Earth faces a growing shortage of resources for material manufacture, and rising levels of chemical toxicity threaten to change our planet as we know it.
Over the course of 2019 alone,<a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;92 billion tonnes of materials were extracted and chemically processed</a>, driving around half of all global CO2 emissions.&nbsp; Since 1950, the production of chemicals has increased 50-fold, with plastic production alone<a href="https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2022-01-18-safe-planetary-boundary-for-pollutants-including-plastics-exceeded-say-researchers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;escalating by 79%</a>&nbsp;between 2000 and 2015. In 2022, a team of international researchers discovered that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2022-01-18-safe-planetary-boundary-for-pollutants-including-plastics-exceeded-say-researchers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">humanity has stepped over a planetary boundary for chemical pollutants</a>.&nbsp;
Change is no longer an option, it&rsquo;s an imperative.&nbsp;
The circular economy offers an opportunity to transform industrial practice, preserving our planet, and yielding up to<a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;$4.5 trillion in economic benefits by 2030.</a>&nbsp;However,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weforum.org/projects/circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">only 8.6% of the industrial world is circular to date</a>.&nbsp;
Transforming our industries on a mass scale won&rsquo;t happen without the right expertise, and green chemistry is our key to getting there. In this article, you&rsquo;ll find out how green chemistry is enabling the safety, and sustainability of chemicals across time to secure our world&rsquo;s future.
Read on to find out:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>What a &lsquo;circular economy&rsquo; means</li>
<li>The pros and cons of a circular economy</li>
<li>3 ways green chemistry and sustainability science are saving our planet with a circular economy </li>
</ul>
<h2>What is a circular economy?</h2>
A circular economy provides a system that preserves sustainability alongside economic expansion &ndash; benefitting businesses, society and the environment alike. Circular economies promote the elimination of waste, and the continual safe use of every natural resource, and aim to maximise the potential of every material.
Achieving a circular economy relies on chemicals. Materials, and resources are chemical in nature, meaning their creation and even degradation will involve chemical processes. Every material, from paper, batteries and plastics to pharmaceutical products, chemical experts play an essential role in ensuring the efficiency of manufacture, and the safety and circularity of the chemicals across their lifetime.&nbsp;
<h2>The importance of green chemistry and sustainability science in a circular economy</h2>
Green chemistry and sustainability science aims to understand every stage of a chemical&rsquo;s lifecycle; from formation, introduction into the environment, changes once introduced, the extent to which they enter organisms, and the impact of their degradation or existence in the environment.
This specialist knowledge base enables scientists to navigate the most effective route to achieving a safe, and efficient, circular economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>3 ways green chemistry and sustainability science power a circular economy</h2>
<h3>1. Driving innovation</h3>
Chemists focused on sustainable, greener methods of chemical production lead new technological, and theoretical innovations which power better, more efficient ways to achieve circular economies and solve sustainability challenges.
A number of ground-breaking innovations in sustainable chemical technologies are recognised every year through The United States' Environmental Protection Agency's<a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/information-about-green-chemistry-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Green Chemistry Challenge</a>.&nbsp;
2021 awardees, Bristol Myers-Squibb, developed<a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/green-chemistry-challenge-2021-greener-reaction-conditions-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;a sustainable class of reagents</a>&nbsp;(compounds which help create a chemical reaction) derived from discarded citrus peels, while Merck and Co developed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/green-chemistry-challenge-2021-greener-synthetic-pathways-award" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a sustainable commercial manufacturing process for gefapixant citrate</a>&nbsp;(medicine for chronic cough). Merck&rsquo;s new process delivers a higher yield, and a six-fold decrease in raw material costs, while eradicating the need for highly hazardous chemicals.&nbsp; Sustainable innovations like these across chemistry help pave the way forward for circular economies, improving safety, yields and costs together.
<h3>2. Ensuring safety</h3>
In today&rsquo;s global manufacturing world, products can contain hundreds of chemicals &ndash; many of which can have hazardous properties.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, end-of-life chemical loss poses an additional issue that the whole industry must consider.<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c00243" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;79% of plastic waste is disposed in landfills, or the environment</a>, resulting in huge consequences for the natural world, and our own species.&nbsp;
In 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/chemicals-waste/what-we-do/policy-and-governance/global-chemicals-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the loss of 1.6 million lives, and around 45 million disability-adjusted life years could be avoided</a>&nbsp;with improved management and reduction of chemicals in the environment.&nbsp;
Green chemists and sustainability scientists play a pivotal role when it comes to chemical safety. By contributing expertise in chemical loss across a product&rsquo;s lifecycle, as well as toxicity and contamination.&nbsp;
<h3>3. Undertaking research and analysis</h3>
Our understanding of the chemical world is ever expanding and evolving as we continue to change both the chemicals we use, and the ways in which we use them.
<a href="https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/chemicals-waste/what-we-do/policy-and-governance/global-chemicals-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to research from the UN</a>, the industry&nbsp;faces critical data gaps across:
<ul>
<li>Chemical hazard data for commerce chemicals</li>
<li>Outdoor and indoor chemical releases</li>
<li>Exposures and concentrations in humans and the environment</li>
<li>The adverse impacts of chemicals</li>
</ul>
Collecting the data required to mend these knowledge gaps on a global scale is integral to establishing baselines, trends, emerging issues, and priorities. Crucially, green chemists and sustainability scientists conduct research to build on, and closely analyse macro evidence, to identify partnerships that support a circular economy.
<h2>Pros and cons of a circular economy</h2>
While circular economies have long been heralded as an essential solution, activating a circular economy has proven challenging for companies across the globe.
<h3>The cons</h3>
<ul>
<li>Not all industries are enthusiastic&nbsp;- Adoption of chemical industry considerations have been disparate across industries, with some including agriculture (through the<a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030428" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management</a>) and health (<a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FWC-PHE-EPE-17.03" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Health Organisation Chemicals Road Map</a>), making more progress than others.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Secondary markets can break the loop&nbsp;- If a company&rsquo;s output eludes their reach after use, they may struggle to successfully &lsquo;close the loop&rsquo;. This is particularly significant for companies where competitive secondary markets (groups of buyers looking to purchase unwanted chemicals for applications they still qualify for) exist for the product.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Economic barriers and access to financing&nbsp;&ndash; Financial hurdles, particularly during and post the pandemic can make it difficult for companies to commit to a circular model.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Repurposing isn&rsquo;t always possible&nbsp;&ndash; Repurposing reclaimed material is not always efficient, cost-effective or even possible due to toxicity levels.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The pros</h3>
<ul>
<li>Regulations make it realistic -&nbsp;The UN have released a<a href="https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;2030 Agenda</a>&nbsp;with improved legislative guidance to integrate chemical considerations into sector policies and government action.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Reduced virgin material extraction&nbsp;- Reducing the extraction of virgin materials is both environmentally friendly, and often cost-efficient.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Reduced reliance on imports&nbsp;&ndash; A circular economy can improve supply agility and boost independence away from imported supplies.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Reduced waste generation&nbsp;&ndash; Annual waste generation is expected to reach<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/solid-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;3.40 billion tons by 2050</a>, and consumes<a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/solid-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;up to 20-50% of municipal budgets</a>. Circular economies offer a way to curb waste, and improve sustainability.&nbsp; </li>
</ul>
<h2>Looking for opportunities in Green Chemistry or Sustainability?</h2>
SRG are proud to have been helping candidates make their next career step across STEM for the past 30 years.

Earth faces a growing shortage of resources for material manufacture, and rising levels of chemical toxicity threaten to change our planet as we know it.

3 Ways Environmental Chemists are using a Circular Economy to Save our Planet 

Diversity matters, and inclusive employers can be instrumental to career success.
Diverse employees are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/understanding-organizational-barriers-to-a-more-inclusive-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3 times more likely than their peers&nbsp;</a>to feel engaged and committed to their organisation when they feel a strong sense of belonging at work. What&rsquo;s more, they&rsquo;re also more likely to outperform their peers, and experience a greater level of career advancement.
In this article, I&rsquo;ve drawn on my experience in the recruitment industry to put together 5 ways to recognise an inclusive employer.
You can expect to find out:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Why inclusive workplaces are important</li>
<li>What an inclusive employer looks like</li>
<li>How to assess whether a workplace is right for you</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why is it important to have an inclusive workplace?</h2>
Longstanding inequalities in the workplace have been exacerbated by the pandemic, where minority groups have faced disproportionate disadvantages.
<a href="https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-poll-7-10-requests-furlough-turned-down-working-mums" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research from the UK&rsquo;s Trade Union Congress</a>&nbsp;reveals that over 2020, 7 in 10 working mothers had their requests for furlough turned down by their employers, and 48% of working mothers were worried about facing further disadvantages at work due to their childcare commitments.
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/understanding-organizational-barriers-to-a-more-inclusive-workplace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Global research from McKinsey</a>&nbsp;shows that LGBTQ+, women and racial minority employees are less likely to experience career advancement, and more likely to be excluded at work, as well as to have heard derogatory comments.
In a world where talent shortages and skill gaps are continuing to accelerate, empowering every employee through positive action and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/diversity-with-a-recruitment-partner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fuelling diversity can help businesses and their people achieve mutual success.&nbsp;</a>
Inclusive employers facilitate diverse perspectives, showcase inclusion at a senior level, and foster a sense of belonging that is receptive to the values of their people.&nbsp; In return, they benefit from improved innovation, retention and productivity that advances and improves the organisation. 
<h2>5 signs of an inclusive employer</h2>
<h3>1.&nbsp;Personal choice in how work is done</h3>
Flexibility is a core part of enabling inclusivity and wellbeing at work.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2021/workforce-trends-2020.html/#designing-work-well-being" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Deloitte&rsquo;s Human Capital Trends&nbsp;</a>reveals that personal choice in how work is done is one of the most important priorities for executives looking to support remote work arrangements going forward. This makes worker choice a strong indicator of a more inclusive workplace for diverse groups, that may benefit from autonomy and flexibility.&nbsp;
<h3>2.&nbsp;Employees are comfortable owning up to mistakes</h3>
When you&rsquo;re exposed to employees at your company, you may notice that mistakes are openly admitted, and that the focus is on follow on actions, rather than recrimination.&nbsp;
This is a hallmark of a psychologically safe environment, where employees feel comfortable being open, and communicative with their peers and leaders.<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053482209000795" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Diverse employees are more likely to succeed in psychologically safe climates</a>, where they can bring their innovation and ideas to the forefront without being dismissed.
<h3>3.&nbsp;There are established channels for employee voices</h3>
Having clear and appropriate channels for employees, to communicate both ideas and challenges they face at work, can boost the ability of diverse employees to have their ideas heard and recognised.&nbsp;
Employee voices can also influence and shape company values, enabling alignment between company purpose and employee motivation, improving engagement particularly for diverse groups whose views may be proportionally or traditionally less represented at a higher level.&nbsp;
<h3>4.&nbsp;Objective performance evaluations</h3>
Objective performance evaluations base their assessment of an employee&rsquo;s ability and what they have done, rather than on any subjective impression of them.&nbsp; When organisations form their performance evaluations with objectivity in mind, and actively fund initiatives to improve that objectivity, they&rsquo;re more likely to be providing an inclusive environment for employees.
<h3>5.&nbsp;Diverse leaders in the organisation</h3>
Last, but by no means least, existing diverse leaders act as both role models, and representatives, for diverse groups. When an organisation has diverse leadership, it reflects its ability to not only hire a diverse individual but promote and enable diverse groups in a realistic and actionable way.

Faye Allison explores 5 reliable ways to recognise an inclusive employer

5 Signs of an Inclusive Employer

For Brain Awareness Week, here is our simple guide to help keep your brain healthy, now and in the future.&nbsp;
According to a study by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alzheimers Society</a>&nbsp;in 2014, 850,000 people in the UK are living with dementia &mdash; with that number set to rise to over 2 million by 2051. Brain diseases are clearly a significant issue for us all. And it&rsquo;s not just dementia. Memory loss affects an even greater number of people, especially as we all move towards old age.&nbsp;
In recent years, drugs such as Biogen&rsquo;s Aducanumab have offered sizeable hope in treating Alzheimers. But as the saying goes, prevention is often better than the cure. There are a number of easy to follow lifestyle changes we can make to help reduce the risk of old-age memory loss and Alzheimers. Here are 5 ways to keep your brain healthy.&nbsp;
<h3>1.&nbsp;Eat your greens&nbsp;</h3>
Leafy greens. There&rsquo;s been a lot of hype in recent years about the benefits of these iron-rich vegetables. But the hype is not just media spin, it&rsquo;s driven by empirical research. A 2017 report in Neurology journal concluded that having one source of leafy green vegetables each day is positively linked to slower age related cognitive decline. Your grandmother&rsquo;s sage advice to eat your broccoli might just have been more prescient than you thought.&nbsp;
<h3>2.&nbsp;Stay fit and active&nbsp;</h3>
We all know that we need to keep active to stay healthy.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The NHS advises us to do 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week</a>. But cycling, walking and even dancing don&rsquo;t just keep you looking trim, they keep your brain healthy. Exercise prevents diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and stroke &mdash; all of which contribute towards memory loss, and increase the risk of Alzheimers. Get out on your bike this weekend, or go for a walk &mdash; it could help you live a longer, more mentally engaged life.&nbsp;
<h3>3.&nbsp;Stimulate your brain</h3>
Whether you&rsquo;re learning a new language, visiting museums, doing the crossword, or reading the latest edition of your favourite science journal, keeping your brain stimulated is vital to maintaining brain health. Studies have shown that mental decline is not inevitable. As the Northern Ireland health and wellbeing page suggests: &ldquo;People who lead intellectually stimulating lives are more likely to be free of dementia conditions like Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease.&rdquo; Whichever way you want to be intellectually engaged, make time for learning, no matter what age you are.&nbsp;
<h3>4.&nbsp;Socialise&nbsp;</h3>
One of the best ways to keep your brain healthy is to socialise. Whether it be with family or friends, studies have shown that regularly having positive interactions with other people can help to keep your mind fit and healthy. A study in the July 2008 edition of American Journal of Public Health analysed 2,249 Californian women. Those who maintained large social networks not only reduced the risk of dementia, but also delayed or prevented cognitive impairment. Who knew such an enjoyable thing could be so healthy?&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3>5.&nbsp;Meditate&nbsp;</h3>
One thing that&rsquo;s trending more than leafy greens right now is mindfulness. And for good reason. Not everyone needs to be a Zen master, but taking time out to unwind is a really important factor in keeping your brain healthy. A study in 2016 by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center indicated that meditation plays a vital role in slowing the progression of Alzheimer&rsquo;s. It also helps prevent it in the first place. Meditation reduces atrophy in the hippocampus, increases brainprotecting tissue, and increases cortical thickness and grey matter &mdash; which slow the ageing rate of the brain. Meditating might just be the easiest, most relaxing way to future proof your brain.

For Brain Awareness Week, here is our simple guide to help keep your brain healthy, now and in the future.

5 ways to future proof your brain

<h3 dir="ltr">Known globally for its renowned university, aesthetic green spaces, and cutting-edge tech innovation, the East Anglia city of Cambridge offers a fantastic quality of life without compromising on career opportunities or things to do.&nbsp;</h3>
In 2020, Glassdoor named Cambridge as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/List/Best-Cities-for-Jobs-UK-LST_KQ0,23.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">second-best place to work in the UK</a>. Meanwhile, the Cambridge Cluster &mdash; Europe&rsquo;s largest technology cluster that covers a 30km radius from the city centre &mdash; employs over 250,000 people and saw a workforce increase of 5.6% between 2018 and 2019.
No wonder that STEM workers and investors alike are flocking to the city in their droves. Here are seven reasons why setting up shop in Cambridge represents a great career move.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">1) A world-leading STEM hub</h2>
Cambridge&rsquo;s thriving global technology hub, colloquially known as Silicon Fen, is one of the region&rsquo;s main employers in the region and continues to attract throngs of highly-skilled workers to the area &mdash; particularly in areas such as R&amp;D, pharmaceuticals, and engineering.
As one of Europe&rsquo;s most important biotech and life science centres, the so-called Cambridge Cluster (consisting of STEM businesses located within a 30km radius of the city centre) is growing exponentially. Tech firms are opening new offices each year, and the workforce continues to expand.
Cambridge Science Park is home to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridgesciencepark.co.uk/company-directory/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 100 companies</a>&nbsp;&mdash; from established life science multinationals to budding tech startups. Pharma giant AstraZeneca recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/our-company/our-locations/cambridge.html">moved its global headquarters to Cambridge</a>, while Raspberry Pi, the Hilton Food Group, and Huawei are all based in and around the city, too.
In total, the top 100 companies in Cambridge have a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/business/business-news/top-businesses-companies-cambridgeshire-astrazeneca-15431152" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">combined turnover of over &pound;10bn</a>. Clearly, business is booming &mdash; making a sizeable contribution to the UK economy and driving further demand for a versatile and enterprising STEM workforce.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">2) Competitive salaries</h2>
Salaries in Cambridge are well above the average for the UK, though not as high as London. As of January 2021, the average salary in the city is &pound;34,000.
While house prices are expensive for the UK, housing costs are still around 30% cheaper than London. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zoopla.co.uk/house-prices/cambridgeshire/cambridge/#:~:text=The%20average%20price%20for%20property,terraced%20houses%20for%20%C2%A3403%2C119." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Zoopla</a>, the current average house price in January 2021 is &pound; &pound;449,463. Of course, there are cheaper locations in Britain, but similarly sought-after hotspots (such as London and Brighton) are far more expensive.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">3) The university</h2>
It&rsquo;s impossible to mention Cambridge without its world-famous, 800-year-old university. Widely regarded as the UK&rsquo;s top university alongside Oxford, its campus is easily distinguishable thanks to its iconic medieval stone colleges.&nbsp;
Notable alumni of the University of Cambridge include Charles Darwin, Alan Turing, Stephen Hawking, Sir David Attenborough, Emma Thompson, and Sacha Baron Cohen (the list is so long and illustrious that it could take up this entire blog &mdash; and then some). If that&rsquo;s not all, the university boasts 121 Nobel laureates &mdash; second only to Harvard.
More importantly, the university is also a major STEM employer and maintains strong links with Cambridge Science Park. For those looking to expand their skill set and horizons outside of working hours, the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) provides a wealth of residential, online, weekend, summer, and part-time courses, as well as public lectures.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">4) Food &amp; culture</h2>
Thanks to its cosmopolitan population, large student base, and sizeable contingent of young professionals, Cambridge has long attracted scholars, tourists, and workers thanks to its wide range of cultural pursuits.
With a prosperous cultural scene that stretches back into the Middle Ages, this ancient city is home to several leading music, dance, theatre, and comedy venues, including the Corn Exchange and Cambridge Arts Theatre. For a spot of quiet contemplation, its museums and galleries are well up to the task, too.
Cambridge is the undisputed food capital of East Anglia. This is typified by its vibrant pub scene &mdash; from raucous city-centre boozers to cosy, scenic gastropubs by the riverside. Celebrated foodie hotspots include Ivy Brasserie, Restaurant 22, Al Pomodoro, and the 2-Michelin-starred Midsummer House.
Retail opportunities abound in Cambridge. The city&rsquo;s open-air markets trade seven days a week, selling everything from Asian street food to antique wares. Independent shops of all varieties can be found on almost every street corner. And, if the high street is more your thing, all the leading retail brands can be found in the city centre.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">5) Getting around</h2>
Being a small, compact city of only 129,000 people (25,000 of whom are students), Cambridge is an eminently walkable place with plenty of opportunity for exercise and outdoors activity.&nbsp;
Aside from the pretty medieval streets of the city centre, it&rsquo;s hard to imagine Cambridge without punts floating down the River Cam and its connected waterways. These historic, flat-bottomed vessels have transported people up and down the river for centuries and represent the best way to experience the city.
The cycling infrastructure of the city is also among the best in the country. (According to Cambridge City Council data, one in four residents cycle to work &mdash; making it the unofficial cycling capital of Britain). The Chisholm Trail, an exciting new cycling superhighway, will connect the city&rsquo;s two railway stations and offer a green, traffic-free route for commuters, students, and daytrippers alike.&nbsp;
If a cheap, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing commute is what you&rsquo;re after, few places in the UK can match Cambridge.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">6) Transport connections</h2>
Despite being relatively isolated in the heart of rural East Anglian fenland, Cambridge has superb transport connections to the rest of Britain.&nbsp;
The nearby M11 gives quick road access to both London and the north-south A1 route, while a train to London King&rsquo;s Cross takes a mere 50 minutes. Norwich and Peterborough are also easy to reach, too.
For those looking to escape the high property prices and urban intensity of London without going too far afield, Cambridge provides this and more &mdash; all while keeping the capital within easy reach. This makes it an ideal base for people who frequently visit Greater London for work.
If you&rsquo;ve got your sights further afield for a family holiday or quick weekend getaway, Cambridge also delivers the goods. London Stansted Airport, the UK&rsquo;s fourth-largest airport, is only 30 minutes via train or 40 minutes in the car.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">7) Countryside escapism</h2>
Thanks to its compact nature, Cambridge has avoided the urban sprawl that characterises most British cities. Wherever you are in Cambridge, you&rsquo;ll be a 5-minute car ride or 15-minute cycle away from the surrounding countryside.
Situated in a low-lying region of Britain, the area is ideal for long, relaxed bike rides under the summer sun. Indeed, the are over 80 miles of Fenland-flat bike paths for you to enjoy.
With verdant greenery and low rainfall, South Cambridgeshire has even been voted the best rural place to live in Britain.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">The takeaway</h2>
Offering a unique blend of picturesque reverie and forward-thinking innovation, Cambridge is a city that has it all. And as the home to so many leading STEM organisations, job opportunities in the sector are only set to increase.
If you&rsquo;re moving from a major global city such as London or New York, living and working in Cambridge will lay down the groundwork for a less stressful and healthier life, saving you money in the process.&nbsp;
Relocating is rarely easy, but few places make it as easy as Cambridge.
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re thinking of making Cambridge home, check out the latest STEM jobs in Cambridge by <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/jobs">using the job search.</a>

This historic university city in the East of England is becoming a go-to destination for STEM workers thanks to its thriving economy and high quality of life.

