This most popular question that always seems to be tripping prospective employees up for years – whether they’re applying for jobs at the local store or at Google. There’s no guaranteed-to-land-you-the-job answer to this question, but there are certainly wrong ways to answer, and ways that will increase your chances. The first step, is to understand why you’re being asked the question?
The WHY
Usually a pharmaceutical or biopharma interviewer is looking to see a few things when they ask you about your weaknesses – first, they’re looking for self-awareness. Are you knowledgeable enough about yourself to understand and appreciate where you’ll fit well within a role, and where you might need to develop? And are you comfortable enough with yourself to admit those areas? This is more of development and confidence question over anything else.
This is one of the most well-known interview questions out there, so a pharmaceutical interviewer may also be looking to make sure you care enough to have prepared to answer this question. If you don’t have something ready for them, that could be taken as a red flag.
There are ways you can answer this question!
DO NOT ANSWER –
EVERYONE has weaknesses – so never say “I don’t have any weaknesses.” It’s not bold or confident; and will be exactly what an interviewer is looking for to eliminate someone from the process. Part of the strength of your answer will be your honesty – being able to admit that you may not have every single skill you need to dive into the job straight away. Employers aren’t looking for someone to do the job perfectly immediately – they’re looking for people who are able and willing to learn and grow into the role and work on their weaknesses.
Keep your answer honest, but make sure to explain it well and lead into how you’re going to overcome the weakness.
Finally, don’t pick a weakness that is obviously a strength. Working too hard or giving too much attention to detail aren’t weaknesses unless you explain why. This is a common mistake interviewers make.
Be confident in your answer
How should you answer –
The best answer to this question has two parts. First, the admission – state your weakness, explain why it’s a weakness, and keep it realistic. After that, you have to explain how you plan to overcome that weakness, if you haven’t already. Use the question as an opportunity to explain how you hope to grow and develop in this new role.
An honest admission is what you should keep in mind that’s swiftly overcome by a solid plan that ends up demonstrating further value. This doesn’t have to be a question that might trip you up – think about it as an opportunity to explain how you’re hoping to learn and grow in your new role.
Technology continues to enhance the biotech and pharmaceutical recruiting process and here are some trends to consider as a hiring manager or head hunter.
Technology can significantly enhance your recruiting process
Tablets/smartphones are replacing computers as preferred methods of electronic communication – especially among millennials. It’s already beginning to replace many web-based approaches and options.
One-Touch/Easy Apply
The ease of submitting an application from your phone is a convenience that shouldn’t be overlooked. Streamlining the initial application submission process to accommodate mobile-based applications is essential to staying relevant. A recruiting process that is mobile friendly should be everyone’s goal for 2017, especially if you’re interested in attracting top Gen Y talent.
Texting
Texting is slowly edging out phone communications, and as widespread acceptance grows across industries, the recruiter who offers text as an option for communication will stand to benefit greatly. While you may personally have a preference for a phone call or face-to-face communications, adapting to the changing needs of the workforce will help you reach the potential candidates you’re hoping to attract.
Is texting the new email? No but you can’t ignore it in today’s application process.
Recruitment Technology Software
Thanks to the complex and intricate algorithms used by recruitment technology developers, it’s becoming easier to identify, attract and assess pharmaceutical and biopharma candidates. And their 24-hour response options mean faster response to qualified candidates. With advancements in interview assessments, these data-driven systems offer more than increased accuracy; they can actually help you make faster placements. And that means happy clients.
Blind Resumes & CVs
The use of blind resumes and CVs increased in 2016, and it shows little signs of stopping now that 2017 has arrived. By removing inherent and institutional bias from the recruiting process, blind resumes and CVs increase merit-based diversity. They’ve also been shown to decrease the risk of bad hires. It’s here that algorithms will play a dominant role in blind resume & CV assessment and pharmaceuticals candidate evaluation. At the very least, you no longer need to include your address in your resume. Companies will generally email all but the most important documents and a physical address is no longer necessary.
Video
If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. Well, closer to two million words for one minute of video, according to Forrester Research. Add to that, increased odds at Google showing your content a little love and it’s easy to see why video is a powerful technology trend for 2017. Just look at this 5:50 minute YouTube video Google Interns First Week. It’s been viewed more than five million times and has nearly six thousand responses, like Aliana Welth’s most recent comment, “is this supposed to make me want to work for Google?…cause it’s working.”
Leveraging technology to become more competitive, cost-effective and efficient can help you stand out. By embracing technology trends, you’ll be telling biopharma and biotech candidates you’re relevant, and your vacancies are relevant. Implementing just one of these technology trends for 2017 can help you attract the right candidate, speed up your hiring process, and make more successful placements.
AI/Machine learning for automated résumé screening
Let’s face it. The bulk of applicants are not qualified for the job. By some measures 75% don’t have the qualification listed yet will still apply. This makes manual resume screening the most time consuming part of the interview process. New AI applications like Mya, the newest job recruiting and application tool and IBM’s Watson can substantially shorten the
AI Can streamline your qualifying process but you’ll still need recruiters
qualification and screening process though, be careful, as no digital tool can replace human instinct and computers can’t read between the lines very well. There is a potential to lose qualified candidates through the process.
Clearly, technology is changing the way we apply to jobs and screen candidates. Recruiting is still however, very much a human dependent process and its success is still predicated on traditional human interactions. Keep a balanced approach and add technology to avoid bottlenecks but keep a human touch throughout the recruiting process to avoid making it feel too sterile and non-personal.
Download a printable version of these PDUFA dates!
Download a printable version of these PDUFA dates!
