogen shed staff as part of a global restructure. Novartis is currently doing the same on instruction from global head office, while Pfizer and AstraZeneca have both recently shown sales staff the door.

Pettit said she doesn’t believe the sales rep is dying but they need to upskill and demonstrate their ability to pivot to the new way of selling, particularly in the area of digital engagement.

“Companies are changing the way they promote, market and sell medicines to doctors,” she said.

“I speak to many leaders in the industry and they tell me that they now look for sales reps with strong technical skills to ensure they are comfortable talking to doctors virtually, being able to get their message across on video to continue to influence prescribing habits.”

People Retention Webinar- Do you have an effective strategy in place for retaining your organisation’s top talent?

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 05:24:00 GMT

The “Great Resignation” morphs into “The Great Retention”

As “The Great Resignation” morphs into “The Great Retention” across all industries, including in the Life Sciences sector, attracting candidates in this immensely competitive market is becoming more and more challenging.

Watch this webinar for some valuable insights on how you can improve your employee retention, and why this is so important in today’s job market.

Contact us for more information on your retention strategy and how we can help.

Looking for your next job in Medical Devices or pharmaceuticals?

Search medical device jobs or submit your resume today to connect with one of our specialist recruitment consultants.

Looking to fill a medical device or pharmaceutical role? Submit your vacancy here.

Medical Device Webinar | PPD Search

Thu, 19 May 2022 04:08:00 GMT

Medical Devices

Some of the topics we covered in this webinar, were around;

-How should sales reps approach their customers in the new norm in the hospital environment?

-Given that most hospitals will be aiming to minimize the traffic going in and out, what can you do to meet hospital expectations and comply with their requirements?

-The level of activity expected for elective surgery, in and around the theatre environment, and the differences between each state, NSW, VIC, QLD, etc.., providing case support/education in theatre, taking into account social distancing

-What can companies like Civica offer in terms of digital platforms to enhance medical device companies’ service delivery to hospitals

-What can medtech/device companies be doing to provide the same level of service they were pre-COVID, now in the new norm, what hospitals will expect in relation to digital platforms?

Our Panelists:

-Lynne Simpson, Group Procurement Manager, Australia – Ramsay Healthcare

-Lloyd Adams, CEO – Hurstville Private Hospital/Healthecare

-Martin Baker, VP & Managing Director ANZ – Boston Scientific

-Jaylea Strauch, President – Getinge

-Margot Morton, ANZ Sales Manager – Civica, (Civica Health is the global leader in healthcare software providing innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the health industry in improving patient care)

Looking for your next job in Medical Devices?

Search medical device jobs or submit your resume today to connect with one of our specialist recruitment consultants. Looking to fill a medical device role? Submit your vacancy here

The Employee Lifecycle

Thu, 19 May 2022 03:56:00 GMT

The Employee Lifecycle

In this webinar, we discussed the Employee Life Cycle and the factors that influence decision making and behaviours of candidates, new employees, existing employees, and departing employees. We discussed the concept of a “Culture of Excellence”, Talent Attraction, Attachment, Connection, Detachment, and Post Employment and how primary carer behaviour is inescapably the most significant influencer on the emotional bonds formed and sustained by your people.

Anthony Sork, is a recognised thought leader in employee emotional bonds and their impact on behaviour and performance. Anthony has changed the way organisations understand and impact “engagement” across their workforce. He has worked with organisations across all industries, many in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, supporting them to better understand, measure, and manage the emotional bonds of their people across the employee life-cycle.

Contact us for more information on how to understand, measure and manage your employees’ engagement within your business.

Looking for your next job in Medical Devices or pharmaceuticals?

Search medical device jobs or submit your resume today to connect with one of our specialist recruitment consultants.

Looking to fill a medical device or pharmaceutical role? Submit your vacancy here.

Maintaining Culture, Engagement and Mental Health | PPD Search

Thu, 19 May 2022 03:43:00 GMT

Maintaining Culture, Engagement, Collaboration and Mental Health

In this webinar, we are joined by a senior HR professional, outside of industry, to get a different perspective. I think we all thought we would be back to normal within a few months, however, with things changing daily and with the view that we might be stuck in these conditions for the longer-term, this HR thought leader will share with us valuable insights that will be around the following;

• Maintaining employee engagement remotely, for the longer term.