Relocating for STEM: 7 reasons to move to Cambridge for work

Find out how FMCG organisations and the sector are large are fighting back against plastic waste and ushering in more a circular, sustainable economy.

Why Eco-friendly, Sustainable Packaging is the Future of FMCG

<h3 dir="ltr">Despite widespread misunderstanding around its meaning, executive search (often referred to as &lsquo;technical search&rsquo;) is an increasingly popular recruitment solution for employers in the STEM sector and beyond.</h3>
&nbsp;
The term &lsquo;executive search&rsquo; is likely familiar for anyone that has worked with recruiters in recent years. However, even for those with one foot in the field, it&rsquo;s often difficult to differentiate executive search from other forms of recruitment.
&nbsp;
Indeed, the term is frequently used interchangeably with recruitment, and while the two share the same basic objective of hiring the best people, such usage is somewhat misleading.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
To remove the misconceptions and provide some clarity, we&rsquo;ll outline the various ways in which executive search differs from typical recruitment and provide advice on which solution is best for your business, whether it be pharmaceuticals, biotech, or chemicals But first, some definitions are in order.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">What is executive search?</h2>
In very basic terms, executive or technical search is a specialised recruitment service that focuses on sourcing and onboarding hard-to-find talent (which is often senior appointments, such as Chief Operating Officer or Vice President) for client companies.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Because the primary remit is finding top talent at the leadership level or within a niche sector where candidates are scarce &mdash; the very people who have the credentials and capabilities to drive business growth &mdash; executive search is one of the most sought-after recruitment models.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Unlike other forms of recruitment (particularly contingent models), executive search teams take a strategic approach and actively seek out senior-level candidates for roles that are usually difficult to fill and strategically important.
&nbsp;
By turning to an executive search team, a business can call on the industry-specific expertise of consultants with a track record of sourcing hard-to-find talent and conducting confidential search. As a highly bespoke and consultative service, a search approach helps companies optimise their resourcing strategy to ensure they have the long-term capacity to attract and retain the best people.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Using data as the starting point, this can encompass market mapping; employer branding; deciding on the most appropriate job titles; outlining salary levels; and drawing up benefits packages. In other words, it&rsquo;s a holistic approach to the recruitment process.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">How does executive search differ from headhunting?</h2>
Confounding the confusion behind executive search is another term frequently used in recruitment circles:&nbsp;headhunting.
&nbsp;
Though similar, headhunting is not search and the two terms should not be used synonymously. Headhunting actually forms part of search, and is a&nbsp;technique&nbsp;used within a good search practice.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In simple terms, headhunting can be defined as the process of identifying and approaching passive individuals who possess the right skill set for the role.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Is executive search the same as retained search?</h2>
Another term that frequently crops up in Google search results for executive search is&nbsp;retained search.
&nbsp;
Retained search is a way to ensure exclusive recruiter focus on your role versus a competitor. The team receives a &lsquo;retainer&rsquo; (an up-front fee) to perform a specific search and is granted exclusive rights to the project. Though there is variation from agency to agency, retained search usually has a three-part pricing structure:
&nbsp;
<ol>
<li dir="ltr">Project conception and search initiation</li>
<li dir="ltr">Shortlist or identification of quality candidates (this step is not always included)</li>
<li dir="ltr">Successful placement of a candidate</li>
</ol>
Alternatively, a fixed fee that&rsquo;s based on a certain timeframe can also be established.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">How does retained executive search work?&nbsp;</h2>
When calling upon the services of a retained executive search agency, you can expect an advisory and consultative partnership.
&nbsp;
After the initial agreement has been made and the up-front fee has been paid, the executive search team will want to have an in-depth discussion with you to ascertain what they need to look for in a candidate.
&nbsp;
These conversations will allow the consultant to develop a full picture of your business needs, culture, and vision, as well as how they relate to the kind of character and skill set you want to hire. In contrast, other forms of recruitment would typically only require a job description and briefing call in which multiple recruiters may be asked to join.
&nbsp;
Under a retained agreement, the consultant is retained, meaning a significant amount of time and resources are allocated into researching and sourcing individuals who specifically match your requirements. They will pile resources into a comprehensive understanding of the market, before reaching out directly to high-quality prospective candidates through state-of-the-art precision targeting technology.
&nbsp;
Because of the nature of the roles that are assigned to executive/technical search teams, the consultant will weave the long-term goals of the candidate into the process &mdash; paying particular attention to any alignments between your business values and the values of the candidate. Ensuring these values match increases the chances of retention once the candidate is in position.
&nbsp;
Retained executive search is typically more niche than contingent recruitment. As well as having extensive networks throughout your sector, executive search consultants are equipped with a thorough understanding of the client&rsquo;s candidate market and associated roles. This gives consultants the tools to uncover matching candidates who wouldn&rsquo;t necessarily be on your company&rsquo;s radar &mdash; indeed, many of the shortlisted candidates will not be active job seekers.
&nbsp;
Executive search recruiters offer valuable insights into the market dynamics and properly position the role within the market. With an eye on the latest psychological research, they aim to engender confidence and trust in prospective candidates. By doing so, they can also help sell the employer value proposition (EVP) to the candidate (helping them buy into your company&rsquo;s culture, mission, and values).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Finally, consultants may also deploy psychometric testing and other profiling methods to assess a candidates&rsquo; cultural fit. This kind of insight into their behaviours and intrinsic motivators is vital for measuring how likely the candidate is to stay with the business after being hired. By really getting to understand the individual and creating a rounded profile of the whole person, retained executive search helps you hire for the long-term.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Is retained executive search the right&nbsp;choice for my business?</h2>
When deciding which kind of agency to approach for your talent needs, you should ask yourself questions specifically related to the roles you are hiring for. Let&rsquo;s run through some of these questions in further detail.
&nbsp;
How readily available is the talent needed for the role? If talent is abundant, calling on a dedicated recruitment provider makes sense. If it&rsquo;s hard to find, partnering with a search solution is your best bet. 
Do you need to hire for more than one role? If you said yes, choose an executive/technical search solution. 
Does your candidate search need to be confidential in nature? If yes, opting for executive/technical search will ensure it remains confidential.. 
What is the geographical spread of talent? Is it UK-only, does it include the EU, or is it global? If your required talent pool reaches beyond the UK, opt for search. 
Are you aware of how the salary for the role aligns to the market? If you don&rsquo;t know, a search team can provide this data and help you glean further insights into your company&rsquo;s salaries. 
Are you aware of the benefits aligned to the market? Again, if you answered no, a search team can provide you with the necessary data. 
Is filling the position a time-sensitive endeavour? If yes, choose search. Due to the exclusive nature of a retained agreement, executive search consultants can allocate more time and resources to the candidate search than contingent recruiters. 
Do you have an up-to-date job specification? If it needs writing or properly updating, choose search. 
Do you know what type of person you want? If you don&rsquo;t already have this information to hand, you should definitely seek out a search solution. Through consultative conversations, search recruiters will help you uncover the kind of individual your business needs to succeed.
<h3 dir="ltr">The takeaway?</h3>
Getting hiring right is pivotal for any business&rsquo; bottom line. Ultimately, your choice of recruitment provider should reflect the current state of your talent needs and aim to minimise hiring risk.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Search by SRG</h2>
Our STEM-focused search offering combines the technical expertise of SRG, Lorien, and Carbon60 to offer a data-led approach that delivers much more than just a list of CVs.
<ul>
<li>Search by Carbon60&nbsp;&ndash; offering senior technical hires within the product lifecycle.</li>
<li>Search by Lorien&nbsp;&ndash; Digital, Transformation, and Technology.</li>
<li>Search by SRG&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Scientific, Technical &amp; Operations, Commercial, Medical &amp; Clinical Development, AI, Machine Learning, and Bioinformatics.</li>
</ul>
Specialising in your niche, we can help you to attract and retain the right talent with:
&nbsp;
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/old---pre-sep-2019-rebrand/srg-workflow-for-search.png" alt="Search by SRG workflow">
&nbsp;

Discover the ways in which executive search differs from typical recruitment and get advice on which solution is best for your business.

What is the difference between executive search and contingent recruitment?

<h3 dir="ltr">Insourcing&nbsp;is a business arrangement in which a project that was previously outsourced to a third party is instead carried out by an implanted onsite team.</h3>
&nbsp;
This flexible model involves embedding new personnel, operations and processes into an organisation with a clear set of specific deliverables to achieve. It can also involve training and upskilling existing employees to perform tasks that would otherwise require outsourcing.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
By enabling tasks to be performed within an organisation&rsquo;s existing operational infrastructure and giving your company full control, insourcing is an astute, strategic solution for STEM businesses.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Insourcing vs outsourcing: what are the differences?&nbsp;</h2>
While insourcing refers to utilising the expertise of an implanted team &mdash; one which is fully integrated into the existing workforce but from a HR and headcount perspective is managed externally &mdash; outsourcing refers to the engagement of an external team or individual to complete a task, project or business process.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Weighing up the options</h2>
As globalisation gathers steam and workforces become increasingly blended, forward-thinking organisations are looking to alternative talent solutions to meet their business needs.
&nbsp;
Ultimately, deciding whether to opt for traditional solutions, an outsourced supplier or an insourced model is horses for courses. It all depends on your business goals and your expectations for the particular project you require additional personnel for.
&nbsp;
Outsourcing has certainly been the go-to solution at the start of the 21st century&nbsp;&mdash; according to 2019 YouGov data,&nbsp;<a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/finance/articles-reports/2019/10/24/seven-ten-british-businesses-outsource-third-parti" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">7 in 10 UK businesses claimed to outsource to third parties</a>.
&nbsp;
But with the Fourth Industrial Revolution driving sweeping technological change and COVID disruption turning accepted workforce orthodoxy on its head, HR leaders are being forced to rethink their approach to talent and consider bringing core functions back in-house.
In the post-COVID world, ensuring supply chain robustness and resilience will be more critical than ever&nbsp;&mdash; particularly in the life-science industry.
Because outsourcing involves ceding control of a project or business function to a third party and is often a costly undertaking, it also carries an element of risk that fewer businesses are willing to take. And with the rise in automated work processes facilitating a near-term anxiety over the use of outsourcing solutions, insourcing is increasingly looking the most cost-effective and future-proofed workforce solution. Here's why.
<h2 dir="ltr">The benefits of insourcing over outsourcing</h2>
1) Insourcing gives you full control
Unlike outsourced models, in which the third party has a degree of autonomy over management, insourcing gives you full oversight over every process. In stricter regulatory environments, having full control over proceedings is, of course, paramount. Insourcing enables this to happen.
&nbsp;
2) Solutions to fit your specific needs
If your company outsources, there&rsquo;s a chance you may receive more or less the same service as competitors &mdash; particularly if your supplier works with multiple businesses within the sector. Insourced Scientific Service Provider (SSP) solutions instead take stock of your unique pain points and provide a tailored, one-size-fits-one solution.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Think insourcing could be the answer for your business?&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../clients/our-services/synergy-scientific-solutions">Click here to get expert advice from Synergy, SRG's insourcing solutions provider for Statement of Work (SoW) projects in the life-science industry</a>.</h3>
&nbsp;
3) Cultural alignment
Often, outsourcing can also strain relationships between teams, particularly if the third-party solutions provider has vastly different organisational structures and workflows. Insourced SSP teams are, however, fully embedded into your organisation and, therefore, their motivations and values are aligned with full-time employees.
&nbsp;
4) Improved communication and project delivery
By being able to call on teams with specific skill sets and organisational knowledge, insourcing enables you to address some of the cons of outsourcing, such as issues with communication (e.g. language barriers) and quality control (e.g. accountability). Overcoming these obstacles speeds up the delivery of a project, too.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">The takeaway</h2>
For companies that emphasise culture, security and compliance but do not have the resources to attract the talent they need for a specific project, insourcing is quite often the right solution.
&nbsp;
When you factor in its ability to&nbsp;reduce the challenges of recruiting, the liability of direct employment and the responsibility of ongoing HR administration such as payroll, insourcing makes a great deal of sense.

Discover the benefits of outsourcing vs insourcing, and how implanted onsite teams strengthen organisational success.

What is insourcing and how can it benefit my business?

If you know the life sciences industry, you&rsquo;ll know that the application of data and analytics to the sector is nothing new. Even in 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/life-sciences/ai-and-pharma.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 60% of life science companies were investing in the technology.&nbsp;</a>In fact, D&amp;A in life sciences is so embedded that between 2021 and 2025 the global life sciences analytics market is set to progress at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.83%,<a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/global-life-sciences-analytics-market-153700033.html?guce_referrer=ahr0chm6ly93d3cuz29vz2xllmnvbs8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=aqaaablfcfx1l1v1kzplgogf5swcsdkoj9b95r8paxzkzrxzkhubwb2deoju8saf36l2ukscyprsrga1odvinxecd504ori8-vqsyawcmjznk2ytligwim7hq7v64vqaz078l28h3nss6jrldxtryt_vuzv9rqvzoux7zdukczivn8on" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;generating $15.95 billion in profit.&nbsp;</a>
Today, in an increasingly competitive business landscape, efficiency game-changers like AI and Big Data are fast becoming industry essentials.&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/life-sciences/ai-and-pharma.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research from Deloitte</a>&nbsp;shows life sciences businesses are leveraging the technology for more than one business crucial objective, including: enhancing existing products (28%), creating new products and services (27%), making processes more efficient (22%).
But not all organisations are activating the full potential of AI and Big Data. Industry analyses from McKinsey &amp; Co reveal that<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/how-pharma-can-accelerate-business-impact-from-advanced-analytics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;most pharma companies are yet to scale from an experimentation model and generate the full return on their investment.&nbsp;</a>
Read on to discover:
<ul>
<li>How to secure a competitive advantage with data and analytics</li>
<li>How data and analytics accelerate drug development and discovery</li>
<li>How data and analytics are transforming patient pathways</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>How to Secure a Competitive Advantage with Data and Analytics</h2>
As the pandemic has shown, unprecedented events can rapidly change market trends and disrupt organisational strategy. Data offers the life sciences a way to manage unprecedented disruptions through predictive modelling of market share for specific products.
By forecasting sales volumes based on the unique features of products and the market in real time, AI technology can hugely improve stock management efficiency. Meanwhile, stakeholder trust data can also help leaders understand the best way to position products to improve market share in the current market.&nbsp;
Data and analytics will also become key for supporting operational decision making and ensuring a consistent approach to care. For example, data could be used to pinpoint bottlenecks in processes, identify stretches in resources, and differences in patient experience. AI also has huge potential in automation, which could reduce administrative workloads and improve the day-to-day running of facilities.&nbsp;
And for those businesses still on their digital maturity journey, there&rsquo;s more than one route to harness D&amp;A for market competitivity. When it comes to harnessing data, technology companies have the upper hand with readily available experts and infrastructure, making them ideal partners.&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Life-Sciences-Health-Care/gx-lshc-ls-outlook-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">6 of the top 10 tech giants are venturing into health and life sciences.&nbsp;</a>
Deloitte and AdvaMed&rsquo;s recent survey reveals that<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Life-Sciences-Health-Care/gx-lshc-ls-outlook-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;82% of MedTech R&amp;D leaders are looking for partners outside of the medical industry to help drive innovation.&nbsp;</a>Meanwhile, the biotech sector is readily collaborating with AI start-ups, and larger organisations to fuel their drug development pipelines.
<h2>How Data and Analytics accelerate Drug Development and Discovery</h2>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6226120/#cts12577-bib-0005" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Less than 10%</a>&nbsp;of drug candidates that make it to clinical trials progress to market.
A lack of knowledge on the 3D structure of drug compounds and targets, as well as a reliance on animal models that fail to accurately represent human physiology, are just two factors underlying this limited success rate.
By leveraging data and machine learning,&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/how-ai-drug-discovery-technology-is-transforming-the-biopharma-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI technology can improve efficiency across every stage of the drug discovery process</a>, including:
<ul>
<li>Initial prediction of the target protein&rsquo;s role in disease</li>
<li>Design of in silico compounds from libraries to improve structural knowledge</li>
<li>Novel target identification&nbsp;</li>
<li>Prediction of the structure &ndash; activity relationship</li>
<li>Prediction of ADMET properties</li>
<li>Selection of ideal patient population for clinical trials</li>
<li>Observation of adverse effects</li>
</ul>
When it comes to discovery, machine learning can be used to detect patterns in both structured data (e.g. laboratory results, electronic recordings, demographics, IoT-generated data) and unstructured data, including using natural language processing (NLP) from medical journals and clinical notes to contextualise medical data. The result is a system that not only analyses and interprets vast volumes of data quickly, but is also self-corrective
With huge and varied data sets, as well as increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning systems, we can identify and analyse much broader trends across healthcare. We can use Big Data to identify causation, distribution, determinants, and patterns across a high volume of different and complementary data points to tell us more about current illnesses. In the world of epidemiology and preventative healthcare, this has the potential to change lives.
<h2>How Data and Analytics are transforming patient pathways</h2>
Various technologies from wearables, apps, systems, and even medical devices combine to create the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT).&nbsp;
<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Life-Sciences-Health-Care/gx-lshc-ls-outlook-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to research by Deloitte</a>, the IoMT industry is expected to reach $158.1 bn in 2022, while connected technologies will make up 42% of R&amp;D budget by 2023.&nbsp;
IoMT will improve the speed, accuracy and insight behind diagnosis and treatment. With vast volumes of data collected from multiple difference sources, often at the place of activity and in real-time, we can build up a much bigger picture of both individual health statuses and overall operational performance.&nbsp;
Utilising AI within these technologies offers the opportunity to introduce personalisation across diagnosis, treatment planning, patient monitoring and even drug discovery &ndash; paving the way to personalised medicine.&nbsp;
Personalised precision drugs have long been conceptualised in medicine but remain too expensive to manufacture without AI intervention. In the future, personalised drugs could provide specific treatment to individual patients, based on their personal genetic background and symptoms to avoid side effects. This would aid early intervention and improve treatment adherence.
The explosion of IoT-enabled medical devices and the drive towards integrated care systems (ICSs) will see also users empowered to make their own decisions around healthcare.&nbsp; Accurate, real-time data and trusted advice will be pivotal to help customers take the leap from passive recipients of care to active participants, with options on everything from data sharing to treatment and preventative healthcare.&nbsp;
For example, individuals at risk of developing a condition due to data, family history and symptoms may choose to opt into additional screening tests. This will result in a more personalised, more accountable approach to healthcare &mdash; and one that will pave the way to more customer-centric designs, particularly when it comes to MedTech.&nbsp; 
<h2>What&rsquo;s next?</h2>
As our data gathering capabilities become more sophisticated, and the volume of data we collect becomes more widespread, the data-driven business imperative is growing. Many of the other tech challenges facing the life sciences sector &ndash; collaboration, interoperability, personalisation, agility &ndash; will also come down to how well we know and use our data. Consider this my call to action &ndash; it&rsquo;s time to invest in your life sciences analytics.
Are you interested in learning more the latest data trends, and how they could impact your business this year?&nbsp;
Download our sister company Lorien&rsquo;s free whitepaper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lorienglobal.com/insights/data-domination" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Data Domination: the data trends transforming your business in 2022 and what HR and talent acquisition need to know about them</a>, for an insider&rsquo;s view on one of the most critical tech trends today.