• Maintaining a positive culture remotely, for the longer term.

• Maintaining collaboration even with most of us working from home, for the longer term.

• Implementing changes now for the long term, to benefit employees and the organisation.

• What can we do about employees struggling to cope and their mental health?

• What strategies can help us recruit and on-board new people effectively?

We will hear from Monica Watt, Chief Human Resources Officer for ELMO Software, an HR, Payroll and Rostering, Time & Attendance Software Solutions Provider. Monica has over 10 years’ experience in compliance and HR roles and is responsible for optimising business performance through innovation and people engagement and elevating team performance through innovative leadership.

Monica has a broad range of experience in leading organisational transformations, driving large scale growth, talent acquisition, leadership development and succession planning. Monica will share with us her experience within the ELMO family and what she is hearing through her extensive network, including interesting data around the points mentioned above.

Contact us for more information on how to find, hire and retain good talent.

Looking for your next job in Medical Devices or pharmaceuticals?

Search medical device jobs or submit your resume today to connect with one of our specialist recruitment consultants.

Looking to fill a medical device or pharmaceutical role? Submit your vacancy here.

Future of Clinician Education

Thu, 19 May 2022 03:06:00 GMT

Future of Clinician Education

Recently, we’ve noticed there seems to be an appetite for some creative ideas on how to keep up with customer education and what is key to establishing a consistent learning platform when travel and access are limited compared to what they used to be. Over the past year, clinician education has adapted from primarily a face-to-face experience into a remote or hybrid learning experience. Technology has made it possible for pharmaceutical and medical device companies to stay connected from anywhere while opening up new possibilities for delivering impactful education and training in support of the safe and effective use of products and solutions.

In this webinar, we discussed the future of clinician education with our panelists who shared how their organizations are doing right now and what education strategies and ideas their people are using to engage with their customers.

Contact us for more information on your retention strategy and how we can help.

Looking to fill a medical device or pharmaceutical role?

Submit your vacancy here

Are your people strategies working in the new world of work?

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Are your people strategies working in the new world of work?

Many of you, in pharma & devices, shared your thoughts around what you would like to see on future webinars, so we have been structuring future webinars around what people have primarily been requesting. Our most recent webinar was held on 30 ^th September 2020, where we discussed the latest trends in talent acquisition, primarily around Candidate Attraction, Connection & Retention, we covered the following;

We heard from;

Contact us for more information on how to understand, measure and manage your employees’ engagement within your business.

Looking to fill a medical device or pharmaceutical role? Submit your vacancy here.

Contract vs permanent hiring in pharma and medtech: when each makes sense

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Hire permanent when the capability is core and continuous: territory ownership, therapeutic-area leadership, the medical and regulatory backbone of the business. Hire contract when the need has a shape: a project with an end date, parental leave and secondment cover, launch surges, a headcount freeze that the work itself refuses to respect, or a specialised skill needed now and not forever. The companies that use contracting well in this industry treat it as a design decision rather than a compromise, and the ones that use it badly treat it as permanent hiring with a shorter form.

We run both sides of this daily, permanent search through PPD Search and contract and temporary through PPD People , so this is the decision framework as it plays out in real hiring, not in theory.

Where contracting earns its keep

Project-shaped work. Clinical studies, submissions, system implementations, launch readiness: work with a defined end is the natural home of contract hiring, and pretending it is permanent creates the awkward year-three conversation everyone saw coming.

Cover with credibility. Parental leave and long-service cover in specialised functions cannot be absorbed by “the team will manage.” A contractor who has done the exact role elsewhere lands running and hands back cleanly.

Speed and flexibility. Contract processes move in days rather than months, which matters mid-launch or mid-audit. And when priorities shift, and in this industry they shift, a contract workforce flexes without the pain permanent restructures carry.