The future of data analytics in life sciences is set to transform organisations across the world. Find out how...

The Future of Data Analytics in the Life Science Industry: What's Next?

For International Women&rsquo;s Day, Impellam brought together employees from around the world in our London office. We shared our thoughts and reflected on inclusive workplaces in a session supported by<a href="http://emilyesfahanismith.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Emily Esfahani Smith</a>, the author behind the ground-breaking book &lsquo;The Power of Meaning&rsquo;.&nbsp;
Over the last few years, many of us have had our lives turned upside down by global events that according to Emily&rsquo;s research, have made sources of happiness an increasingly scarce resource. Emily&rsquo;s work suggests that happiness is a fleeting source for wellbeing, and that &lsquo;meaning&rsquo;, the connection we have to others, can inspire a more stable foundation for resilience and success.
At SRG, we want to reignite our people&rsquo;s sense of meaning, belonging and enthusiasm at work in an authentic, meaningful way.&nbsp;
Our panel delved into some of the pillars behind finding meaning in the workplace as women, and how the world of work can better facilitate equality and fairness.
Led by Jemma Pritchard Smith, Innovation Lead, the panel features:
<ul>
<li>Kelly Morton, STEM Portfolio CEO</li>
<li>Hayley Klaff, Implementation and Supply Chain Director</li>
</ul>
<h2>This is what they had to say&hellip;</h2>
<h3>Emily spoke about the four pillars upon which meaning rests: Belonging, Purpose, Storytelling and Transcendence.&nbsp; Which pillar most resonates with you and why?</h3>
Kelly:&nbsp;The pillar of storytelling stood out to me. I think it is incredibly important to value your own journey and what identifies you. For me personally as a female CEO, that means being open about my humble beginnings, practicing radical candour and being authentic.&nbsp; <a href="../../../../../../blog/kelly-mortons-career-journey-to-stem-portfolio-ceo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Taking ownership of my story</a>&nbsp;in a conscious way doesn&rsquo;t mean erasing the challenges I&rsquo;ve overcome, rather, I proactively make the challenges the context, and my success the focus. Hayley:&nbsp;For me, it&rsquo;s probably the pillar of belonging.&nbsp; I think it&rsquo;s enormously important to find a workplace that strengthens a sense of belonging.&nbsp; Personally, feeling part of something has always been a core value, from attending youth clubs as a child, to searching for a work environment where I feel like I truly fit in. In my earlier career I would move jobs every 2-3 years, before I found Impellam, where I feel I&rsquo;ve finally found the right environment for me. 
<h3>What drives equality in the workplace?</h3>
Hayley:&nbsp;I believe that role modelling is really important. When I talk with my friends, it becomes clear that sometimes women do things that we think we should do, and that sometimes people take things on more than they think they do.&nbsp; When role models and female leaders in the workplace can demonstrate and showcase a strong balance, it becomes easier to feel empowered and comfortable in your own successes. Kelly:&nbsp;I personally returned to work when my son was just 3 months old, and soon after my husband returned to his role where he largely worked abroad.&nbsp; Working with a young child was challenging; there&rsquo;s a mental load associated with balancing wider responsibilities both inside, and outside of work. This mental load culminates in feeling emotionally exhausted, and as though there&rsquo;s no space for enjoyment. I believe this is a challenge that most women, and many working parents &ndash; mums and dads alike, often experience. I&rsquo;ve found that the women within the senior leadership team are empowering, and we often discuss the importance of caregivers &ndash; both male, and female, attaining a sense of balance in the workplace. Realizing this balance and enabling employees to achieve a strong work life balance can help drive equality and reinforce the success of women in the workplace.&nbsp; Hayley:&nbsp;On the subject of mental load, women (and men) can often discount themselves in the workplace. It&rsquo;s up to colleagues, and team leaders alike to uplift each other, and identify and express the great things that we&rsquo;re all doing together. We need to talk through the highlights as well as the challenges and encourage each other through our successes. Kelly:&nbsp;As a leader, I&rsquo;ve always veered away from a hierarchal approach. I don&rsquo;t want to be inaccessible to people. I believe that a responsibility to manage people goes alongside a responsibility to be honest. I believe in a culture of radical candour, by actively communicating the truth, you can help people practice their role in a more thoughtful way and set them up for success.&nbsp; Doing this across the organisation means carving out equal opportunities for growth, opportunities and progression for every employee &ndash; rather than solely for those individuals that feel confident enough to seek progression.
<h3>If you could give one piece of advice to women in the workplace, what would it be?</h3>
Kelly:&nbsp;I would advise you to be the best version of yourself, not a second-rate version of someone else.
Hayley:&nbsp;Keep striving and pushing, it&rsquo;s important to know that when you try new things &ndash; you can fail and sometimes failing is when we learn the most. If you try and stay in your comfort zone, you&rsquo;ll never learn what could be, so never be afraid of failure.
Jemma:&nbsp;It&rsquo;s not important what anyone else thinks of you, you can only beat the person you were yesterday &ndash; that&rsquo;s who your competition is.

Our London international womens day panel reflect on the power of meaning, and belonging for women in the workplace.

The Power of Meaning at Work: London International Women's Day Panel

At SRG, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide our people with opportunities that both challenge and empower their careers.&nbsp; In fact, 13 members of our team have been with SRG for over 10 years.&nbsp; In this two-part series, we&rsquo;ve interviewed 7 of our 13 long-serving teammates, discussing their experiences and asking them for advice on what it takes to forge a successful career in recruitment.&nbsp; This article features: Kelly Morton our STEM CEO, Bec Johnston our Billing Team Leader, Emma Lees our Programme Manager, and Claire Lomas our Business Support Executive and PA to Kelly.
You can read Part 2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/careers-in-recruitment-meet-srgs-longest-serving-staff-pt2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>. Expect to discover:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Some of the different avenues your career in recruitment could take</li>
<li dir="ltr">What makes SRG a great place to work</li>
<li dir="ltr">Our people's greatest achievements at SRG</li>
</ul>
Note: As part of Impellam, the largest staffing business in the UK and sixth-largest MSP worldwide, SRG is well linked to the wider recruitment industry on an international basis and offers a breadth of options for staff that inspire loyalty
<h2>Meet SRG's Longest Serving Staff</h2>
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr"><img src="https://www.srgtalent.com/-/media/srg/blog/my-project-(51).png" alt="Kelly Morton has short blonde hair, the text reads kelly morton, srg operations manager to stem portfolio ceo 22 years of service"></h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Early days</h3>
When I started as Operations Manager at the Manchester SRG Science Branch, we transformed what was an underperforming branch, into the highest performing at SRG in less than 12 months. We still have people with us today who were instrumental across this turn around.
<h3 dir="ltr">Promotion</h3>
Later I developed our engineering business that has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years. I was then promoted to Regional Director, where I looked after all our Northern offices, including Science and Engineering. In 2016, I took the role of UK Operations Director and became the MD for SRG in 2016. I am now the CEO for the Impellam STEM Portfolio.
<h3 dir="ltr">Achievements</h3>
My greatest achievements so far have been growing the business, building great relationships with customers, and most of all, creating a culture of family and trust. I have always practiced radical candour, as I think feedback in the moment not only helps people understand their impact on others, but also reflect on and change their behaviour.&nbsp; I have always tried to create an open and honest culture that creates psychological safety so that people feel supported and open to feedback. People really do care at SRG. We have managed to retain our family feel and I promote bottom-up management so that everyone has a voice, feels heard, and can contribute to the future direction of our organisation. I don&rsquo;t always get it right, and I love it when people tell me there is a better way, and to &lsquo;stop the stupid&rsquo;.
<h3 dir="ltr">Advice for someone joining SRG</h3>
My advice for someone starting their career at SRG would be to be the best version of yourself and embrace every moment. There are lots of great people to learn from, so be open and embrace difference.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.srgtalent.com/-/media/srg/blog/my-project-(47).png" alt="Bec Johnston has brown hair and is wearing white earrings. The text reads bec johnston, senior consultant to srg billing team leader 16 years of service">&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Early days</h3>
I began working at SRG as a Senior Consultant. Having had no scientific experience before starting out at SRG, I spent the first 2 years familiarising myself with all the various disciplines and sectors that we support.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Promotion</h3>
I then became Team Leader, and now look after MedTech and Molecular Diagnostics organisations for our Southern Hub. I particularly enjoy working closely with Start-Up ventures, supporting their growth and evolution. I also work closely with Researchers on my team, coaching and developing them through their recruitment journey.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Achievements</h3>
My greatest achievement so far has been partnering with a medical device SME in Cambridge on their recruitment process for their Industrial Placements for the past 5 years.&nbsp; I coach the students from initial enquiry, through their application, interview preparation, feedback and onboarding. Supporting grass-roots entry into the STEM sectors is something incredibly important to me, and I have found working in this partnership to be very rewarding.
<h3 dir="ltr">Advice for someone joining SRG</h3>
At SRG, you will be given autonomy and responsibility to hone your craft, find your niche and develop your career in STEM recruitment, in an inclusive and output-focused way - all the while being surrounded by other scientists and commercial experts alike. I would advise anyone looking to start their career at SRG to be bold, be excited by our clients&rsquo; work, don&rsquo;t be afraid of trying something new, and find your own style.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.srgtalent.com/-/media/srg/blog/my-project-(49).png" alt="Emma Lees has brown hair and is smiling in front of a window. The text reads emma lees, business support coordinator to srg programme manager 13 years of service">&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Early days</h3>
I started working at SRG in 2009 as Business Support Co-ordinator for SRG Manchester, and SRG Engineering.
<h3 dir="ltr">Promotion</h3>
Over time, I&rsquo;ve worked in a variety of Compliance/Central Support roles, as well as Account Manager/Client Support roles. This has given me the opportunity to learn about many aspects of the business, including Finance and Payroll, HR and Employment Law, Client Solutions, and IT integrations &ndash; all of which provides a solid base for my current role as Programme Manager.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Achievements</h3>
My greatest achievement so far has been helping set up the very first Ask@SRG Team, which is a central services team that blends compliance with candidate and client communications. Following its success, Ask@SRG is currently being rolled out as a central team to various other Impellam brands. Other achievements I&rsquo;m proud of include leading the company to success in a variety of internal and external compliance and quality audits over the years, as well as gaining my Prince2 qualification.
<h3 dir="ltr">Advice for someone joining SRG</h3>
I would advise anyone looking to start their career at SRG to dress for the job you want, not the one you have. While this is a bit old fashioned and goes back to a time where formal office attire was a thing&hellip; or even when offices were a thing, the premise is the same &ndash; &lsquo;act UP&rsquo; if you want to be noticed.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://www.srgtalent.com/-/media/srg/blog/my-project-(50).png" alt="Claire Lomas has brown hair and is wearing a blue top. The text reads claire lomas, business support coordinator to business support executive/PA to CEO">&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Early days</h3>
My first position at SRG was as Business Support Coordinator for SRG Manchester. I was hired by Kelly Morton when she managed the Manchester team in 2003.
<h3 dir="ltr">Promotion</h3>
I&rsquo;ve since been with the company for 19 years and have supported a range of areas. After returning from my first maternity leave, I moved over from SRG Manchester to the Engineering team which had grown and needed admin support. On returning from my second maternity leave in 2009, I moved into the role of PA, supporting Kelly who had become MD for SRG.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Achievements</h3>
While I don&rsquo;t feel I have had any stand-out achievements, I still love my job after 19 years &ndash; so things must be going ok!
*Note from the editor &ndash;&nbsp;Whilst Claire is too modest to shout about her achievements, we&rsquo;ll give you a short summary instead. Claire takes on many, many projects behind the scenes, to ensure SRG is a fantastic place to work. She is probably one of the most helpful people you will meet and takes organisation to a whole new level.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Advice for someone joining SRG</h3>
SRG is a successful business with lots of great people. The culture is very open, and the management and senior management teams are really accessible. For someone willing to work hard, there are lots of opportunities to develop and have a successful career at SRG. I would advise anyone starting out at SRG to ask lots of questions, and to listen to the advice of your colleagues and managers. There are lots of great people in the business that will help you develop and grow, so don&rsquo;t be shy!

Looking for advice on how to create a successful career in recruitment? Our longest-serving staff reveal their career journeys and expert advice.

Careers in recruitment: Meet SRG’s longest-serving staff – Pt 1

SRG are proud to sponsor Bionow&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bionow.co.uk/news/b620152ad40bb2/2021-bionow-awards-shortlisted-nominees-announced-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Award&nbsp;</a>this year, celebrating the achievements of biomedical and life science businesses across the North of England.&nbsp;
The competition was particularly high for this award, with a judging panel of industry experts shortlisting 4 nominees, from the 15 worthy applications.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The past 2 years have seen scientific breakthroughs and mind-blowing dedication from companies, social enterprises, research and healthcare organisations, universities and other bodies. The Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Award will be presented to reward research or innovation that has delivered a significant contribution to the understanding of, and response to, the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts.
<h2>Highlighting the 4 nominees</h2>
Working closely with scientific businesses for over 32 years, SRG understand the hard work and dedication of the scientific community, and by sponsoring this award, hope to help shine a spotlight on the work of the nominees. Here we summarise the ground-breaking work of the shortlist:
<ul>
<li>Alderley Park Lighthouse Laboratory Created as part of the UK government&rsquo;s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alderley Park Lighthouse Laboratory has been providing a high throughput Sars-Cov-2 qPCR testing service since April 2020.&nbsp; </li>
<li>Aptamer Group, Optimer&reg;- enabled Microtox&reg;PD wastewater monitoring for COVID-19 MicrotoxPD uses biosensor technology, enabled with specific Optimer binders to capture and bind the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 with 100% specificity for Spike protein and detection of minuscule concentrations (fem/ml) in wastewater, for real-time detection and monitoring signal outbreaks up to a week ahead of health facility testing.&nbsp;&nbsp; </li>
<li>Origin Healthcare Services, Aseptic Filling Facility - design, build and production in 5 months Origin Pharma Packaging supported the government&rsquo;s battle with the pandemic by converting a 12,000sq ft pharma packaging warehouse into one of the UK&rsquo;s leading aseptic filling facilities (7 ISO 5 filling lines), moving 5,000 pallets of pharma packaging to a new ISO 15378 storage facility within 5 months. </li>
<li>University of Liverpool, Liverpool Covid-SMART Community Testing Pilot The University of Liverpool partnered with local council and NHS organisations to deliver a national pilot of community COVIDtesting for people without symptoms. Over six months the national pilot delivered world-leading evidence on Covid testing, increasing detection rates and reducing cases, as well as examining the partnerships between science and society. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Competition was high amongst the nominees of this unique award</h2>
Behruz Sheikh, Head of Pharma &amp; Life Sciences (Northern Region) at SRG commented, &ldquo;This year I was proud to be involved in the judging panel and can honestly say I was amazed by the quality and innovation of all the nominations. Working with the rest of the judging panel, it has been incredibly difficult to decide on firstly the shortlist, and then, of course, the winner to be announced at the awards evening. I wanted to thank everyone that submitted a nomination and say a huge congratulations to this well-deserved shortlist. It was a pleasure to read about the ground-breaking work you are all involved in.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h2>Enjoy the Bionow Annual Awards Dinner in person</h2>
Originally due to be held in 2021, the rescheduled awards will take place on Thursday 31st March 2022.
Taking place at The Hangar, Concorde Conference Centre in Manchester, beneath the iconic Concorde, this celebration of science will give companies and individuals an evening to celebrate world-class achievements within the North of England.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bionow.co.uk/event/BIONOW114/2021-bionow-annual-awards-dinner#event-registration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">To find out more and book your place click here</a>. We hope to see you there.&nbsp;

SRG are proud to celebrate the innovative responses to the pandemic led by biomedical and life science businesses across the North of England.

SRG Celebrate Innovative Responses to the Pandemic through New Bionow Award

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated annually on May 20th, to recognise both the revolutionary practices borne back in the 18th century that continue to influence and shape the clinical sphere, as well as new advancements and techniques that continue to drive the field forward.
Clinical trials have been in motion since 1747, and have since transformed both the wider medical world, and the ways in which we research and discover cures for medical conditions.&nbsp;
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the criticality of clinical trials became rapidly apparent on an international basis. Regardless of your occupation, you&rsquo;re likely to have followed the evolution of new treatments from pioneers including AstraZeneca and Pfizer.&nbsp;
While we&rsquo;ve come far from the practices borne back in the 18th century, International Clinical Trials Day serves as a valuable opportunity to highlight the journey we&rsquo;ve taken in transforming clinical trials from their humble beginnings, to the pandemic-overhauling standard they occupy today, while reflecting on what tomorrow may bring.
Read on to discover:
<ul>
<li>The History of Clinical Trials</li>
<li>How Clinical Trials Adapted Over COVID</li>
<li>The Recruitment for Clinical Trials</li>
</ul>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>The History of Clinical Trials</h2>
Why&nbsp;<a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsday.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">May 20th</a>?&nbsp;
In May 1747, the HMS Salisbury, of Britain&rsquo;s Royal Navy fleet, set off to patrol the English Channel. Onboard was Lieutenant James Lind, the designated surgeon for the voyage. In a time when scurvy was capturing British seamen as prey, Lind, a pioneer of naval hygiene, believed the condition was caused by putrefaction of the body, and could be treated with citric acid.&nbsp;
On May 20th he began conducting an experiment, now formally known as a clinical trial. Recruiting a dozen men onboard who had contracted scurvy, he set out to ostensibly test the belief that citrus fruit may be a possible cure. The selected men were given remedies expansively containing cider, elixir of vitriol, lemons, oranges, sea water and vinegar. The experiments went underway during the remainder of the month at sea. Once the HMS Salisbury had returned to base at Plymouth by the end of May, one-sixth of the men, the two prescribed citrus fruit, were cured. Although some criticise and speculate Lind&rsquo;s examinations were not the start of clinical trials, they are confirmed to be the first to contain the factorisation of control groups.
Lind&rsquo;s research holds its importance in modern day, as Clinical Trials continue to be a vital avenue to discovering treatments across healthcare.&nbsp;
<h2>How clinical trials adapted over COVID</h2>
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, clinical trials became the leading way to discovering a reparative vaccine to protect ourselves and those around us as we began to filtrate back into the outside world. Their importance lies within their ability to discover new treatments for illnesses, while uncovering new processes that enable us to identify, diagnose, and lower the spread of said illness (if found contagious). Clinical trials enable researchers to test new medications and tools which provide a core logical foundation that can guide and care for patients. Additionally, clinical trials provide a route to falsify hypotheses, and forge new, more accurate ideas to improve treatment success .
<a href="https://www.anjusoftware.com/about/all-news/decentralized-clinical-trials-covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Decentralised clinical trials (DCTs)</a>&nbsp;have become an increasingly significant method of research within the past year. Due to hospital restrictions and stay-at-home regulations, researchers were left with restricted options for clinical trial recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the Coronavirus continued to drive a global demand for vaccination, as mortality rates grew. To meet these unique requirements, clinical trials had to rapidly adapt and decentralise at scale.
Decentralised trials offered pharmaceutical companies a way to simplify patient reporting - a key driving factor behind clinical trial retention. Unlike on-site trials, decentralised clinical trials allow patients to independently document their own daily apprises using their smartphones, or desktop devices. This enabled researchers to not only reduce retention rates but improve the scope and number of participants at scale, without compromising social distancing laws at the time.
<h2>Clinical Trial Recruitment Today</h2>
Today, the widespread accessibility of technology is bridging the gap between researchers, and research participants on a scale like never before. Easy access for those who are enthusiastic to do is effortlessly available. It only takes one simple search into Google, an advertisement to appear on Facebook, or a TV advert with step-by-step instructions to send someone on their way to finding out more information and registering to take part.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Interested in a scientific career?</h2>
SRG are here to help. Our expert consultants can help match you with your next role across STEM. Explore contract and permanent roles across the entire scientific sector including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, MedTech, biotech and FMCG.
Use our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">quick job search&nbsp;</a>tool below to get started!

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated annually on May 20th, to recognise both the revolutionary practices borne back in the 18th century that continue to influence and shape the clinical sphere, as well as new advancements and techniques that continue to drive the field forward.

International Clinical Trials Day: How Pioneering Research is Shaping Our World Today

If you&rsquo;d asked me what I wanted to be when I was younger, I would have said a Vet. The youngest child, and only girl, from a working-class family in Liverpool, my ambitions were simply to succeed.
While I&rsquo;m still on my journey, I wanted to share my career story in light of our recent partnership launch with social mobility charity In2scienceUK, and to show that no-one&rsquo;s journey to success is single-handed. The Impellam STEM portfolio (Lorien, SRG and Carbon60) and In2scienceUK will be supporting young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to pursue a career in STEM through industry and research-based placements and skills workshops. Learn more about our partnership&nbsp;<a href="https://in2scienceuk.org/2022/03/10/lorien-srg-and-carbon60-partner-with-in2scienceuk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
As you&rsquo;ll see from my story, that&rsquo;s an initiative that is very close to my heart.&nbsp; 
<h2>My career journey</h2>
I loved STEM subjects from an early age and had a passion for maths and chemistry. I never particularly enjoyed the academic side of learning, and after leaving school I took a job as a laboratory assistant. The company sponsored me to complete my HNC at a local college one day a week, and I worked around the clock &ndash; one day at college, in the labs four days a week and working at B&amp;Q at the weekend. All to save up to buy a &pound;600 Mini so I could get around and be independent!
Two years later I joined Solvay &ndash; a multinational chemical company &ndash; and worked my way up from Laboratory Technician to Research Chemist. Solvay sponsored me to attend university one day a week to do a degree in chemistry, something I&rsquo;m not sure I ever would have had the confidence to pursue for myself. I became the first generation in my family to go to university.After the business relocated to Belgium, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to do something that involved people but was still close to science. And that&rsquo;s how I entered the recruitment industry!&nbsp; I started with a small independent recruitment company as a resourcer and left two years later after setting up a successful scientific recruitment division to join SRG.
From the beginning, I really believed in SRG&rsquo;s vision. SRG hires ex-scientists &ndash; people that know the industry and the market inside out &ndash; and trains them up into consultative recruitment roles. Because the people know and love the industry, it is really easy for them to identify the right opportunities for the right people. I started as a Regional Manager, which petrified me as I didn&rsquo;t have much experience of managing large teams&hellip; but I kept saying to myself &lsquo;what doesn&rsquo;t break you will make you stronger&rsquo;.&nbsp; The team and I worked incredibly hard to put SRG Manchester on the map, I met some great people who helped me on my way, and I still have contact with these people today, although many have retired.&nbsp; A couple of years later I was promoted to Regional Director in the North, and then UK Director of Science and Engineering. I also had my son Joseph in that period which provided a fresh new challenge!&nbsp;
I was promoted to Managing Director of SRG in 2009. I remember thinking that I had my work cut out for me, we were muddling through a global recession and very few people were hiring. I made some structural changes and thankfully the market soon bounced back, enabling us to triple our revenue over three years.&nbsp; Then, 18 months or so ago, I was given the amazing opportunity to take on two additional STEM brands in Impellam &ndash; Lorien (technology and digital) and Carbon60 (engineering). I became the STEM Portfolio CEO and I&rsquo;ve loved every minute of it; I&rsquo;ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible people and I&rsquo;m really excited about our future.&nbsp; But I couldn&rsquo;t have done this alone.&nbsp; 
<h2>Thank you</h2>
I&rsquo;m very fortunate to have met people who believed in me throughout my career &ndash; sometimes more than I believed in myself. In particular, I&rsquo;m indebted to Peninsula Laboratories and Solvay for sponsoring me to complete my education. Without Solvay, I wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to afford to go to university. I&rsquo;ve also had the privilege of working with some incredible people. Dr Craig Jones, who I worked with at Solvay, deserves special mention because he was a fantastic mentor. He came from a similar working-class background to me, and he really took me under his wing.&nbsp;
Impellam Group has also been a great place for me to develop. Impellam Group has a strong leadership team that is full of powerful, inspiring women. In fact, just last year four of us made the notable SIA Power 150 &ndash; Women in Staffing list. This week we celebrated International Women&rsquo;s Day across the business, with guest speakers, panels, and networking.&nbsp; My experience has underlined the value of role models. Recognition, representation, and sponsorship of people from underrepresented backgrounds helps us to see our possibilities &ndash; and I hope to be that for someone else one day too.
<h2>Imposter syndrome</h2>
I&rsquo;m very open about the fact that I&rsquo;ve struggled with imposter syndrome throughout my career. Every role I&rsquo;ve ever taken, including this one, I&rsquo;ve felt sick with the idea that no-one would take me seriously. Self-belief can be quite difficult to achieve, especially if you&rsquo;re from a minority background where you can&rsquo;t see yourself in those upper echelons of business. My first role in the laboratory was male dominated and I was the only female project manager without a PhD. I used to feel like I couldn&rsquo;t do things because I wasn&rsquo;t rich, I didn&rsquo;t have a posh accent or an academic background. Imposter syndrome, if you let it get to you, can be crippling.
I&rsquo;ve learnt over the years that the best way to beat imposter syndrome is by being true to yourself. I know that sounds cheesy, but there honestly isn&rsquo;t any point being a fake version of yourself; it&rsquo;s exhausting. Imposter syndrome can also be valuable &ndash; it can give you grit and determination, but it can also ground you. Humility is a much-underestimated quality. My advice to anyone reading this is that if I can do it, so can you.&nbsp; 
<h2>The STEM sector</h2>
I might have moved away from working directly in the STEM industry, but my heart never left the sector. STEM is such an exciting place to work &ndash; you can impact real-world problems like fighting cancer, tackling climate change, or connecting people across the world.&nbsp;
Crucially, it&rsquo;s a sector that is growing quickly and is hungry for talent. The IET is predicting a<a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/11/engineering-and-tech-giants-join-forces-to-stem-15bn-annual-skills-gap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;STEM skill shortage of 173,000 roles in the UK</a>, and that means more opportunities, better pay, and more flexibility for people that want to join the industry. In fact, a recent study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that&nbsp;<a href="https://ifs.org.uk/uploads/Which-university-degrees-are-best-for-intergenerational-mobility.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">some of the university courses with the highest mobility rates were in STEM</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;
So why not try it out? It might be your first step to a long, successful, and happy career.&nbsp; 
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
My career journey might not be the most conventional, but I have been very fortunate with the opportunities I have been given. I want to return that favour, and I hope we can do that with our new partnership with In2scienceUK. I am really looking forward to reading the stories that come from the next generation of STEM specialists.&nbsp;
Find out what it&rsquo;s like to work for Impellam STEM&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/about-us/join-srg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here.&nbsp;</a>

Kelly Morton, STEM Portfolio CEO, discusses her inspirational career journey into STEM

Kelly Morton's Career Journey to STEM Portfolio CEO

Skills shortages in the UK are costing STEM businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stem.org.uk/sites/default/files/pages/downloads/stem-skills-indicator-findings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&pound;1.5 billion a year</a>.
Research from STEM Learning reveals that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stem.org.uk/sites/default/files/pages/downloads/stem-skills-indicator-findings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">7 in 10 leaders are finding it difficult to find people with the right skills&nbsp;</a>and are struggling with major staff shortages.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/stem-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SRG&rsquo;s 2021 STEM Survey&nbsp;</a>shows that over half of STEM professionals have had to reskill over the past year.
While the Fourth Industrial Revolution has offered organisations innovative technology, to truly see any benefit the right workforce is essential. Changing skills requirements have generated a competitive talent market, where organisations are paying increasingly higher wages to attract a limited pool of qualified candidates.
To succeed in a rapidly changing and evolving world of work, STEM leaders must not only adapt and reconsider the skills needed to succeed, but the way they source those skills and maintain workforce agility across times of uncertainty.
In this article I will explore:
<ul>
<li>Why skills shortages are rising in the UK</li>
<li>Skills of the future in STEM</li>
<li>How scientific services are solving the skills gap</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why are skills shortages rising in the UK?</h2>
From the complexities of Brexit, to workforce limitations due to COVID-19, the UK workforce has faced immense disruption and upheaval over the last few years. With complex visa routes narrowing the STEM talent pool, leaders must make informed, future-proof, talent decisions based on skills needed for the future of work.&nbsp;
Workforce limitations from COVID-19 as well as technological developments have led to a rise in automation across STEM. Automation often offers businesses a cheaper, more efficient alternative, enabling faster process times and an overall more streamlined process.
While automation can in some cases reduce the workforce, in times of transition, organisations are more likely to be actively seeking to expand and supplement their workforce with technically skilled professionals to help upskill their existing staff.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-rethinking-skills-to-tackle-the-uks-looming-talent-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research from McKinsey</a>&nbsp;shows that while 43% of UK organisations are set to reduce their workforce due to automation, 34% of organisations are actively expanding their teams, and an additional 41% are turning to contractors for task-specialised work.
The STEM skills of the future According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The World Economic Forum</a>, the top skills that employers see as critical in the lead up to 2025 are:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Critical Thinking&nbsp;</li>
<li>Analysis</li>
<li>Problem Solving</li>
<li>Active Learning</li>
<li>Resilience</li>
<li>Stress Tolerance</li>
<li>Flexibility</li>
</ol>
These skills reflect an emerging need for self-sufficiency and endurance, as well as an ability to think outside of the box, while continuously learning to keep up with new developments.
<h2>How scientific services are solving the skills gap</h2>
Scientific services help organisations across pharma and biotech preserve their competitive edge, with an externally developed workforce that works alongside wider internal teams. This approach simultaneously facilitates internal development, progression and innovation, while freeing up managerial time for high-level tasks.
Synergy is a Scientific Service Provider (SSP), powered by SRG. Unlike traditional CRO&rsquo;s, Synergy can access a vast network of talent consultants and candidates via SRG, enabling fast, responsive hires to be made at speed &ndash; despite the complexities of today&rsquo;s talent market. In industries such as pharma and biotech, time consciousness is critical. While soft skills have a growing impact in the workplace, organisations can lack the time to establish and enable workforce development. Meanwhile, disruptive innovations need entrepreneurial skill sets, disease managers need data and comms skills, and manufacturers require automation and supply-chain analytics skills.
Workforce alternatives like Synergy and other scientific services, play a critical role in enabling the workforce to grow, without increasing managerial workload.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Scientific Services solve the skills gap by:
<ul>
<li>Reskilling &ndash; reskilling the insourced team, insourcing businesses can move with speed and agility to redeploy talent where, and when, it&rsquo;s needed by the client.</li>
<li>Adding flexibility &ndash; helping businesses to scale resources according to workload</li>
<li>Rapidly building resources &ndash; helping clients rapidly build teams in the face of escalating workloads while allowing for headcount to be scaled back as the project ends.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Want to find out how scientific services could help you?</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/clients/our-services/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Synergy</a>&nbsp;partner with scientific organisations across the world, equipping laboratories with expert talent that drive organisational success, from within. At Synergy, we help laboratories improve their agility with flexible teams and staffing options who we source, manage and develop ourselves. Our friendly team are available to discuss your resourcing requirements at: synergyqueries@srgtalent.com&nbsp;

Robin Aris from Synergy Scientific Solutions explores the latest insights surrounding UK Skills Shortages in STEM

Insights into STEM Skills Shortages in the UK

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 53pt;" border="0" width="70" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-source: userset; mso-width-alt: 2560; width: 53pt;" width="70"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 120.0pt;">
<td class="xl66" style="height: 120.0pt; width: 53pt;" width="70" height="160">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Through its representation of female scientists, the media has the power to either perpetuate the gender gap in STEM or help solve the problem. How it responds next will have real-world implications for years to come.</h3>
In 2019, women made up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stemwomen.co.uk/blog/2021/01/women-in-stem-percentages-of-women-in-stem-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">24% of the UK STEM workforce</a>, despite the country being 50.59% female.
The picture is even gloomier in tech. In just over a decade, female representation in the sector has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/future-ready-leadership/2021/may/17/women-in-tech-why-its-time-to-reframe-the-conversation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">barely nudged from a paltry 15.7% in 2009 to only 17% today</a>. While these figures are common knowledge within the industry, the sheer extent to which STEM is male dominated still has the power to shock.
Given that science, technology, engineering, and maths are core building blocks of modern society &mdash; standing at the forefront of global challenges such as the pandemic response and the fight against climate change &mdash; the current lack of diversity in STEM is more than just an industry issue. It&rsquo;s a societal and political issue.
Central to this is on-screen representation. TV and film have long been powerful mediums for social change, and the way female STEM characters are portrayed can directly contribute to viewers holding certain stereotypes of what a scientist can or can&rsquo;t be. In other words, the media has the power to either perpetuate unconscious cultural biases or to help break them down.
Boosting female representation in STEM is more than just a question of ethics; all the evidence suggests that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2020/01/15/diversity-confirmed-to-boost-innovation-and-financial-results/#:~:text=Diverse%20teams%20are%20better%20positioned,between%20diversity%20and%20innovation%20revenue." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">greater diversity drives innovation</a>. When doors are unlocked for women, we all benefit. So what, as a society, can we do to ensure more talented women and girls see STEM as a viable, inclusive career option? And how can the media contribute to closing the glaring gender divide?
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Taking stock of the wider problem</h2>
&nbsp;
<h3>&ldquo;We need all hands on deck, and that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.&rdquo;</h3>
&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp;Michelle Obama
 We&rsquo;ve all seen LinkedIn content about inspirational female scientists making waves in their fields, as well as the remarkable women leading the fightback against COVID-19. Though some posts can often appear as corporate lip service, most of the discourse is good-natured, purposeful, and points to a widespread commitment from both STEM businesses and individuals alike to fight gender inequality in STEM.
Much like the drive for racial justice and the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, bridging the gender gap largely hinges on raising the public&rsquo;s awareness through visibility. But unless female scientists &mdash; both real and fictional &mdash; are firmly placed under the spotlight, there&rsquo;s a danger that progress could stall.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Society&rsquo;s problem</h3>
After all, the two main barriers to true gender parity in STEM are societal. Most notably, the workforce imbalance between the genders spans almost&nbsp;all&nbsp;careers, let alone those in STEM. Secondly, the public attitude towards science-based subjects and vocations remains largely ambivalent: according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/905466/public-attitudes-to-science-2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 UK government survey</a>, 47% think science is too specialised for most people to understand.
On the one hand, a cynic might argue that the UK educational system &mdash; in its teaching of STEM subjects, at least &mdash; is not properly preparing students (of all genders) to make waves in the world of STEM. On the other, the buck stops with the media, which has the power to change the public mood on any given issue.
It&rsquo;s also worth mentioning one hugely important caveat: disparity among women. Women of colour and/or those from working-class backgrounds, for example, face significantly more barriers than their white middle-class counterparts. (Simply having a private school education offers pathways into the best universities and the kind of prestigious occupations that are largely closed off to the majority).
With all these political and societal hurdles in mind, the media can play a huge role in opening doors for women and other marginalised groups. But as one&nbsp;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/596527b0cd0f68b5392a8119/t/596e7fa24c0dbf9933495aee/1500413863643/femWhitePaperHighRes2012.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">white paper</a>&nbsp;astutely observes, &ldquo;the people who create and distribute media are part of the same culture, and prey to the same subconscious biases as the rest of us."
Clearly, much more needs to be done to enshrine the idea that STEM is a viable career option for every girl with an interest in science. Without inspirational figures in popular culture, countless women (especially those from minorities and/or deprived backgrounds) stand to miss out.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">A man&rsquo;s world?</h2>
Ask the average person to name their favourite scientist, and they&rsquo;ll more than likely list a male. Likewise, ask someone else to name their favourite male science figure, and you&rsquo;ll probably receive instant responses pertaining to scientists firmly in the public spotlight (juggernauts like Stephen Hawking, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins immediately spring to mind).
Ask someone to name their favourite female scientist, however, and there&rsquo;s a good chance you&rsquo;ll be met with a long, pensive silence. While well known by many, trailblazers like Rosalind Franklin and Jocelyn Bell Burnell simply aren&rsquo;t as famous as their male contemporaries. (The fact that Franklin is often eulogised as &ldquo;the forgotten heroine&rdquo; says it all). Again, the traditional media certainly hasn&rsquo;t helped matters in this regard.
In film, for example, depictions of female scientists have frequently reinforced gender stereotypes. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://seejane.org/wp-content/uploads/portray-her-executive-summary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a study conducted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media</a>, portrayals of STEM jobs in the film industry convey mixed comments and ideas to adolescent girls and women.
The study looked at STEM characters in film and television and concluded that the media largely reinforces the notion that scientists are white men. Male STEM characters outnumber female ones by 62.9% to 37.1%, while over 70% of STEM characters are white.
Film and television were also found wanting when it came to perpetuating the myth that certain scientific disciplines are inappropriate for women. Fewer women were portrayed as physical scientists (6.4% compared to 11.8%), computer scientists (8.6% compared to 11.5%), or engineers (2.4% compared to 13.7%) than male STEM characters.
&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">If she can see it, she can be it</h2>
Thankfully, we are slowly seeing a shift in perceptions. Films such as 2016&rsquo;s&nbsp;Hidden Figures&nbsp;have acted as watersheds for public understanding of female contributions within STEM &mdash; particularly from women of colour.
The film, which shone a light on the little-known yet pivotal achievements of three black female scientists working for NASA in the 1960s Space Race &mdash; Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Mon&aacute;e) &mdash; received widespread critical acclaim, including three Oscar nominations. 
<h3><a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/katherine-johnson">&gt; Read about the extraordinary life of Katherine Johnson</a></h3>
Another positive can also be gleaned from the study mentioned earlier: though female representation is low, female STEM characters are just as likely as men to be portrayed as leaders in their fields. Even more encouragingly (and somewhat surprisingly), women in these roles were found to be depicted as equally competent and empowered and more intelligent than men.
As one notable example shows, the importance of media representation cannot be understated. Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a fictitious FBI agent on the hit TV show,&nbsp;The X-Files, famously inspired an entire generation of female scientists to don their lab coats. This phenomenon has even been given its own name: the so-called &ldquo;<a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/xfiles-dana-scully-effect-women-stem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scully Effect</a>.&rdquo;
According to the Geena Davis Institute, &ldquo;nearly two-thirds of women working in STEM today say that Scully served as their personal role model and gave them the confidence to succeed in a male-dominated profession.&rdquo; In more recent years, empowering female characters like Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) in&nbsp;Contagion&nbsp;(2011), Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) in&nbsp;Gravity&nbsp;(2013), and Shuri (Letitia Wright) in&nbsp;Black Panther&nbsp;(2018) have shifted the needle further.
Increasingly, content creators are recognising the real-world impact that their work can have on public perceptions, as well as the importance of placing women in diverse roles. As Geena Davis &mdash; an Academy Award winner herself &mdash; puts it, &ldquo;if she can see it, she can be it.&rdquo; With better access to strong role models, more girls can be inspired to STEM greatness.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">The time is now</h3>
That said, it&rsquo;s worth reminding ourselves that the opposite is just as true. If she&nbsp;can&rsquo;t&nbsp;see it, she probably can&rsquo;t be it.
As a society, we cannot afford to be complacent. We must demand that women and girls of all backgrounds are represented across the media and are given the confidence to excel in a STEM profession. Only then can our industry truly mirror the society it strives to help.