Specialised bursts. Pharmacovigilance surges, regulatory dossier pushes, market access sprints around reimbursement windows: senior expertise for the exact period it is needed, at a rate that reflects it.

Try-before-commitment, honestly framed. Contract-to-permanent works when the possibility is real and stated. Dangling conversion that never comes burns candidates and, in this market, your reputation with them travels.

Where permanent remains the answer

Relationship capital is the industry's compounding asset: the surgeon relationships in a device territory, the KOL network an MSL builds, the institutional memory in quality and regulatory. Roles whose value accrues over years belong in permanent headcount, and stringing them across rolling contracts leaks exactly the asset you hired for. Permanent also carries the development pipeline; a business staffed entirely for flexibility develops nobody, and feels like it.

The rules that shape the choice

Fixed-term contracts in Australia now operate under the limits introduced by the Fair Work changes of December 2023, which cap consecutive fixed-term arrangements in most circumstances and carry notification requirements, with defined exceptions. The practical effect for hiring design: genuine project and cover roles remain straightforward, while using rolling fixed-term contracts as indefinite employment is exactly what the rules exist to prevent. We covered the detail when the changes landed in our post on the fixed-term contractor legislation , and the clean alternative for ongoing flexible arrangements is engagement through a contracting workforce model rather than stacked fixed terms. Every arrangement has its own particulars, so structure significant ones with proper advice.

The blended answer most teams land on

In practice, the mature structure is a permanent core carrying the relationships and the institutional memory, with a contract layer sized to the project calendar, and the ratio reviewed as honestly as any other budget, line each planning cycle.

Making contract hiring actually work

Four habits separate the companies contractors want to work for from the companies they warn each other about. Brief properly: a contractor cannot absorb context for a month about the way a permanent hire can, so the first-week handover is the whole game. Onboard for day three, not month three: systems access, credentials and a named contact ready before they start. Pay market rates without flinching, because the rate buys the absence of every on-cost and the presence of immediate capability. And close loops: finish dates honoured, extensions raised early, references given. The contractors worth having are booked by the companies that behave this way, which is precisely the network PPD People maintains, alongside the permanent work covered on our employers page .

Frequently asked questions

When should a company hire contractors instead of permanent staff?

When the work has a shape: projects with end dates, leave cover, launch surges, specialised bursts and frozen-headcount realities. Permanent belongs where value compounds over years.

What are the benefits of contract staff in pharma?

Speed to start, immediate specialised capability, workforce flexibility through changing priorities, and clean endings when the project ends.

What are the fixed-term contract rules in Australia?

Since December 2023, consecutive fixed-term arrangements are capped in most circumstances with defined exceptions and notification requirements; genuine project and cover roles remain straightforward, and specific situations deserve proper advice.

What does a contractor cost compared with a permanent hire?

A higher headline rate, which covers the on-costs you do not pay and the day-one capability you get. Compare total cost against the project, not the rate against a salary.

Designing a team that flexes without fraying? Submit a vacancy and tell us the shape of the work; the shape is what decides the answer.

How is Social Media helping the recruitment industry?

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

There is no denying that social media can be used for anything these days. For businesses, job seekers or recruiters, social media has been an insightful tool and it has undoubtedly changed and helped the recruitment industry in many ways.

Every business needs to establish their employer branding. A few months ago I attended a presentation by Mark Puncher, CEO of Employer Branding Australia , who talked about what employer branding is all about. He pointed out the obvious that being honest about a company’s employee value proposition is what will make a difference and how they leverage their social media presence to drive thought leadership and convey their business’ purpose is a good way to showcase their culture. If a business has a positive social media exposure, candidates who look them up can have a better idea of what kind of company culture they have. According to a whitepaper published Robert Walters, almost 70% of job seekers use social media to capture a glimpse of an organisation’s culture. They look for more information about the organisation either on the website or on their company social media page as these may offer more staff information, photos, events, etc.

Everyone can find detailed information about a candidate, a hiring manager or a CEO who will be doing your interview. For candidates, social media can help them prepare for that interview with a hiring manager. They can check for mutual professional connections, gain insight on how the interviewer communicates through their social posts, their physical appearance so they recognise the interviewer as soon as they see them and be able to give a strong first impression. All this information helps them better prepare for an interview. For recruiters, a candidate’s LinkedIn profile would have career history and educational background. This information backs up their resume details and organisations they might mention they are affiliated with. It provides authenticity to the details they have included in their resume as well as their cover letter.

Anyone who is about to meet someone for the first time can now go on social media and do a little bit of research about the type of person they are. When candidates find information about the company they want to work for or when recruiters find talent for roles they need to fill, often times, they look on social media and see if their interests match. Also, the majority of the workforce now come from Millennials and Millennials are very social. Attracting a generation of talent on social media makes so much sense than it will ever be. There is a lot of transparency on social media accounts and this gives everyone an insight into a company’s or a candidate’s hobbies allowing each person to evaluate if they have a mutual cultural fit.

How to avoid these common mistakes before applying to job ads posted by recruitment agencies

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

May Villaruel | 1st October 2019

After enough contemplation as to whether or not you should quit your job or if you’re currently not employed and you thought it’s time to go back to a corporate environment, you finally come to a conclusion and tell yourself, “Yes, let’s see what opportunities are out there and start applying for jobs!”

For whatever reason, quitting your job or looking for your dream role after your current arrangement will always be challenging. Majority of the time, you will look for a job and accept an offer before actually handing over your well-written resignation letter to your boss (for those of you who are employed) unless you are leaving to take some time off to do soul searching or just because you want to travel the world.

Now, before you hit that APPLY button on that job ad you just read, we’ve come up with a list of common mistakes that you may not realise you’re making before actually applying and sending your CV. This would save you and the recruitment agency consultant a lot of time and effort before stepping up the recruitment process ladder.

When you have made a decision to look at opportunities out there, the first thing you should pay attention to is your CV. Apart from updating your current work experience, make sure your email, phone number and address is updated. There is nothing worse than missing a call from a recruitment agency trying to calling you on a phone number that no longer exists. Check for spelling and grammar mistakes in your CV as well. If you need advice on how to update your CV, read this, THE RESUME THAT WILL LAND YOU THAT DREAM JOB

If you are a just a few weeks away from a vacation that you’ve already booked, apply after the vacation. If you hit APPLY now and go on leave and then you get an email invite for an interview but you are overseas, you might miss out on the opportunity. While you’re sipping one cocktail at a time on a remote island, the recruitment agency would have interviewed other candidates and would have endorsed them for a client interview who might potentially land that job.

A lot of the times, you’ll find very long job descriptions, benefits, qualifications and directions in a job ad posted by recruitment agencies. They include all these details in a job ad based on the job description provided by the company they are representing. All this detail is very important so you can evaluate your skills and knowledge against the job requirements. If the company is looking for someone very specific and you missed that bit where it said “3-year experience using XYZ CRM is a must” and you had applied, you will be wasting your time. It helps if you make notes against each job requirement and identify areas you’re knowledgeable and skilled at. Make a self-assessment of your skills against what the role requires and then make the decision to apply. Some of the ads would also include requirements such as having working rights to work in Australia, must be a resident of a specific state or permanent residents only.

A generic cover letter that talks about your work experience may sound efficient as you can send this to any job you apply for but it doesn’t really address the key qualifications of every role. Tailor-fitting your cover letter is beneficial as it serves as a checklist for yourself and the recruitment agency that you tick all their boxes. Remember, if you are applying from any job board, your CV and cover letter lands on someone’s inbox along with hundreds of other applications. A cover letter that stands out will separate you from the rest.

Some people apply to all job ads posted by a recruitment agency without realising or checking that they may not be fit for every single role and when the recruitment consultant calls about one of their application, they don’t remember the job ad the recruitment consultant is calling about as they just clicked apply to every role posted. This item ties in a bit with number 3. Applying for another role that you think is suitable for you that was posted by the same recruitment agency is normal but applying to all jobs like joining the lottery is not right.