Strong female role models in film and TV can help change the world, but media representations of female scientists have long fallen short of the mark.

We need to talk about media portrayals of women in STEM

When innovations in healthcare are disruptive, they shift paradigms and establish new, more efficient ways to diagnose, treat and support patients.
Enabled in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of digital health has brought us tools that transform the patient pathway; from medical apps, to AI software &ndash; and its impact shows no sign of slowing down -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-useful-is-ai-in-medical-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">medical devices are beginning to leverage data&nbsp;</a>to reimagine the patient journey.
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/how-the-medtech-industry-can-capture-value-from-digital-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">McKinsey&rsquo;s global MedTech survey</a>&nbsp;reveals that while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/clients/core-industries/medtech-recruitment-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MedTech</a>&nbsp;executives say that only 10% of revenue was generated from digital health solutions in 2021, they expect that figure to rise to 50% within the next 5 years.
In this article, I&rsquo;ll explain:
<ul>
<li>Why digital health is vital for the future of healthcare</li>
<li>What makes technology transformative</li>
<li>The top 3 MedTech innovations shaping the future of the industry</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>How digital health is transforming the healthcare industry</h2>
The future of the healthcare industry lies in moving away from treatment management, to optimising diagnosis and prevention.
<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673621002324#bib71" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Lancet&rsquo;s commissioned report on the future of the UK&rsquo;s NHS</a>&nbsp;reveals a prevailing bias towards treatment over prevention, despite the fact additional spend to improve prevention would be 3 to 4 times more effective than current NHS spending (based on the quality adjusted life year approach). Similarly in the U.S, while chronic conditions are responsible for 75% of US healthcare expenditures,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-020-0276-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">merely 3% of total US healthcare expenditures are spent on prevention</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp; Digital health presents a new direction for healthcare in reducing disease burden cost through better diagnosis and prevention across the patient continuum.
The Lancet&rsquo;s recommendations suggest digital health and MedTech will be key across:
<ul>
<li>Optimising diagnosis&nbsp;&ndash; Target investment in AI capabilities for diagnosis, as well as testing new routes and improving the availability of diagnostics.</li>
<li>Promoting innovation and quality improvement&nbsp;&ndash; Develop and implement technological infrastructure to make the most of data. Rebalance and strengthen research and innovation.</li>
<li>Strengthening integration&nbsp;&ndash; Reduce structural barriers, increase accountability, and work in different ways with patients, carers and the public to deliver seamless care.</li>
</ul>
In the U.K, change is on the horizon.
The government has now reallocated part of the local authority public health grant from treatment, to preventative activity and is launching digital programs and treatment offerings for patients across the health system.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h2>What is a disruptive innovation in healthcare</h2>
Clayton Christensen; the founder of the term,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3744287/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">describes three criteria for a disruptive innovation</a>:
<ol>
<li>&nbsp;Technology enabler &ndash; the key piece of technology that starts it all</li>
<li>Business model innovation &ndash; a shift in business that enables mass reach</li>
<li>The value network &ndash; the mutually reinforcing market that simultaneously promotes and utilises the technology.</li>
</ol>
In healthcare, disruptive technologies often go hand-in-hand with the accessibility and efficiencies offered by technology.
Take<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5529719/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;laparoscopic surgery for example</a>&nbsp;&ndash; while a technically feasible procedure, it wasn&rsquo;t until the development of the computer chip television camera and video in the 1980s, that the procedure became widely used and classed as a disruptive innovation.&nbsp;
Digital health and MedTech offer healthcare professionals crucial tools and technologies that revolutionise every possible step of the patient pathway, from early diagnosis and prevention to treatment in the operating theatre.
&nbsp;
<h2>Top 3 disruptive Medical Technologies&nbsp;</h2>
<h3>AI-based diagnostics</h3>
<a href="https://www.frost.com/news/press-releases/600-m-6-billion-artificial-intelligence-systems-poised-dramatic-market-expansion-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research from Frost &amp; Sullivan</a>&nbsp;demonstrates that AI in diagnosis can boost patient outcomes by 30-40%, while cutting treatment costs by up to 50%.&nbsp;
Built to handle huge amounts of data, and repetitive work processes, AI offers radiologists and physicians and crucial layer of decision support that can help mitigate errors and improve confidence in complex medical diagnosis and treatment.
Let&rsquo;s take breast cancer as an example.
<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2624533" target="_parent">Research&nbsp;</a>shows that digital mammography is an imperfect tool with an 84% sensitivity rate; meaning 16% of cancers remain undetected. Furthermore, a significant percentage of screen-detected breast cancers are overdiagnoses that would not have become clinically significant within the person&rsquo;s lifetime.
This accuracy rate is linked to the human limitations of what radiologists can visually identify on a mammographic image.&nbsp;
AI algorithms absorb a huge amount of data, from the mammograph itself, to patient clinical history and risk factors, to present clear predictions that may one day be better than human screening.&nbsp; What&rsquo;s more, as the AI diagnosis process converts the mammographs into automatically extracted pixel-level variables, it can extract and identify new markers for breast cancer and improve our understanding of the condition.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>3D Printed Organs</h3>
While&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/3d-printed-medicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3D printing is no stranger to the world of health</a>, 3D bioprinting has the potential to change the way we approach organ transplants forever.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1517/13543776.2015.1019466" target="_parent">3D bioprinting</a>&nbsp;builds functional biological tissue and vasculature by dispensing individual groups of cells into specific locations, along with bio-scaffolds and extracellular matrices. The level of detail and personalisation required to construct the organ, may provide the flexibility required for on-demand individualised construction of biological organs.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Micro-needle biosensors for personalised dosing</h3>
<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(19)30131-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pioneering research from Imperial College London</a>&nbsp;has shown the potential of microneedle technology in humans, for the very first time.&nbsp; By administering antibiotics through the microneedle biosensors, the researchers were able to continually monitor and optimise dosage on a personalised basis. Delivering this personalised dose of antibiotics improves clinical outcomes and helps counteract the consequences of antimicrobial therapy, particularly the development of toxicity and antimicrobial resistance. And its applications extend further - delivering medications through microneedle biosensors could shift the way we consider dosage in the future.&nbsp; While current methods of therapeutic drug monitoring for individualised dosing present technical and operational barriers, microneedle biosensors offer an intuitive alternative. 
<h2>Key Takeaway: Is digital health the future of healthcare?&nbsp;</h2>
It&rsquo;s clear that digital technology will have a significant role across the future of healthcare.&nbsp;
While traditional treatment techniques can lead to silos, digital alternatives offer the opportunity to transform the patient pathway on an individual basis, and beckon in an era of personalised medicine, diagnosis and treatment.
However, patient data remains at the core of many technological innovations, protecting and using this data in a way that empowers patients is paramount.
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/how-can-healthcare-unlock-the-power-of-data-connectivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For Pete McCabe, CEO of Datavant,&nbsp;</a>one of the world&rsquo;s largest healthcare data ecosystems, personalised and value-based care has immense value for global health systems, &ldquo;If you think about one of the biggest advancements in healthcare over the last hundred years, it&rsquo;s powering every health decision with data. And when you&rsquo;re able to do that, first and foremost you put an informed patient at the centre of his or her care.&rdquo; Sustained by innovation, both health tech and medical technology are<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/medical-device-industry-2021-outlook)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;pioneering new ways to transform the patient experience.&nbsp;&nbsp; </a>
<h2>Considering a career in MedTech?&nbsp;</h2>
There&rsquo;s never been a better time to join the MedTech industry.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/stem-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Our 2021 STEM Survey</a>&nbsp;shows that MedTech is the top STEM sector for job satisfaction, with 83% of professionals reporting high job satisfaction.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s more, there&rsquo;s a growing need for professionals; the<a href="https://pf-media.co.uk/news/life-sciences-skills-strategy-shows-demand-for-133000-jobs-across-the-sector-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Life Sciences 2030 Skills Strategy&nbsp;</a>indicates that over 90,000 scientific workers will be needed over the next decade.&nbsp;
You can<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/jobs?keywords=Medical+technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;view available roles in Medical Technology here</a>, or alternatively,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/laithmustafa/)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">connect with Laith on Linkedin</a>.&nbsp;
Laith and his team specialise in finding technical talent for MedTech and digital health industries, from purely R&amp;D to regulatory control and manufacturing.&nbsp; Laith's team typically recruit roles such as: Mechanical Design Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Continuous Improvement Specialists, Process Engineers, Validation Engineers, Research Scientists, Regulatory Affairs Specialists, Quality Assurance Specialists, QMS Specialists, Clinical Trial Assistants, Clinical Evaluation Report Writers, as well as other similar technical roles.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Laith Mustafa, Sector Lead for MedTech reveals the top 3 disruptive technologies paving the future of digital health

Top 3 Disruptive Technologies Shaping the Future of Digital Health

The work of a pharmaceutical process engineer underlies the success of every new drug launch. By ensuring the safety, efficiency and optimisation of manufacturing processes, process engineers in pharma pave the way for vital medications, and drugs to reach the market, and support patients.
In this article, you can expect to learn:
<ul>
<li>What pharmaceutical process engineering involves</li>
<li>&nbsp;Key responsibilities of process engineers in the pharmaceutical industry</li>
<li>&nbsp;How process engineers impact the pharmaceutical industry</li>
<li>What the future holds for pharmaceutical process engineers</li>
</ul>
<h2> What is pharmaceutical process engineering</h2>
Process engineering in the pharmaceutical industry focuses on the end-to-end manufacture of drugs and medication.&nbsp;
Pharmaceutical process engineers optimise and improve manufacturing efficiency while maintaining product quality. Achieving this means leveraging industry-specific technologies and methodologies to drive cost savings, while ensuring product and equipment robustness.
<h2> Key responsibilities of process engineers in the pharmaceutical industry&nbsp;</h2>
On a day-to-day basis, pharmaceutical process engineers maintain equipment, design manufacturing processes, and maintain strategic oversight of the sterile processing environment.
Key responsibilities include:
<ul>
<li>Developing, evaluating and optimising end-to-end industrial processes, from ideation to certification</li>
<li>Selecting and integrating new equipment and services&nbsp;</li>
<li>Running regular risk assessments of both equipment and processes</li>
<li>Evaluating the process capability of equipment and delivering reports to senior management.</li>
</ul>
<h2> How process engineers impact the pharmaceutical industry</h2>
Fewer new molecules are coming to market, and the expiry of existing patents means&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/5-drug-discovery-and-development-challenges-and-how-to-solve-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the pharmaceutical industry is under immense pressure</a>&nbsp;to rapidly replace key revenue-generating drugs.
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/career-advice/roles-in-focus/process-engineering" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Process engineers</a>&nbsp;maintain, and optimise the manufacturing environment, enabling new manufacturing technologies and processes that cut costs and speed time to market.
This enables pharmaceutical organisations to make the most of their patent duration, and achieve a better return on profit, which consequently provides more resources for investment in innovation.&nbsp;
<a href="https://hbr.org/1995/09/the-new-logic-of-high-tech-rd">Research from the Harvard Business Review</a>&nbsp;shows that the effects of innovative process engineering are cumulative. The earlier a company invests in process optimisation, the greater the monetary return. However, the longer a company delays process optimisation, the more likely it becomes that the improvements created by process optimisation will simply lead to excess capacity.
Pharmaceutical process engineers have a critical role to play as mediators between the manufacturing environment, and senior leadership; their reports, recommendations and optimisation processes will influence the extent to which costs are reduced, innovation is enabled, and high financial returns are achieved.
<h2> What does the future hold for pharmaceutical process engineers?</h2>
There is a surge in demand for better manufacturing processes that has been heightened by<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/congressional-testimony/safeguarding-pharmaceutical-supply-chains-global-economy-10302019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) shortages&nbsp;</a>across the COVID-19 pandemic.
Across the globe, organisations are actively seeking to establish domestic manufacturing capabilities and invest in the right technologies and expertise to ensure they achieve the most efficient and productive yield possible.
Manufacturing technology innovation in the pharmaceutical industry is flourishing.
The most significant technologies include:
<h3>Continuous Manufacturing</h3>
Process trains in continuous manufacturing systems constantly receive, and process raw materials into finished products. As this happens continuously, continuous manufacturing generates a significant amount of product despite the amount of material generated being relatively small.&nbsp;
Continuous manufacturing<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/us-lshc-advanced-biopharmaceutical-manufacturing-white-paper-051515.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;improves scalability and can speed time to market</a>, lowering capital and operating costs while enhancing quality.&nbsp; 
<h3>Robotic Process Automation</h3>
In robotic process automation, software drives normal rule-based activities, freeing up personnel time for higher-value operations.
The technology itself consists of software that logs into programmes, enters information and data, evaluates and completes tasks, and then logs out. Implementing this technology<a href="https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/article/166397/generic-drug-market-growth-insights-to-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;enables legal and regulatory compliance at speed</a>&nbsp;and can help lower expenses.&nbsp; 
<h3>Single Use Systems</h3>
Single use systems modularize manufacturing, enabling organisations to use the same floor space to manufacture different low volume products. The systems reduce the potential of cross-contamination, facilitate rapid changeovers, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/us-lshc-advanced-biopharmaceutical-manufacturing-white-paper-051515.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">help increase flexibility and scalability</a>.&nbsp; The right process engineering guidance can unlock competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry, enabling innovation, profit, and continued business success.
<h2> Interested in a new pharmaceutical process engineer role?</h2>
Looking for a new opportunity in pharmaceutical process engineering?<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/find-a-job/engineering-jobs/process-engineering-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Check out our available roles here.</a>
You can also connect with our Head of Sector &ndash; Pharma &amp; FMCG Engineering,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-tiffin">Joe Tiffin on Linkedin&nbsp;</a>
Joe is responsible for leading SRG's recruitment of Engineering and Production staff across the Pharmaceutical, Biopharmaceutical &amp; Life Science sector working with a number of Top 10 Global Pharmaceutical organisations as well as SME&rsquo;s.
Joe works across both contract and permanent markets, and supports with candidates across the following disciplines: CAPEX projects (Managers/Engineers), Process, Maintenance, Engineering management, Validation, Commissioning and Production Management

Process engineering in the pharmaceutical industry makes innovation possible. Read more…

The Importance of Process Engineering in the Pharmaceutical Industry

<h2>Career development within the scientific sector can be fast paced, varied, and extremely rewarding if you work for the right business. We have taken a closer look at career development within our own in-house, scientific outsourcing solutions business, Synergy.&nbsp;</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/clients/our-services/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy</a>&nbsp;employs scientists, manufacturing specialists and clinical professionals, then places teams of specialists into a variety of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/find-a-job/pharmaceutical-jobs">pharmaceutical</a>&nbsp;and biotech companies. This gives staff the benefits of working for a variety of clients and areas within their business, whilst enjoying the stability of being employed by one business, Synergy.&nbsp; We spoke to two of Synergy&rsquo;s onsite team leaders, Sorin and Harry &mdash; based at GSK Ware and Reckitts Hull, respectively &mdash; to ask them about their journey with Synergy so far, their experience of career development, and how the model differs from other businesses they&rsquo;ve work for.&nbsp; Why did you join Synergy? Sorin &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been hard for me to find a role that provides both stability and the opportunity for change. This role offers both. For someone like me who craves the idea of working with new accounts, clients and projects, Synergy meets all those needs. You don&rsquo;t feel purely like a mercenary, as contractors can often feel. You feel more connected to the outcome.&rdquo; Harry &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been working for Synergy since July 2018. I knew a few of the people in the Synergy team at the time. I was looking for something more analytical-based for my skill set (I quite like the actual testing, GMP, the process validation and things like that), so I made the move into more analytical testing.&rdquo;
<h2>What opportunities have you had for training and upskilling?</h2>
Sorin &ldquo;There&rsquo;s plenty of opportunity. I asked to do a mental health first aider course because it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;m actually passionate about and can apply it in the workplace. That was arranged plus multiple other training courses &mdash; altogether, quite a bit of resource has been put into it.&rdquo; &ldquo;I requested something that was personal to me and got something great back.&rdquo; &ldquo;On a monthly basis, there&rsquo;s a different training module, which is really exciting.&rdquo; Harry &ldquo;There were a lot more training opportunities &mdash; a few different things to learn that I hadn&rsquo;t done before, different labs.&rdquo; &ldquo;There are quite a few opportunities outside of business requirements. They paid for me to do a project management and team leadership course, which was really nice. There are a few other development courses for my team further down the line. It&rsquo;s a nice way of doing things because you get to see the different ways people work.&rdquo; 
<h2>How has working for a scientific outsourced company benefited your career?&nbsp;</h2>
Sorin &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the difference between the Synergy model and traditional contracting models. You can attach yourself to each account and client. The model offers you the freedom to test a few things out without the usual repercussions. You still get long-term value because you might get to experience new skills or a new industry. You can have the peace of mind that no one is going to tell you you&rsquo;re going to be out of here within a week.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;The structure of the contract offers security and the benefits of the company investing into your education within the workplace, which is rare to find in the contracting world. That&rsquo;s the selling point. It&rsquo;s a good environment to be in that builds brand loyalty.&rdquo; Harry &ldquo;One of the first things I noticed when I started was how different it was to previous roles I&rsquo;d been in. There was a lot more support and help for me and others; more of a team effort. Usually, it was a &ldquo;this is your job and you deal with it&rdquo; mindset. The support from colleagues made life a lot easier.&rdquo; &ldquo;The model is a nice way of specialising. You still have that range of analytical regulations and documents for the actual product, and you advise the client, learn a bit about that, learn a bit about cosmetics.&rdquo; &ldquo;In old roles, medical devices was always my specialisation, so when someone used to talk to me about a monograph it would go over my head. Now, I have a basic understanding of most requirements for any classification or product now.&rdquo; 
<h2>What sort of career development have you experienced?</h2>
Sorin &ldquo;You see a problem and how you can help and how things need to change. Within a year of being with Synergy I&rsquo;ve managed to get promoted officially once and also work towards different projects. I&rsquo;m not driven by money and just trying to keep my life interesting. It is nice to be attached to an entity that requires the flexibility my brain requires, but also to have consistency in terms of the people I work with. In the last ten years I&rsquo;ve lived in five different countries.&rdquo; &ldquo;I became team leader while I was already onsite as a manufacturing technologist, so I experienced no team leader and being the team leader. Without wanting to blow my own trumpet, having this fixed point of contact was really positive for the team. It gives them someone who has a dedicated interest in their progression and training. You have a duty of care for people in your team, which you sometimes don&rsquo;t get in other STEM contracting models.&rdquo; Harry &ldquo;Synergy is quite good at picking up people and developing people straight from uni. I think it&rsquo;s an excellent starting place for that.&rdquo; &ldquo;As we&rsquo;ve progressed, I&rsquo;ve taken on team management, dealing with clients more directly and providing advice and training to my team members. One colleague has worked with me for years &mdash; his knowledge helps guide the team if I&rsquo;m not around.&rdquo; &ldquo;The new people are still getting used to it and learning the processes, but others are pretty much more self-sufficient now.&rdquo; &ldquo;Pre-COVID, quite a few people used to move around between different Synergy sites so that option is there for people who like a change of environment.&rdquo; &ldquo;A lot of the people who started here have come straight out of university and it&rsquo;s a great first glance into GMP because you&rsquo;re teaching them the correct processes and how to do things properly. We&rsquo;re always reviewing them, showing them how to do it, and letting them learn for themselves. I&rsquo;ve seen a lot of other sites that have essentially just dropped people into the lab and gone, &ldquo;crack on&rdquo;. In this environment, mistakes are more likely.&rdquo; &ldquo;At Reckitts, when someone comes in, with Synergy they know what they need to learn, they know what their role is going to detail, and then the training is really extensive and good at showing people how they do it. Watching them in the lab, guiding them, stepping back again, and enabling a healthy progression.&rdquo;
<h2>&ldquo;Personal development is unique to each individual&rdquo; says Head of UK Operations</h2>
Our Synergy Science Account Manager &ndash; UK Operations, Carol Jennings, commented on the career development at Synergy saying, &ldquo;We are passionate about helping our teams learn and develop new skills. Not only is this an important aspect of any job role, as it allows for personal growth and personal satisfaction, but skills learnt or enhanced are a great advantage in helping people on their career journeys.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Personal development is unique to each individual and whether it be apprenticeships, technical training, coaching in specific areas or other training opportunities, we pride ourselves on being able to bespoke a development plan to each member of the team. We also look at career progression and cross training as part of people&rsquo;s career ambitions. Investing time in each individual really allows them to shine, setting us apart from the crowd.&rdquo; As well as the bespoke career development for individuals the SRG group, including Synergy, is invested in supporting its employees through wider company policy too, demonstrated through their Investors in People Silver accreditation.&nbsp; 
<h2>Time to move your career forward?&nbsp;</h2>
If you are ready to develop your scientific career, working for Synergy could be an exciting way of doing it, giving you in-valuable experience and variety.&nbsp; Click here to view the available Synergy job vacancies with Cignpost Diagnostics.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Scientific career development - we have taken a closer look at career development within our own in-house, scientific outsourcing solutions business, Synergy.