Sometimes people want to know what opportunities are out there but they are not 100% sure of what role they really want. When faced with a question from the recruitment consultant, e.g., “What made you interested in this role?” or “What is it about the role that you like?” and they say they’re not sure, it completely contradicts the whole point of applying. It would be better if you are 100% positive that this is the role you want and 100% decided that this is the next career move you’d like to take. Here’s a piece of career advise article that might help you.

Some recruitment agency clients prefer anonymity. You would only know the name of the company they are representing usually during the initial phone screening. As soon as you find out who it is, please be honest if you have applied directly or do not apply directly after finding out who they are. If you do, the recruitment agency will not be able to represent you as a candidate as this affects the client’s and recruitment agency’s agreement. Businesses seek assistance from recruitment agencies because they are experts in finding the right talent for the roles they want to fill; they have the right network and database and they give you free advice on how to be prepared for that potential client interview.

How will your organisation stand out amongst your competitors?

Mon, 23 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

By Elizabeth Pettit | August 2019

In the last 12 months, my colleague, Rachel Tonkin and I attended the annual RCSA Recruitment Conference, along with approx. 300 of our recruitment industry colleagues, primarily senior consultants, leaders and owners of recruitment organisations, both big and small. We heard from industry experts from around the world and locally, who talked about social, economic and political trends in relation to the future of the workforce and attracting talent, along with some well-known celebrities, (for want of a better term), who shared their amazing stories of strength and courage against adversity and how we could apply this to our businesses. We heard from Layne Beachley (one of the most amazing speakers we have ever seen), Magda Szubanski, Andrew Banks, Barry Asin, a leading authority on workforce solutions worldwide, Greg Savage, a recruitment industry veteran with over 35 years’ experience, who regularly speaks at staffing conferences around the world, and many more incredible thought leaders in this area. The key message at the conference was loud and clear, the workforce is changing dramatically, the future looks very different and companies need to be ready for the challenges that lay ahead. I wanted to share the key take-aways and some other tips in this blog;

This was no surprise to us, we see this every day and endeavour to educate our clients on why they have to move fast, they have to have a strong EVP (Employee Value Proposition), they have to treat candidates with respect, they have to give timely feedback, they have to make quick hiring decisions, you can’t wait for “someone better to come along”, if you have a good candidate hire them, it seems client expectations are on the rise and no one is often good enough. We see companies taking 6 months to fill jobs because “maybe there is someone better out there”. What is the opportunity cost of leaving open vacant positions? One of the first things candidates ask us, after “what’s the salary?”, is how long has the position been vacant? Think about a house being on the market for too long, we ask “what’s wrong with it?”, it’s exactly the same with jobs being vacant for too long, no matter which way you frame it, the candidate is suspicious.

We constantly get asked “do you have anyone on your database/books for this job?”. These days are long gone. We don’t have pools of immediately available talent anymore. We interview for the roles we are currently working on, as interviewing random candidates in case a role comes up is a waste of time, as if they are good and placeable, they will land a job within weeks, or they will already be in the interview process with numerous organisations and by the time we may have something for them, they have landed another role. Candidates don’t hang around on agency databases, they are savvy, informed, active, they know what they want and they know how to get it, they know they have the upper hand when it comes to landing a job, they know they are in demand. We recently spoke to a potential candidate who we approached on LinkedIn, he said “you are the 6 ^th agency to contact me this week about 6 different jobs”.

We recently heard a story of an agency who refuses to send CV’s to their clients, they refer candidates to their clients, make recommendations as to why the company should interview them and act as a true recruitment partner, they “consult” with their clients to get the best outcome. One of their clients has placed a few people through them who have been very successful hires. The company said if they had seen their resumes’ they would never have agreed to interview them, so are very grateful that they listened to their recruitment agencies advice. We too work this way and hope that maybe one day we too won’t have to send resumes so companies can shortlist our already qualified and interviewed shortlist. Does this pose the question, how relevant is a CV in the future?

Pay people what they are worth. Don’t offer less on the base salary than what they are currently on. Living in Australia is expensive, borrowing for a mortgage, for example, isn’t based on what they might earn in bonus/commission, it’s based on their guaranteed income. It makes candidates feel under-valued, not a great way to start a relationship with your new employee. If you don’t offer them what they are worth there will be numerous companies that will.

Finally, don’t multi-list jobs with numerous agencies, it sends candidates the wrong message. We see companies with their own ads online, an internal resource headhunting people on LinkedIn and then 3 agencies working on the job, the candidate is confused, they ask “why would they need to do that?”, how important do you think the candidate thinks the job is with numerous people working on it, exclusivity intimates uniqueness, something special, something not available to everyone, isn’t that how you would want to see your positions and company viewed? Uniqueness has value in it. We are all fishing in the same talent pool and it’s small, candidates, especially good ones are in jobs already, we have full employment in Australia, skilled people are employed, so think about your recruitment strategy and what message it sends to the market. Agencies DO NOT prioritise non-exclusive jobs, like all sales organisations, they focus on where they will get a return on their investment in time, effort and money. Multi-listing job orders with numerous agencies is a resume race, it is which agency can get you the candidates resume the fastest, engendering a very poor quality process. Candidate ownership is always an issue for companies and agencies, we see it every day, so clearly that demonstrates how small the market is for talent. Work with one agency for, we would suggest, 4 weeks, give them time to perform a quality process and have them focus on the outcome of finding you the best people, not “oh these people will do as we have no time to conduct a proper search or interview anyone properly as the other 2-3 agencies might get their resume to the company before us”. Aren’t people your best asset, aren’t they going to give you a competitive advantage? So implementing a strategy based on speed not quality outcomes makes zero sense. Multi-listing jobs does not get you more candidates and if it does, I guarantee the quality is poor or the selection criteria hasn’t been addressed.

I hope you gleaned some insights on all this information, I know this is a long blog so I am hoping you managed to read it all. As you can probably tell, I am passionate about the topic of candidate attraction, engagement and retention and working as a true recruitment partner not just another flicker of resumes. The time of disruption is here, everything in the world of work is changing. It’s certainly overwhelming so I believe thinking about addressing talent acquisition strategies should start now. If you would like to speak to me about this or working with us as a candidate or client get in touch, https://www.linkedin.com/in/pettitelizabeth/

Have you embraced Flexible Working hours?

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 14:00:00 GMT

Flexible Working hours for employees flexible schedule

Why Your Feedback is Important to Us

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Declining a job offer – gracefully.

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

I still remember the first job offer I accepted when I was 18. I just said yes without having any second thoughts, started working immediately a few days later and about 2-3 months down the track, it turns out the company is operating in the country illegally and the owner had fled the country which led to a strike against the other business owners who were still there. If I knew what I know now, I would have turned that offer down, applied to other job opportunities and waited for the right offer or, in that situation, the right company.

Saying no to a job offer after multiple interviews is like turning down an exclusive relationship after multiple dates. It is never easy. It is important to be prepared and think about how to approach the task with care as you don’t want to burn bridges. You will never know when you might meet the same hiring manager in the future, right?

Now that I work with a healthcare recruitment agency in Sydney, I gathered some information on how to say no to a job offer. If done professionally, hiring managers will understand. Good communication is key. Here are a few things to keep in mind when declining a job offer.

If the offer is better than your current job but something doesn’t feel right, think about the pros and cons. Write it down if you must and make sure that you are making the right decision. Weigh up your options carefully because once you say no, you can’t change your mind. Also, writing everything down will help you with your explanation as to why you are saying ‘no’ before letting the company know.

A lot of time and effort is spent on making a job offer for the right candidate. Showing your appreciation means a lot to hiring managers and it doesn’t only show them you’re being grateful but at the same time, professional. Recruitment agencies and hiring managers know a lot of people – you want to leave hiring managers with a good impression of you by being appreciative and professional when you decline an offer.

It could be because you are applying for another role with another company and you prefer their offer or if it is because it’s not the salary package you expected, be open to discussing this with the hiring manager. Be honest, concise and tactful about why you’re saying no and maybe say something along the lines of “I hope we can keep in touch if another opportunity arises in the future”.

Mention your thoughts about the role – the positive aspects. This is a good chance to communicate positive feedback for the hiring manager and should help them in the future. Sincerity goes a long way and again, you want to leave a positive impression.