Interview - Career development within a scientific outsourcing business

Medicinal chemists improve the quality of compounds to boost the chances of clinical trial success and expand treatment options for patients.
Despite advances across the pharmaceutical sector,<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/my/Documents/risk/my-risk-sdg3-intelligent-drug-discovery.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;merely one-third of the estimated 30,000 known diseases can be treated</a>. We need new medicines, and medicinal chemists help lead and optimise the drug discovery and development process to create them.&nbsp;
Read on to find out:
<ul>
<li>What medicinal chemistry is</li>
<li>4 ways medicinal chemists power drug discovery</li>
<li>Key skills of a medicinal chemist</li>
</ul>
<h2>What is medicinal chemistry?</h2>
Medicinal chemistry is an interdisciplinary science that combines chemical biology, pharmacology, and medicine to drive drug discovery.&nbsp;
Medicinal chemists help to discover new lead compounds for new medicines, demonstrate how well biological targets bind with the lead compound (target druggability), and address issues that determine drug success, safety, and failure. By improving the quality of drug candidates, medicinal chemists help to maximise the chances of clinical trial success.
<h2>4 ways medicinal chemists power drug discovery</h2>
<h3>1.&nbsp;Lead compound discovery</h3>
Lead compounds are chemicals with therapeutic biological activity against a target for a particular disease.
Lead compound discovery is often a collaborative affair that medicinal chemists guide with their research and expertise.
Medicinal chemists scour large libraries of potential compounds using either classical combinatorial chemistry, or computer modelling in-silico techniques &ndash; the more compounds that are screened, the greater the chance of success.&nbsp;
Medicinal chemists use often more than one screening technique to find the most lead compounds with optimal success potential. Machine learning, including deep learning and AI,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-ai-drug-discovery-technology-is-transforming-the-biopharma-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">show promise when it comes to increasing the efficacy</a>&nbsp;of this process.&nbsp;
Partnering with Exscientia,<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2022/2022-01-07-07-00-00-2362917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Sanofi are using cutting edge AI techniques to identify new lead compounds&nbsp;</a>for treatments within oncology and immunology. Exscientia&rsquo;s &lsquo;Centaur Chemist&rsquo; is helping Sanofi&rsquo;s medicinal chemists and wider team accelerate this process by computationally sifting through and comparing millions of small molecules before selecting the most viable candidates for synthesis, testing and optimisation.&nbsp;
<h3>2.&nbsp;Compound synthesis</h3>
Medicinal chemists use synthetic procedures to create compounds for new medicines, and to re-synthesize screening hits for biological evaluation.&nbsp;
Medicinal chemists usually synthesize compounds using legacy reactions that generate structurally similar compounds, however change is on the horizon. Synthesis innovation is of growing importance to many pharmaceutical companies, including&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01409" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GlaxoSmith Kline who have initiated collaborative relationships&nbsp;</a>with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to expand the diversity scope of reactions used in synthesis.
Once developed, these new reactions will offer medicinal chemists new pathways to synthesizing diverse compounds, without taking away time to explore new reaction conditions.
<h3>3.&nbsp;Compound design</h3>
Medicinal chemists specialise in compound design, where they help to balance and combine the competing parameters of structure and biological function.&nbsp;
Compound quality is an increasingly critical area of concern across pharma, where diminishing success rates of clinical compounds are driving attrition in development. Industry research has paved the way for more thorough design parameters for the benefit of medicinal chemists, including:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd3926-c1#:~:text=This%20paper%20suggests%20that%20fragments,bond%20acceptors%20is%20%E2%89%A43" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The rule of 3&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://jcheminf.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13321-019-0330-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ligand efficiency&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrd4128" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Predictive models&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>
These parameters and heuristics are now routinely integrated within compound design by medicinal chemists to reduce late-stage attrition in drug development.
<h3>4.&nbsp;Discovering and selecting targets</h3>
A target can refer to a range of biological forms including proteins, genes and RNA.&nbsp;
Targets are linked to a disease process and are targeted by the chemical compounds within a drug to produce a therapeutic effect. Medicinal chemists help guide the identification of safe, efficacious targets that are accessible to the drug molecule.&nbsp;
Medicinal chemists discover potential targets by:
<ul>
<li>Data mining&nbsp;&ndash; where biomedical data including publications, patent information, gene expression data, proteomics data, transgenic phenotyping and compound profiling data are scoured using AI software to identify viable targets.</li>
<li>Establishing correlations&nbsp;&ndash; where chemists examine mRNA/protein levels to determine whether they are a product of the disease, and if they are correlated with disease progression.</li>
<li>Genetics association&nbsp;&ndash; where medicinal chemists look for links between genetic elements and risk of disease, or disease progression.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Once a potential target is identified, medicinal chemists use validation processes to select the most appropriate and safe targets connected to the disease area.&nbsp;
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h2>Skills for success as a medicinal chemist</h2>
Medicinal chemists have an important role to play across drug discovery and development, where their expertise and experience helps to activate and enable success.&nbsp;
Key skills include:
<ol>
<li>A thorough knowledge of modern organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry</li>
<li>An understanding of related biology to the target disease area</li>
<li>Experience with pharmacological tests</li>
<li>Knowledge of the factors that influence chemicals in vivo</li>
<li>Current knowledge of competitive and emerging technologies</li>
<li>An entrepreneurial attitude</li>
<li>Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration</li>
</ol>
<h2>Looking for your next role in medicinal chemistry?</h2>
SRG provide leading recruitment support on a global scale, supporting candidates across STEM into rewarding scientific careers. Operating&nbsp; in the recruitment industry for over 30 years, SRG have built an exemplary base of consultants and client network to equip people with careers for life.

Medicinal chemists unlock a world of potential across drug discovery and development. Read the article to discover how.

4 Ways Medicinal Chemists Power Drug Discovery and Development

<h3 dir="ltr">With so many opportunities for laboratory technicians in the STEM sector, we&rsquo;ve put together this in-depth interview guide to help those of you currently applying or thinking of applying for lab tech roles.</h3>
&nbsp;
As one of the most in-demand positions in STEM, lab technicians are pushing the boundaries of scientific research and helping to improve people&rsquo;s lives in the process.
But what can you expect when interviewing for this role?
Normally, interviewers for lab technician roles will seek to measure your suitability by asking questions about your scientific experience and competencies. Knowing how to answer these in detail can help you stand out from the crowd.
Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at what you need to do to turn the daunting prospect of preparing for an interview into an informative and rewarding experience.
<h2 dir="ltr">Step 1: Demonstrate your technical suitability for the role</h2>
First up, you&rsquo;ll need to focus on the scientific side of the role. Because a lab technician is an inherently scientific role, questions about your suitability, skill set, and experience are likely to come up early during the interviewing process.
Though a range of technical questions may be asked &mdash; some of which will be specific to the company &mdash; there are three common interview questions that will be asked in almost every context:
Q1:&nbsp;&ldquo;What do you know about the company?&rdquo;
Q2:&nbsp;&ldquo;Describe, in your own words, what the job entails.&rdquo;
Q3:&nbsp;&ldquo;Review your CV and experience.&rdquo;
When answering these questions, you&rsquo;ll need to relate them back to your skills and experience as closely as possible. Let&rsquo;s explore them in more detail.
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>Lab Technician Interview Questions</h2>
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Q1:&nbsp;&ldquo;What do you know about the company?&rdquo;</h3>
You&rsquo;ll need to do a bit of online research on the organisation and prepare an answer for why you want to work for the interviewer&rsquo;s company over other companies.
If you&rsquo;re interviewing with a clinical trials company, for example, make sure you&rsquo;re well-acquainted with the trials they have run in the past or are currently running.
If it&rsquo;s a pharmaceutical company, you&rsquo;ll need to be able to talk about the company&rsquo;s products and the areas they specialise in.
It&rsquo;s also a good idea to look at any recent news related to the company. Science companies can have a flagship product they are particularly proud of, so being able to talk about this will stand you in good stead.
If a product or service has recently become newsworthy and you don&rsquo;t know about it when asked during the interview, it may reflect badly on you.
TIP:&nbsp;You can find relevant information about the hiring organisation &mdash; including services, size, locations, financial situation, and growth potential &mdash; through a simple Google search or by reading the organisation&rsquo;s latest annual report. The About Us section of the website may also provide a useful window into company culture.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Q2:&nbsp;&ldquo;Describe, in your own words, what the job entails.&rdquo;</h3>
When the interviewer asks what you understand about the role, you should be able to provide a sharp and succinct answer that summarises the main points in the job description.
Being able to do so will help prove to the hiring manager that you understand the key responsibilities of the position.
You should describe, at the very least, the&nbsp;top three responsibilities of the role you&rsquo;re interviewing for. Sometimes, job descriptions are very lengthy, so prepare by combing through the job description and picking up the core aspects of the role.
TIP:&nbsp;Try printing off a physical copy of the job description and highlighting any key words or phrases that you don&rsquo;t feel comfortable talking about in detail. This will allow you to do some additional research online and prepare a more confident answer. It&rsquo;ll also reduce the possibility of any questions disarming you in the interview itself. 
<h3 dir="ltr">Q3:&nbsp;&ldquo;Review your CV and experience.&rdquo;</h3>
In other words,&nbsp;which key attributes make you suitable for the role? If the hiring manager asks you what you can bring to the table, you should be able to talk about it from a scientific perspective &mdash; not just saying you&rsquo;re a hard worker and dedicated team player, but that you&rsquo;ve employed certain techniques or are interested in certain fields of science.
If you don&rsquo;t have experience in a particular scientific field, don&rsquo;t worry. Instead, you can say you&rsquo;re keen to develop your experience in this field further, enhance your skill set, and advance your career.
That said, previous hands-on experience will help you stand out. A good way to convey this is by detailing the&nbsp;top three relevant laboratory techniques&nbsp;that you have experience of.
These techniques will vary depending on your field of science. For&nbsp;molecular biology, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), gel electrophoresis, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and cell culture are some of the most common techniques you may have experience with.
If it&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../career-advice/roles-in-focus/analytical-chemistry">analytical chemistry</a>, you will likely have experience of HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), GC (gas chromatography), and/or MS (mass spectrometry).
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/1---new-website/final/blog/going-through-cv.jpg" alt="going through CV">
TIP:&nbsp;Whatever your area of interest or lab experience, you need to be able to outline your experience of using specific techniques or health and safety procedures. It&rsquo;s all well and good saying you&rsquo;ve got experience, but you need to be able to validate it &mdash; so give demonstrable examples.
<h3 dir="ltr">Know your CV/resume off by heart</h3>
As a rule, if it&rsquo;s on your CV/resume, it may come up in questioning, so be prepared to expand upon it in further detail.
TIP:&nbsp;Prior to the interview, make sure you are fully aware of everything included on your CV and be ready to elaborate in an informed way. If you can&rsquo;t expand on something on your CV, it shouldn&rsquo;t be there in the first place. 
<h3 dir="ltr">Additional questions to anticipate</h3>
Throughout the interview, the interviewer will be searching out your skills and strengths. As such, they will likely probe deeper to determine your attitudes, motivation, aptitudes, maturity, and intellectual abilities.
Aside from versions of the questions above, you should also be prepared for standard interview questions, such as:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;Why are you interested in the company?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Of your previous lab experience, which did you enjoy most and why?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;What are your career aspirations?&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
TIP:&nbsp;Remember that you are being interviewed because the interviewer wants to hire the most suitable person for the role, not because they want to catch you out or embarrass you. Honesty is always the best policy. 
<h2 dir="ltr">Step 2: Demonstrate your competencies</h2>
Next, you&rsquo;ll need to focus on competency questions.&nbsp;Competency questions provide an overview of your soft skills and what makes you a good employee.
To provide a rounded overview of your competencies, we suggest using the &lsquo;STAR&rsquo; technique to answer interview questions. STAR stands for:
Situation&nbsp;&mdash; Briefly describe the background to the situation Task&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;Describe the task or challenge you were faced with Action&nbsp;&mdash; Describe what you did and why you did it Result&nbsp;&mdash; Describe the outcome of your actions
As a recommendation, try to prepare STAR-based answers for&nbsp;between six and eight competencies.
Some of the most common competencies that come up in lab technician interviews include&nbsp;teamwork,&nbsp;communication,&nbsp;conflict in the workplace, and&nbsp;conflicting deadlines.
TIP:&nbsp;Try to have a mix of lab-based answers and other answers related to areas such as volunteering, other fields of work, sporting experience, etc. Providing a mixed bag of experiences will demonstrate your adaptability and versatility. 
<h3 dir="ltr">Preparing your 'STAR' answers</h3>
Be as specific as possible in your competency answers and refer to yourself in the first person (&ldquo;I&rdquo;) instead of the collective (&ldquo;we&rdquo;).
As you&rsquo;re nearing the end of a STAR answer, make sure to sense-check yourself to ensure you&rsquo;re providing a result.
The result can be a physical result (outcome), something you learned, something that went wrong and how you resolved it, or even something you&rsquo;d do differently next time. Being process-focused and looking for ways to adapt and improve shows you&rsquo;re switched on.
Here&rsquo;s an example of a competency answer using a STAR approach, with teamwork as the core competency:
Q:&nbsp;&ldquo;Teamwork is very important in our organisation. What evidence do you have to prove that you are a good team player?&rdquo;
Situation:&nbsp;&ldquo;During my BSc, there was a group presentation within the oncology module I was studying. We had to research a specific type of breast cancer and present our findings to other students and lecturers from the university&rdquo;
Task:&nbsp;&ldquo;As a group of six, we had to decide how the work would be shared out and who would research each component of the presentation. Ahead of the formal presentation itself, we then met to discuss our findings/prepare the presentation and practice.
Action:&nbsp;&ldquo;In addition to researching and preparing my section of the presentation, I stepped up as the leader of the group by ensuring everyone knew their responsibilities and acting as the central point of contact if anyone had any queries. I also collated the presentation to ensure all required points were covered and submitted across ahead of the presentation.
Result:&nbsp;&ldquo;As it turned out, our presentation was well received and we were awarded a 1:1. If I were to do it again, I&rsquo;d say we could have done with a bit more group presentation practice as our timings were slightly off.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/1---new-website/two-young-scientists-in-lab.jpg" alt="two young scientists in lab">
TIP:&nbsp;The more you practice your competency answers, the easier they&rsquo;ll become. Again, prepare at least six to eight before your interview. The more preparation you do, the more it will become apparent during the interview and help set you apart from other candidates.
<h2 dir="ltr">Step 3: Ask the interviewer questions</h2>
Remember that an interview is a two-way street. Just as an employer will assess if you have the experience necessary for the role, you must determine if this is the right opportunity for you.
<h3 dir="ltr">Questions about the role and the organisation</h3>
We recommend preparing questions that are related to the role and the organisation. These will help you gain a better understanding of how you will fit into the company and understand what your everyday responsibilities would be.
Examples include:
<ul>
<li>How would you describe your organisation&rsquo;s culture?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;What sort of people have done well in this team/organisation?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;How is the company positioned against its competitors?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;If I were to start on Monday, what would be my number-one priority?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;Which three things would make someone a success in the role?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;What is the next step in the process?&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
Such questions show you&rsquo;re engaged and keen to learn more around the company and position itself.
A word of caution, however. Some lab technician roles are temporary, so if you&rsquo;re interviewing for a temporary position, be careful about the types of questions you ask.
It&rsquo;s not recommended to ask about permanent opportunities or internal career progression as doing so may cause the hiring manager to think you&rsquo;re not fully invested in the current role you&rsquo;re interviewing for.
TIP:&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t talk about money in the interview. If you&rsquo;re applying through SRG or another recruitment provider, the provider will give you necessary information about salary, holidays, benefits, etc. 
<h3 dir="ltr">Questions about the interviewer</h3>
If you know who your interviewers are going to be, it&rsquo;s a good idea to research them on LinkedIn beforehand. Have a look at their professional background and experience, as well as their role at the company.
Feel free to ask questions about how the interviewer fits into the bigger picture of the company. You can prepare questions such as:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;I can see you&rsquo;ve been an employee here for five years: what is it that keeps you at the company?&rdquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;What is it that you enjoy about working here?&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
Again, such a line of questioning reiterates to the hiring manager that you&rsquo;re switched on and keen to learn more. In all likelihood, they&rsquo;ll be impressed that you&rsquo;ve done your research &mdash; as long as you keep it professional.
TIP:&nbsp;If you see something on the interviewer&rsquo;s LinkedIn profile that aligns with your background (such as studying at the same university, studying the same course, or even sharing a hobby), bringing it up during the interview could establish a point of mutuality between you both. 
<h2 dir="ltr">What to do on the day itself</h2>
The ongoing COVID-19 disruption means you&rsquo;ll potentially conduct your interview through video, e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, or another digital medium.
If the interview requires your presence in person, however, make sure you know exactly where you&rsquo;re going and plan to arrive on time or a few minutes early. Know the interviewer&rsquo;s full name (and correct pronunciation) as well as their title.
Even if the interview is conducted via video call, dress for an in person, face-to-face interview. Generally this will be smart-casual, but it&rsquo;s best to be overdressed for an interview than under dressed.
If you are unsure about how to dress, speak to your recruitment consultant.
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/1---new-website/final/blog/virtual-job-interview-lab-technician.jpg" alt="virtual job interview lab technician">
Once the interview starts, conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on opportunity. It&rsquo;s better to be in a position where you can choose from several jobs rather than only one.
If you are interested in the role, make sure you tell the interviewer this.
Be mindful of your performance.&nbsp;During your interview, the employer will be evaluating your total performance, not just your answers. Listed below are some factors and mannerisms that will usually produce a positive reaction from a prospective employer.
<ul>
<li>An interested, balanced approach</li>
<li>The ability to express thoughts clearly</li>
<li>Career planning and objectives</li>
<li>Confidence Informative replies</li>
<li>Tact, maturity, courtesy</li>
</ul>
Only you alone can sell yourself to an interviewer. Make them realise the need for you in their organisation.&nbsp;
Finally, make sure to thank the interviewer for their time and consideration through interviewing you.
TIP:&nbsp;If a recruitment consultant referred you to the position, call them immediately after the interview and explain how it went. They will want to talk with you before the interviewer calls them back. 
<h3 dir="ltr">Overcoming interview-day nerves</h3>
If you have any interview nerves (which is completely to be expected), an NLP (natural language processing) technique called&nbsp;Future Pacing&nbsp;can prove extremely beneficial.
Future Pacing requires you to mentally run through the interview process &mdash; from the point of waking up and getting dressed to arriving at the interview and conducting the interview in the best possible way.
Rehearsing this mental imagery many times over will train your brain into responding to potentially challenging scenarios with an &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve done this before; everything is OK&rdquo; mentality &mdash; averting panic mode and boosting your chances of impressing the interviewer.
Good luck!
<h2 dir="ltr">We're here to help</h2>
If you&rsquo;ve got any further questions about interviewing tips or would like to find out more about the latest lab technician roles, please do&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../contact-us">get in touch</a>.
&nbsp;
For more information on working as a laboratory technician, read our&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../career-advice/roles-in-focus/laboratory-technician">guide to lab technician careers</a>.