You’ll never know when you will come across the same hiring manager/company in the future and you’ll never know who they know. If you applied for a role at pharmaceutical recruitment agencies or dedical recruitment agencies in Sydney, it’s a small world and word gets around. Always express your gratitude towards everyone who were part of your interview process when you get the chance and offer to refer other candidates you may be aware of who might be suitable for the role.

As you develop your career, you will be able to pick up issues or red flags throughout the interview process even before reaching the offer stage. Making the right career decision is crucial. Take the time to reflect on the career path you want to take, refine your search and make sure to weigh up your options.

Questions to ask at Interview

Sat, 30 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

BY RACHEL TONKIN

Something I think we have all been guilty of in the past is forgetting that interviewing candidates for a job vacancy is a two-way street; not only are the individuals in the company assessing the candidate, but also the candidate is assessing whether the company, culture, position, manager, and so on, is going to be the right fit for them. This is just one of the reasons that it is so important for you as a candidate to ask insightful questions in the process.

Not only do questions help the candidate assess whether the fit is right, but it also shows the hiring manager that you are very thoughtful, can present in a professional manner, are committed and have done thorough research. All of which are very positive traits to have and will have you on the way to getting that offer.

My advice is to think of about 10 questions that you would like answered when you go for an interview, some of these questions might be answered through the conversation, so make sure that you are listening throughout as it isn’t a good look if you ask a question which has already been discussed earlier in the interview. My second pice of advice is to try and create an open conversation in the interview and ask these questions naturally throughout the meeting at appropriate times; sometimes this isn’t possible, in that case there is nothing wrong with bringing a list with you to go through at the end, in fact this shows you have done your research and are highly engaged and interested in the position!

Some of the best questions to ask come from research you have done, for example:

Questions NOT to ask at interview:

Hopefully these tips will help you to land your next role by further verifying if the role is right for you, whilst coming across as insightful and professional.

Interview preparation tips to ensure the right move

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

BY RACHEL TONKIN

The number one reason we hear from our candidates who want to leave a role within the first 12 months of a new job is that:

“ the company/role does not align with what I was sold at interview”.

Now this is obviously a huge problem, not only for the candidate who is in a role they aren’t happy with and is now having to look for another job in such a short time, but of course also the employer who probably won’t see a return on investment in the employee until around the 18 month mark*. This is why it is not only important for the employer to ask a lot of questions to the candidate in the interview process, but also vice versa.

The traditional interview process is designed not only for the employer to assess the potential candidate, but also for the candidate to assess whether this would be the right move for them. We encourage all of our candidates to do as much research as they can on the company before an interview, and this goes past just having a browse on their website.

Here are some tips of actions you can take when researching your next career choice:

These are just a few ways in which you can research into the company you are interviewing for, and from here you will be able to formulate many questions to ask the potential employer in order to qualify if this is the right position for you. Not only this, but it also shows the employer that you have thoroughly researched, know your stuff, and have done your due diligence; these can all only be positive things!

Through this research, this will ensure a much more thorough and honest conversation at interview for both the prospective employee and the hiring team, therefore allowing the exchange of more genuine information about the position and hopefully reducing the risk of the company/role does not align with what I was sold at interview.

*Data suggests that the average time for a new employee to be making a positive contribution to the business is 18 months, taking into consideration the loss of revenue during the hiring and training process; time manager spent interviewing, the role being vacant; the training time etc.

Humility vs Arrogance – assessing in the hiring process

Sat, 23 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

BY RACHEL TONKIN

Recently I interviewed a rookie candidate, just graduated, with no industry experience. He told me that he would be awesome at the job, would be the best, he would be great at anything he put his hand to. I have to say, his confidence was impressive and he certainly said all the right things of how he would achieve this, but what he lacked was humility .

Not only in sales, but across the board, I think humility is highly linked to emotional intelligence and this is something which is incredibly hard to teach (often it is innate). Often a lack of humility can also lead to arrogance which is a trait which most people don’t warm to very well (I am sure you will agree). When hiring your team I think it is important to assess these traits, not only for team or culture fit but also in relation to your customers and what personalities they like to deal with.