Read our in-depth guide on how to prepare for laboratory technician job interviews – from the questions you'll be asked to the things NOT to say.

How to prepare for a laboratory technician interview

<h3><a href="../../../../../../clients/our-services/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy</a>&nbsp;is SRG&rsquo;s dedicated scientific solutions provider (SSP) for the life sciences sector. But how does this model compare to that of a managed services provider (MSP)? This article explains it all.</h3>
<h2>What is an MSP?</h2>
A Managed Service Provider supports clients with the management of processes for the recruitment of external or temporary workers.
The MSP either recruits directly from its network (Neutral Master Vendor) or manages requisition processes to suppliers to recruit the workers. Many MSPs provide the client with an optimised vendor management system (VMS), with a focus on control and cost savings.
Other core components of an MSP solution include management of the non-permanent workforce (timesheets, payroll, etc.); access to qualified pools of talented candidates; candidate selection; contract and supplier management.
&nbsp;
<a href="../../../../../../clients/our-services/managed-service-programmes">Find out more about SRG&rsquo;s managed service offering here &gt;</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>What is an SSP?</h2>
A Scientific Solutions Provider offers a commercial service (ongoing or project-based deliverables) to life sciences companies of all sizes. The service is tailored to meet technical needs identified jointly and upfront by the client and the SSP.
These needs then inform the set-up of teams to carry out expected activities, including the presence of an onsite team leader hired by the SSP.
Unlike an MSP, an SSP also provides technical guidance and governance throughout the duration of the service. Moreover, SSPs like Synergy address headcount constraints and provide an agile and scalable approach to projects.
&nbsp;
<h2>Similarities</h2>
Calling on the support of either an MSP or SSP provides you with:
<ul>
<li>The ability to quickly scale up or down promptly and respond to workload demands</li>
<li>Full management of the recruitment effort</li>
<li>A customer Quality Management System (QMS) for workers to use, ensuring quality and regulatory compliance</li>
<li>Customer equipment for workers to use, allowing greater equipment efficiency in the laboratory</li>
</ul>
Both models also help to mitigate the skills gap at a business, though an SSP enables you to retain the experience onsite due to the permanent contracts.
&nbsp;
<h2>Differences</h2>
<h3>1) Primary focus</h3>
For an MSP, the strategic focus is finding resources or profiles (usually in the short term) to meet the client&rsquo;s workforce demands. Recruitment is predominantly for individuals, with no overall view on meeting client challenges.
For an SSP, the goal is to tailor a solution that solves a key challenge identified by the client. By focusing on measurable deliverables, the SSP model takes a more holistic approach to providing a solution.
&nbsp;
<h3>2) Objectives</h3>
Time-to-fill is a key KPI for the MSP model, demonstrating the need to scale quickly and address operational demands. While time-to-fill is also important for the SSP model, the central KPIs are Technical Gap Analysis and central governance.
&nbsp;
<h3>3) Project duration</h3>
Under a managed service arrangement, projects are often based on day-to-day instructions from the client. With an SSP, the client agrees on a predefined timeline of monthly or annual project deliverables.
&nbsp;
<h3>4) Workers</h3>
Temporary workers employed by an MSP may be employees or freelancers who are under contract with various suppliers, meaning there can be various conditions of employment across the contingent workforce.
Staff employed by an SSP are hired on permanent contracts, offering stable conditions of employment for the client and individual alike. By hiring permanent employees, an SSP also helps the client address potential headcount constraints and mitigate IR35/co-employment risk.
&nbsp;
<h3>5) People management</h3>
While an MSP solution can often place a people management burden on client staff, there is no people management burden with an SSP.
With an MSP, workers are managed individually, which can lead to a lack of cohesion or consistency. On occasion, it can also lead to divergent views on general performance or objective achievement.
Under an SSP model, however, teams are instructed by the client (who outline key deliverables) and then managed consistently by the SSP team leader to achieve these deliverables.
&nbsp;
<h3>6) Onboarding</h3>
While the onboarding of new staff is managed by the client under an MSP model, SSPs like Synergy support the onboarding process with the oversight of an onsite team leader.
&nbsp;
<h3>7) Governance</h3>
With an MSP, the client must carry out technical governance. With SSPs like Synergy, clients receive dedicated account management and technical governance is provided by SSP senior management.
&nbsp;
<h2>Which features are specific to an SSP model?</h2>
SSPs work strategically with the client to understand its culture, products, and unique challenges.&nbsp;Using this information, tailored solutions are agreed upon to help manage workflows and ensure resource capability and availability.
What&rsquo;s more,&nbsp;SSPs provide dedicated, fully employed, and flexible teams that are retained onsite and supervised by an onsite team leader who acts as a single point of contact.&nbsp;This in turn provides an overarching governance structure. Under the same onsite management, clients are offered a hybrid model with a focus on both current projects&nbsp;and&nbsp;ongoing service.
Under TUPE &mdash; the Transfer of Undertakings (Protect of Employment) Regulations 2006 &mdash; SSPs like Synergy also offer the possibility of transferring existing temporary staff across to permanent positions.&nbsp;This gives the client added stability.
Finally, SSPs can also help clients&nbsp;consolidate the management of various teams across geographies&nbsp;(i.e., efficiency and effort convergence) through the support of an operations manager.
&nbsp;
<h3><a href="../../../../../../blog/the-benefits-of-outsourcing-laboratory-services">Read more about the benefits of outsourcing to an SSP &gt;</a></h3>
&nbsp;
<h2>Bespoke scientific solutions with Synergy</h2>
Powered by SRG, Synergy is the leading onsite scientific solutions offering.
We supply, manage, and cross-train talented teams of scientists, manufacturing specialists, and clinical professionals to pharmaceutical and biotech companies of all sizes.
Because our teams are fully employed by Synergy, we offer industry-leading technical expertise and help increase staff retention. Our model addresses immediate skills and expertise gaps, while your HR liability is reduced via our fully managed HR processes.
<a href="../../../../../../clients/our-services/synergy-scientific-solutions">Visit our homepage</a>&nbsp;to find out more about Synergy and what we can offer your business.
Any questions about Synergy's model? Reach out to me directly at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:francois.bastin@srgtalent.com">francois.bastin@srgtalent.com</a>

Find out how a Scientific Solutions Provider differs from a Managed Service Provider (MSP).

MSP vs SSP: What are the differences?

The battle for top talent.
For a business to remain competitive, it is essential to acquire and keep the best people. The challenges of talent attraction in the STEM industry are varied, however the competition for talent remains the same.
Skill shortage is a hot topic, especially in a highly skilled industry such as STEM. Although it is estimated that the amount of STEM roles will double over the next 10 years, hiring the required talent can be challenging. The UK Government&rsquo;s 2017&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/664563/industrial-strategy-white-paper-web-ready-version.pdf">industry strategy white paper</a>&nbsp;reported that 40% of employers said a shortage of STEM graduates was a key barrier in recruiting appropriate staff.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stem.org.uk/news-and-views/news/skills-shortage-costing-stem-sector-15bn">STEM Learning</a>&nbsp;found that, 400 HR directors that rely on staff with STEM skills, experience several hiring problems:
<ul>
<li>7/10 said it was difficult to hire staff with required skills in 2017.</li>
<li>9/10 said that recruitment is taking 31 days longer than expected.</li>
<li>48% look overseas for the right talent.</li>
</ul>
On top of this, what people ask from employers is changing. It is no longer enough to pay more than competitors, SRG&rsquo;s latest&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../insights/salary-survey">Salary Survey</a>&nbsp;shows work/life balance, company culture and interesting projects are playing an increasing role in talent attraction and retention.
Adjustments to the way IR35 legislation is enforced could potentially have an impact on the shape of the workforce and political, economic and socio-economic circumstances change by the day. &nbsp;Some might say this has added a layer of uncertainty in the market.
Although there is a lot facing the STEM industry, it continues to be a buoyant and resilient market and there are ways to shore up against any uncertainty (and indeed help remain competitive and creative in these market conditions.)
Diversity, the key to top talent?
A McKinsey &amp; Company &lsquo;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/why-diversity-matters">Diversity Matters</a>&rsquo; report analysed data from 366 companies and found a statistically significant correlation between diversity and financial performance. Those companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15% more likely to have higher financial returns than the national median; whilst for those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity, there is a 35% likelihood of having higher returns than the national median.
Increasing diversity, including neurodiversity, within a business offers opportunities to unlock potential within STEM.&nbsp; Sienna Castellon, an award-winning autism advocate explains &ldquo;For example, GCHQ employs more than 100 dyslexic and dyspraxic &ldquo;neurodiverse spies&rdquo; to harness their ability to decipher facts from patterns, their increased 3D spatial-perception and their creativity.
She goes on to explain &ldquo;If universities, companies and organisations are going to benefit from having neurodivergent students and employees, it is important to create summer programs and work placements for neurodivergent students that are specifically designed to support autistic students and students with learning differences&rdquo;.
Companies that commit to diversity are measurably more successful. The benefits do not stop with financial performance. It has been proven that more diverse workplaces have advantages in recruiting top talent, have higher workforce satisfaction and improved decision making.
High diversity improves employee morale and happiness, but inclusion fosters positive behaviors at work. A more diverse workplace that has excellent inclusion improves loyalty.
It is no surprise, therefore, that this topic has been put under the spotlight within HR across the industry in recent times.
So, how can diversity help with STEM recruitment challenges?
Firstly, broadening the recruitment pool simply means more talent to access. Women make up half of the workforce in the UK and USA, the ethnic composition of the UK labour force is around 10%, a 6% increase from 1991, and The Migration Observatory found that approximately 30% of births in the UK were of non-European ancestry in 2011. 20% of working age adults in the UK are deemed to have a disability, these are high percentages to ignore.
Diversity helps close the skill shortage gap. As an example, it is estimated that the UK needs an additional 1.8 million engineers by 2020. Currently only 10 - 12% of engineers are women. This is not because there aren&rsquo;t available qualified female engineers. STEM Women reports that in 2018 there were 5,050 female engineering graduates in the UK, this is 15% of the total amount of engineering grads. This was up 570 from the year before.
<a href="https://www.engineeringuk.com/media/1576/7444_enguk18_synopsis_standalone_aw.pdf">Engineering UK&rsquo;s 2018 report</a>&nbsp;showed 28% of students in an engineering-related first-degree courses and 69% students in postgraduate taught courses were not from the UK.
How a dedicated recruitment partner can offer the solution:
Talent sourcing, processing and hiring can be a detailed process. Making sure that the right people with the right skills and that the talent selection includes a fully diverse make-up, can make the recruitment process quite complex. Having a specialist, dedicated recruitment partner allows resources and time to be used more effectively.
A good recruitment partner will use their expertise to find the best talent, both through role specifications and personality/culture fit. A great recruitment partner will help you meet your business needs through talent mapping and solutions. It is helpful before engaging with any recruitment agency that you know what you are wanting to achieve.
<ul>
<li>Plan and map your business needs prior to engaging with a recruitment partner.</li>
<li>How on-side are your senior team?</li>
<li>Is there a programme of inclusion within your business? Hiring people from diverse backgrounds does not ensure that you retain them, the culture needs to be inclusive.</li>
<li>When engaging a recruitment partner ask about their processes in relation to sourcing the best candidates. A good agency will take on board all of your needs and consult with you on the best ways to achieve this.</li>
<li>Reach Early Talent sooner and engage your recruitment partner to help with Summer internships ensuring you reach out to a diverse student community.</li>
</ul>
Most people have a go to system when looking for new people to join their team. Generally, this system is tried and tested and successful. The system may work; however, it tends to mean the same types of people are usually recruited into the business. Using a recruitment partner and asking them to produce a diverse list of eligible candidates from a variety of backgrounds, countries, ethnicity, disability and neurodiversity opens the types of people you can access.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
SRG regularly reports on diversity during quarterly business reviews with clients. We run an Early Talent programme, including Industrial Placements and Summer internships based on strong foundations with Universities and their communities.
To really understand how to implement the latest best practice in Diversity and Inclusion programmes, download our&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/2qJN5Ka">Diversity and Inclusivity guide</a>.

For a business to remain competitive, it is essential to acquire and keep the best people. This blog explores how diversity could be the key to STEM skill shortages and how a recruitment partner can provide the solution.