So how do we assess this at interview? I have collated some questions which I think will allow you to tease out humility vs arrogance to help you build the best team you can!

Hopefully these questions are helpful in your next hiring process and help you to find the next member of your team.

Humility (noun) – The quality of having a modest view of one’s importance.

The resume that will land you that dream job

Sun, 04 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

BY RACHEL TONKIN

With an average of 118 applications per job, you can imagine recruiters and hiring managers go through many hours of reading resumes every week. To make sure your resume gets the attention it deserves here are some top tips to help create the perfect CV. You may think some of these tips are simple or common sense, but you would be surprised at the slap dash approach many job seekers take; assuming their skills and experience alone will get them their new role. This is often your only chance to make a good first impression, you must make sure you get it right first time!

Impact

You may be surprised that the average time spent reading a resume a first time to determine fit for a role is just 6 seconds. This statistic is obviously not true for every recruiter out there, but to be sure your resume gets past that 6 second glance you need to make sure the key points that are relevant to the job you apply for can be clearly seen. That means having a clear and concise layout with easy to navigate headings, plainly stating your recent employment and highlighting your achievements relevant to the role you apply for.

2-4 pages max

Speaking for probably every recruiter out there, please don’t send us a 15 page story of your employment history (believe me, it happens a lot!). All good recruiters will interview you before representing you to any company, this is the chance to expand further on your experience and skills for the job. Make sure the key points are listed on your resume and not every intricate detail. 2 pages should be enough to get this across, if you are really struggling to fit everything on two pages go for 4 maximum.

Is it relevant?

When writing a resume, keep asking yourself “Is this relevant to the job I am applying for?” . If the answer to this question is no, then it probably doesn’t need to be there. If you are applying for an Executive Manager role, you don’t need to list that you worked in a bar during your twenties whilst you studied, however that Bachelors of Business you studied for is important. Keep it simple and concise to keep the reader’s attention.

Achievements, facts and figures

I cannot stress enough how important achievements on your resume are. Whatever industry you are in, or role you are applying for, your achievements from previous positions will be hugely important to your new employer. “Past behaviour is a predictor of future behaviour” , I am sure many of you have heard this saying before and it is a part of our human nature; hiring managers want to see your previous achievements because it is an indicator of what you may do in the future.

Personally I recruit for many sales roles, in this instance sales people should be specifying their sales results in facts and figures and be as detailed as possible. If you can list that you achieved “110% to target for the last 3 years (with a $3m dollar budget), and was sales person of the year 2015 out of 44 reps nationally” , this will catch the eye of any recruiter or hiring manager much more than “won sales person of the year 2015”. The more detail here the better!

Cover letter

One big mistake I see every day is people who write a “one size fits all” cover letter and send it out to every role they apply for. If you don’t have time to write a cover letter for every application then simply don’t send one, or call the recruiter as your introduction instead. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have seen a cover letter stating “my interest in your Pharmacist position” when in fact they have applied for a Pharmaceutical Sales position and the first “key skill” listed on their resume is attention to detail!

Contact details

Many people don’t touch their resumes for years when they are happy in a role and then 10 years later when they are ready to start a job search they just add in their recent employment history and away they go. There is nothing wrong with this approach however please always check that your contact details are correct and up to date. If you apply for a position, chances are you are hoping to be contacted for that role soon. If you have dusted off that old resume that is 10 years old you may have a new phone number and email address, make sure you can be contacted for that perfect role!

Spell check

This seems like a simple one but I don’t mean to run a spell check across your document. Read through your resume word for word TWICE and have someone triple check it for you. Microsoft Word’s spell check function is a fantastic tool, however it does have its limits. Did you know it won’t spell check anything written in capitals? And of course, it won’t correct typos that are actual words i.e. you may mean to write through instead of threw but spell check doesn’t know the difference because they are both correct spellings of a word.

Your resume is your first chance to impress, so make it count. I hope these 7 points can help you secure that interview and be on your way to landing that dream job.