How to attract top talent through diversity

<h3>Artificial intelligence is one of the key technologies spearheading the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As its presence in medical research expands, so too does science&rsquo;s scope for tackling the most pressing medical challenges of our time.</h3>
Though still in the early days of application, the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is causing something of a paradigm shift in the field of clinical research. By integrating machine learning (ML)&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;a data-driven branch of AI that automates analytical model building&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;to clinical workflows, researchers can carry out tasks with more accuracy and at greater speed, enabling front-line healthcare workers to give more effective treatment to patients.
Clinical decision-making has always relied on statistical insights.&nbsp;In the past, patterns within data were characterised as mathematical equations. Today, however, AI gives scientists the ability to uncover complex associations within datasets that cannot be uncovered through traditional, equation-based statistical analysis.
Unlike a human clinician, data-rich computer algorithms capable of human-like intelligence are able to observe and process vast amounts of information with high degrees of accuracy. In one Stanford study, for example, AI was able to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature21056">classify images of skin lesions</a>&nbsp;as benign lesions or malignant skin cancers with the same level of accuracy as board-certified dermatologists. AI can even bring clarity to areas that clinicians disagree on, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.2017162326">identifying tuberculosis on chest radiographs</a>.
Aside from improving clinical decision-making and optimizing innovation, AI can make the research process far more cost-effective &mdash; and the key figures within healthcare are standing up and taking notice.
However, while AI is certainly causing a stir in the life sciences sector, the excitement is matched by an air of skepticism.&nbsp;<a href="https://healthitanalytics.com/features/as-artificial-intelligence-matures-healthcare-eyes-data-aggregation">Data aggregation</a>&nbsp;remains a major challenge, for example, while algorithms also need to be more transparent in order to meet rigorous regulations for drug discovery. In this article, we look at the extent to which AI integration is driving innovation and accelerating the research process.
<h2>Current applications of AI in medical research</h2>
While there&rsquo;s no universally agreed-on definition for &ldquo;artificial intelligence&rdquo;, the term broadly refers to computing technologies that can perform tasks which normally require human intelligence &mdash; such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. At present, most applications of AI are fairly limited in scope, performing specific tasks related to pre-defined problems.
In medical research, AI is most commonly employed to analyze and identify patterns in large, complex datasets. Importantly, this data can be analyzed in a significantly faster, precise and more cost-effective way than traditional analytical methods &mdash; reducing spend and improving outcomes.
Similarly, AI can be used to trawl through vast troves of scientific literature to find relevant studies, as well as combining different datasets. At the Institute of Cancer Research, for example, researchers have developed a unique&nbsp;<a href="https://www.icr.ac.uk/news-archive/new-version-of-cansar-database-is-more-user-friendly-with-more-data-than-ever-before">canSAR database</a>&nbsp;that is able to combine patients&rsquo; clinical and genetic data with independent chemistry, biology, patient and disease information. Once the AI system has collated and &ldquo;translated&rdquo; this vast haul of data into a common language, it can then employ machine-learning algorithms to make useful cancer drug-discovery predictions.
Big data has the potential to revolutionize research and development (R&amp;D) in the life sciences sector &mdash; and is already making waves. Here are some ongoing applications of AI and machine learning within specific fields of clinical research:
<h3>Diagnostics</h3>
Medical diagnostics is a category of medical testing designed to detect infections, conditions and diseases. According to recent data from&nbsp;<a href="https://emerj.com/ai-market-research/machine-learning-in-healthcare-executive-consensus/">Emerj</a>, one-third of&nbsp;all healthcare AI SaaS companies are focusing partly or exclusively on diagnostics &mdash; making it a major area for AI application.
Unsurprisingly, many of the tech giants have been quick to get involved. In 2016, IBM Watson Health launched a partnership initiative with Quest Diagnostics:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/marketplace/watson-for-genomics">IBM Watson Genomics</a>, which aims to enable highly personalized cancer treatment by combining cognitive computing with state-of-the-art genomic tumor sequencing.
Meanwhile, Google&rsquo;s AI subsidiary,&nbsp;<a href="https://deepmind.com/about/health">DeepMind</a>, recently announced several partnerships in the UK, most notably with Moorfields Eye Hospital in London where technology is being developed to address&nbsp;<a href="https://deepmind.com/blog/article/predicting-eye-disease-moorfields">macular degeneration in aging eyes</a>. In the related field of radiology, DeepMind is also working in conjunction with University College London Hospital (UCLH) to develop machine-learning algorithms that can detect differences in healthy and cancerous tissues &mdash; helping to improve radiation treatments.
<h3>Personalized/precision medicine</h3>
Precision medicine, an approach to patient care that is based on targeted therapies, is another area ripe for AI innovation. Also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srg.co.uk/blog/personalised-medicines">personalized medicine</a>, this medical model incorporates genetics, behaviour, and environment with the aim of tailoring treatment intervention towards a specific patient or group &mdash; offering an alternative to the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional medicine.
Doctors are increasingly using AI to develop precision treatments for complex diseases, giving them the capability to analyze huge datasets that were previously too convoluted to gain valuable insights from. Armed with new insights into what makes patients healthy at the individual level, researchers can facilitate the development of new drugs, find new uses for existing drugs, suggest personalized combinations, and even predict disease risk.
In the coming years, we can expect to see an increased use of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/how-big-data-can-revolutionize-pharmaceutical-r-and-d">micro biosensors and devices</a>, as well as mobile apps with more sophisticated remote monitoring capabilities &mdash; giving clinicians yet more goldmines of data to work with. Aside from giving patients more autonomy and improving the efficacy of their treatment, the application of AI technologies can galvanize R&amp;D while simultaneously cutting costs.
<h3>Drug discovery</h3>
Given that it costs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.policymed.com/2014/12/a-tough-road-cost-to-develop-one-new-drug-is-26-billion-approval-rate-for-drugs-entering-clinical-de.html">US$2.6 billion</a>&nbsp;(&pound;2.14 billion) to develop just one drug and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05267-x">nine out of ten candidate therapies</a>&nbsp;will fail between phase I trials and regulatory approval, the introduction of machine learning to drug discovery is timely.
With this in mind, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester developed an AI &ldquo;robot scientist&rdquo; dubbed &ldquo;Eve&rdquo; to help optimize this time-consuming and costly process. In 2018, Eve discovered that a compound commonly found in soap and toothpaste could prove&nbsp;<a href="https://futurism.com/robot-scientist-helps-discover-new-ingredient-antimalarial-drug">an effective new weapon</a>&nbsp;in the fight against drug-resistant malaria.
Not only do intelligent technologies such as Eve enable researchers to speed up the drug discovery process, but they also reduce the cost of&nbsp;new&nbsp;drug discovery by cutting down on personnel and hours spent working towards a breakthrough.
<h3>Clinical trials</h3>
There are a number of ways that machine-learning algorithms can optimize clinical trial research. For one, advanced predictive analytics can enable researchers to identify candidates for clinical trials, drawing on a wide range of data that encompasses social media presence, interaction with their GPs, and how their genetic information compares to a specific target population. The costs of recruiting for clinical trials can be huge, and AI solutions can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/clinical-trials-ai-tech-disruption/">significantly reduce them</a>.
Another burgeoning application of AI is to improve the safety of the trials. Real-time data access and remote monitoring of participants allows researchers to keep more accurate tabs on biological changes, as well as identifying if a participant is responding to treatment in an adverse manner.
<h3>Epidemiology</h3>
In the field of epidemiology, statistical modelling using artificial intelligence is being used to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190222-how-ai-can-predict-disease-outbreaks">predict future disease outbreaks</a>. The epidemiology/tech company,&nbsp;AIME Inc, for example, has developed a tool that provides&nbsp;<a href="http://aime.life/">real-time predictions on the locations and timing of dengue outbreaks</a>. The result of two-and-a-half years of research, it worked with up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/21/penang-takes-lead-in-using-ai-predictions-to-beat-dengue">84% accuracy</a>&nbsp;during trials in Malaysia.
Similarly, researchers from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cais.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/aaai_tb_final.pdf">University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering</a>&nbsp;have developed an algorithm capable of slowing the spread of communicable disease while also accounting for limited resources and population dynamics over time. The study even proved more proficient at reducing disease incidence than existing health outreach policies.
<a>What are the most disruptive medical device technologies? Click here to find out more.</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>A multi-billion-dollar industry</h2>
The transformative power of AI in healthcare has piqued the interest of both the private and public sectors &mdash; triggering a spate of investment in the development of AI. Between 2011 and 2017, 121 health AI and machine-learning companies raised an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://rockhealth.com/reports/the-ai-ml-use-cases-investors-are-betting-on-in-healthcare/">$2.7 billion</a>&nbsp;(&pound;2.23 billion) in 206 deals. In Silicon Valley, major players such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM continue to make significant investments in AI healthcare solutions, while the number of health-focused AI startups continues to steadily increase. According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/how-big-data-can-revolutionize-pharmaceutical-r-and-d">McKinsey</a>, big data and machine learning in medical research could generate up to US$100 billion (&pound;82.48 billion) a year.
In May 2018, the then British Prime Minister Theresa May&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/20/may-to-pledge-millions-to-ai-research-assisting-early-cancer-diagnosis">pledged t</a><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/20/may-to-pledge-millions-to-ai-research-assisting-early-cancer-diagnosis">o invest millions of pounds</a>&nbsp;on a new&nbsp;AI strategy plan for early-stage cancer and chronic disease diagnosis &mdash; aiming to cut down the number of deaths from prostate, ovarian, lung, and bowel cancer by 10% within 15 years. In August 2019, meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/health-secretary-announces-250-million-investment-in-artificial-intelligence">&pound;250 million ($346 million) investment</a>&nbsp;to make the NHS a world leader in AI technology.
On the back of these investment drives, several AI-based companies have collaborated with UK universities and hospitals in pioneering schemes to optimize medical research and healthcare provision, including the aforementioned initiative involving DeepMind and Moorfields Eye Hospital.
<h2>The challenges of AI integration in medical research</h2>
Of course, the adoption of artificial intelligence in clinical research is still in its infancy. While many AI and machine learning applications in medical research have been successfully implemented and continue to yield positive results, a series of obstacles still need to be overcome.
<h3>Privacy</h3>
In the age of big data, privacy is one of the most pressing issues facing any industry. Because medical data is still personal and hard to access, MedTech startups find it difficult to gain access to patient data that could be used to develop products or make business cases. Many hospitals and research institutions are also wary of cloud platforms and prefer to use their own servers in order to prevent data leaks.
<h3>Regulation</h3>
Getting AI tech approval from regulators can be challenging. In the European Economic Area (EEA), all algorithms intended for use in healthcare must apply for CE marking,&nbsp;a certification mark that indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards. More specifically, the product has to meet the requirements of the&nbsp;<a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017R0745&amp;from=EN">EU Medical Device Regulation</a>&nbsp;2017/745 (MDR) set by the European Commission.
As this&nbsp;<a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-get-clinical-ai-tech-approved-by-regulators-fa16dfa1983b">towards Data Science</a><a href="https://towardsdatascience.com/how-to-get-clinical-ai-tech-approved-by-regulators-fa16dfa1983b">&nbsp;guide to AI regulation</a>&nbsp;highlights, product owners need to define the algorithm&rsquo;s &lsquo;Intended Use&rsquo; carefully and clearly &mdash; something that can cause confusion about the level of transparency needed.
<h3>Transparency</h3>
Transparency is one of the biggest issues facing AI developers in healthcare&nbsp;&mdash; both in terms of stringent regulation and in terms of front-line health provision.&nbsp;Because some algorithms recommend certain procedures and treatments to doctors, it&rsquo;s absolutely imperative that doctors are given the level of transparency to understand and explain why a recommendation was made.
For more on transparency and algorithmic decision-making, the research paper&nbsp;<a href="https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1711/1711.00399.pdf">Counterfactual Explanations Without Opening the Black Box: Automated Decisions and the GDPR</a>&nbsp;offers insights from a lawyer, a computer scientist and an ethicist.
<h3>Culture</h3>
For front-line health workers such as doctors, particularly those with limited exposure to AI, receiving important medical suggestions from an automated system may feel like an insult to their years of training and accumulated knowledge. To overcome any discord between physician and technology, it&rsquo;s vital that AI adoption is framed as something that empowers, aids and complements the expertise of human staff. Introducing AI literacy into medical curricula can also help to reduce scepticism or hesitancy.
<h3>Recruitment</h3>
As new, ever-improving technologies are adopted by healthcare and research institutions, ensuring that people have the necessary technical expertise and competence to deal with large medical datasets is paramount. The life sciences sector, therefore, needs to build a robust skills pipeline to find the talent to meet these unpredictable challenges head-on.
&nbsp;
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
In the near future, AI will have an increasingly prominent hand in various aspects of clinical research, from drug discovery diagnosis to treatment. Other areas set to benefit from further AI integration include medical imaging, echocardiography, neurological screening, and surgery. With such increasing automation across practically every area of research, many in the healthcare sector have voiced concerns that AI will one day&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/features/will-automation-take-healthcare-jobs-industry-experts-share-opinion/">take their jobs</a>.
But is such caution unwarranted? According to Yoshua Bengio, one of the founding fathers of artificial intelligence, the answer is &ldquo;yes.&rdquo; In an interview with&nbsp;New Scientist, Bengio said, &ldquo;so many overestimate the intelligence of these systems. AIs are really dumb. They don&rsquo;t understand the world. They don&rsquo;t understand humans. They don&rsquo;t even have the intelligence of a six-month-old.&rdquo;
Indeed, despite concerns that AI will replace doctors and clinicians, this has not been the case. The opposite has happened: the accurate insights provided by AI are helping to free up doctors&rsquo; valuable time. Besides, before they can be introduced to medical research, new technologies need to be able to integrate with existing workflows and gain regulatory approval. Instead of ushering in a dystopian age of machine&rsquo;s domination over humans, early applications of AI have&nbsp;complemented&nbsp;and optimized the vital work of human researchers and clinicians.
For more industry insights into the ever-changing world of the life sciences sector, stay tuned to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srg.co.uk/blog">SRG Blog</a>.

Artificial intelligence is one of the key technologies spearheading the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As its presence in medical research expands, so too does science’s scope for tackling the most pressing medical challenges of our time.

How useful is artificial intelligence (AI) in medical research?

Want to accelerate your C-Suite job search? You're not alone.
As we emerge from the pandemic and &lsquo;the great resignation&rsquo; where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over 19 million workers left their roles</a>, and a further&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">40% of the workforce are still seeking change</a>,&nbsp;employees are fast becoming candidates and are making their way through to the world of recruitment where talent mobility trends are driving more, and better opportunities for senior professionals
In this competitive, fast paced landscape, the success of your C-Suite job search will rely on how well you can translate and align your professional history with your ambitions to get where you want to be. However, for executive leaders who may have complex routes to the C-suite, or are even passively scouted for the roles they&rsquo;re interested in, leveraging the talent market to make the best job selection can be challenging.&nbsp;
This article will explore some of the actionable steps you can take to select the right job in the C-suite.
Read on to find out:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How to leverage your potential as a senior candidate</li>
<li>How to ask impactful questions in an interview</li>
<li>The importance of transparency</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>How to leverage your potential as a senior candidate</h2>
As global priorities shift after COVID, organisations around the world are re-prioritising and generating new roles across the C-suite to strengthen their sustainability and promote their recovery.&nbsp;
In a<a href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/ceo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;survey of 3,000 global CEOs from IBM</a>, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) were rated as the most critical role for business continuity, followed by Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. A further survey of 5,000 Chief Technology Officers reveals that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/c-suite-study/cto" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">29% of current CTOs expect their next role to be CEO.</a>&nbsp;
In this climate of change and transformation, it&rsquo;s vital to thoroughly understand your own role, abilities and skills, and how these fit into both emerging and established roles. While you&rsquo;ll likely have plenty of experience within your current role, solely applying to roles with the same title that you have can inadvertently silo your efforts. What&rsquo;s more, even if a role does have the same title, responsibilities will invariably change between companies.&nbsp;
Look for opportunities to diversify and draw on your breadth of experience in new ways to position yourself competitively within the market. Working with a recruitment consultant can be a powerful way of doing this, as they&rsquo;ll have up to date and extensive knowledge on how applicable your skills are across a range of executive positions, including newly created ones.
<h2>How to ask impactful questions in an interview</h2>
The right culture is crucial, and miscommunication is a key hurdle to finding the right workplace.&nbsp;
<a href="https://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-12-07-Nearly-Three-in-Four-Employers-Affected-by-a-Bad-Hire-According-to-a-Recent-CareerBuilder-Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">46% of &lsquo;mis-hired&rsquo; employees want to leave because of a toxic work culture</a>, while<a href="https://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-12-07-Nearly-Three-in-Four-Employers-Affected-by-a-Bad-Hire-According-to-a-Recent-CareerBuilder-Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;89% of employers</a>&nbsp;say that &lsquo;mis-hired&rsquo; employees leave because of poor emotional intelligence and motivation.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Overcoming this rift relies on establishing exactly how aligned your cultural values and work styles are with your prospective organisation from the beginning of the application process. The right questions are key to this process.&nbsp;
While any interview should be a two-way evaluation process, this principle takes extra presence in executive-level interviews, where leadership and business acumen are essential to the role.&nbsp;
Thorough and nuanced research is essential for your questions to be suitably detailed, and appropriate. Take the time to understand the company&rsquo;s current position in the market, challenges, and financial performance and ask appropriate questions to support your decision-making process. Recruitment consultants can support with this stage by providing foundational information on the organisation&rsquo;s position in the market, as well as suggesting&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/how-to-prepare-for-senior-level-interviews---6-key-strategies-for-stem-leaders" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">potentially fruitful avenues of enquiry in the interview</a>.
It&rsquo;s important to ask questions that strengthen your understanding of:
<ul>
<li>How the company operates</li>
<li>What the company culture looks like, and how it&rsquo;s actively reinforced</li>
<li>What the overall business pathway is, and whether it aligns with your own ambitions</li>
<li>Aim to get a good understanding of the board&rsquo;s expectations, challenges and how they measure success</li>
</ul>
As well as preparing your own questions, you should be prepared to discuss your leadership style, how you get the most out of your team, and how you can help contribute and build on their company culture. You could also consider what is currently missing from the company and how you could help fill the gap, as well as details on the types of decisions you have made in the past, along with outcomes and lessons learned.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>The importance of transparency</h2>
Transparency is a key indicator of reliability and trustworthiness and is something both yourself, and your prospective organisation should exhibit. For the organisation, transparency may come across in how they describe the overall recruitment process, and the means they take to reduce bias. Additionally, transparency can also come across in the description of the role and responsibilities in the interview.&nbsp;
For you as a candidate, transparency in your availability, capability and skill set, as well as your motivations to move, are all important factors to discuss to support the success of your next role.&nbsp; If you receive another offer or are still in the interview stages with other organisations when you receive your primary offer, it&rsquo;s vital that you communicate your stance in a professional and clear way.
Maintaining this transparency can help reinforce your reliability, and if you do end up taking another position, ensure that any relationships established over the interview process are not sullied in the same way they would be if you abruptly declined the offer.&nbsp;
Recruitment consultants can help support your transparency across the interview process by acting as a buffer between you and the organisation, enabling you to communicate in the most effective way possible.&nbsp;
<h2>Looking for your next opportunity in the C-suite?</h2>
SRG&rsquo;s specialist executive search team, Search by SRG, provide leading support to executive level and mid-senior level niche technical candidates across the recruitment process. We can help you to realise your ambitions across the scientific industries.
Your future awaits and SRG will help take you there and beyond.

Want to strengthen your C-Suite job search? Get expert advice from Holly Evans, Senior Consultant at Search by SRG

How to Improve your C-Suite Job Search

<h3>Chemical engineering, a branch of engineering that involves turning raw materials into useful, everyday products, is a heavily technical vocation characterised by strict protocol and rigid procedures. But how big a part does creativity play in the day-to-day activities of a chemical engineer?</h3>
Chemical engineering is a broad discipline. Employed across a number of industries, engineers can work with products as varied as interdental brushes, deodorant sprays, and PVA glue, as well as industrial-scale products such as complexes, emulsifiers, spray and trays.
Elements of mathematics, mechanics, organic study, technology and kinematics all play a role in chemical engineering &mdash; meaning that chemical engineers need to display an adaptive mindset and a well-rounded range of skills to succeed in their field.
&nbsp;
<h2>Chemical engineering may be procedural, but creativity is indispensable</h2>
Because the profession involves following&nbsp;established procedures, protocols and design codes, each of which have been built on years of measuring what is most safe and effective,&nbsp;many chemical engineers do not view their job as being particularly creative.
However, while&nbsp;there are constraints to such established methods, chemical engineering&nbsp;still offers plenty of scope for adopting creative approaches to problem-solving. For chemical engineers and the people they work alongside, harnessing creativity brings many benefits.
&nbsp;
<h2>End-to-end creativity</h2>
Creative solutions punctuate the entire design process&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;from the conceptual or discovery stage to the detailed engineering or production stage. Divergent thinking facilitates more innovative and competitive approaches to product and processes. Creativity drives business.
No matter the industry or the role, soft skills for chemical engineers such as cognitive flexibility, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and creativity are becoming more valued by employers. As such, creativity is becoming an increasingly sought-after quality among chemical engineers.
Much of science and mathematics requires creativity. No scientist or mathematician enters their respective professions to stick to the status quo. Instead, they want to sit on the frontier of knowledge and advance our collective discoveries of the world. As something that fuses elements of both, therefore, chemical engineering clearly requires creative insight. Meanwhile, advances in computer science, data integration and electronics within the engineering field has expanded the capacity for innovative thinking.
&nbsp;
<h2>Creativity is key to a successful chemical engineering career</h2>
Indeed, this aptitude is being increasingly recognised by the chemical engineering profession: in its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.engc.org.uk/engcdocuments/internet/Website/UK-SPEC%20third%20edition%20(1).pdf">UK-SPEC Chartered Engineer Standard document</a>, for example, the Engineering Council &mdash; the UK's regulatory authority for registration of chartered and incorporated engineers &mdash; explicitly declares creativity to be a key skill for engineers.
It&rsquo;s impossible to get a true understanding of the context of chemical engineering without acknowledging the need for improvisation. Chemical engineers rely on their problem-solving abilities just as much as their ability to correctly follow procedures, requiring systems-level thinking that the average person would not understand at an intuitive level. The existence of courses entitled &ldquo;<a href="https://www.icheme.org/career/training/courses/creativity-for-chemical-engineers/">creativity for chemical engineers</a>&rdquo; further demonstrates the need for a creative impulse among engineers.
<h3><a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/career-advice/roles-in-focus/chemical-engineering">Click here to learn more about chemical engineering careers</a></h3>
<h2>&nbsp;</h2>
<h2>The takeaway</h2>
Given that many of the major challenges facing the scientific community in the 21st century &mdash; such as sustainable energy resources, water quality issues, and process efficiency in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries &mdash; are closely linked to chemical engineering, the importance of creativity cannot be understated. Science is a paradigmatic discipline, and it relies on original ideas and creativity to thrust into a new era.
<h3><a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-do-low-oil-prices-affect-chemical-engineers">How do low oil prices affect chemical engineers? Find out more here</a></h3>
For more industry insights into the ever-changing world of the STEM sector, stay tuned to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog">SRG blog</a>.

How big a part does creativity play in the day-to-day activities of a chemical engineer? Read on to discover more about the importance of soft skills for chemical engineers.

Is Creativity Essential for a Career in Chemical Engineering?

Careers in recruitment: Meet SRG’s longest-serving staff – Pt 2

<h3>When introduced in April 2021, IR35 - the UK&rsquo;s off-payroll legislation - represented one of the biggest changes to the private sector in decades. Below we delve into what this legislation is, what it means for companies, and discuss what they can do to ensure they comply.&nbsp;</h3>
The IR35 rules apply when a private-sector firm engages a limited company contractor who works through an intermediary, such as a personal service company (PSC) or an umbrella company. In such an instance, the firm will take responsibility for assessing the contractor&rsquo;s employment status according to the IR35 rules.
For limited company contractors, the reality of this will likely be a significant reduction in take-home pay through additional income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
For STEM business, the effects of IR35 are far-reaching. In the UK, 84% of businesses use contingent workers, and almost a quarter of the UK workforce works on a contingent basis as a contractor or consultant. While the smallest UK companies are exempt from IR35 regulations, medium-to-large firms that fail to comply with IR35 will face penalties.
If you're one such business, these five steps to complying with IR35 are well worth taking note of.
<h2>1) Assess your workforce</h2>
Run an audit of all employees currently working at your business. Outline how many contractors you use, identify which (if any) business units use freelance contractors, and attempt to measure the importance of their contribution to your business.
Decide how your business will approach any assessments, who will complete them and how will they be documented to ensure you can demonstrate that have taken reasonable care. Also make sure you have a robust dispute resolution procedure in place for any complaints.
<h2>2) Identify who&rsquo;s inside and outside the new rules</h2>
On a case-by-case basis, ascertain which contractors fall inside or outside IR35.
Adopting a blanket coverage approach and declaring everybody is inside may save time and money, you must be able to demonstrate that you have performed due diligence when classifying roles for tax purposes to avoid penalties. Take care to ensure nobody is incorrectly included within the scope of IR35 if they are truly self-employed.
To determine whether the off-payroll rules apply, use HMRC&rsquo;s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool. (You can check employment status if you are a worker, a person or business hiring a worker, or a recruitment agency or recruiter placing a worker).
However, a word of warning: the CEST test is not entirely failsafe. Indeed, HMRC has been known to challenge certain CEST assessments &mdash; suggesting the test may not be 100% effective in each scenario. If you&rsquo;re unsure about the validity of your CEST assessment, we suggest seeking professional advice.
<h2>3) Calculate the costs</h2>
For large businesses that engage with consultants on a regular basis, many workers will likely fall inside IR35. With the additional payroll requirements of the legislation, properly reviewing the costs of contractors is a must.
To compensate for an increase in income tax and NICs, many contractors may also increase their daily or hourly rate. If you&rsquo;ve followed tip number 2 and communicated updates to your contractors in a timely fashion, any cost increases are less likely to come as a surprise.
<h2>4) Ensure your employment policy is up to date</h2>
When IR35 was finally introduced in April 2021, you should have created a new policy for any contractors taken on after that date.
While several large firms like HSBC, Sainsbury&rsquo;s and Vodafone introduced blanket bans on PSC contractors (in other words, all workers must go PAYE), it is important to bear in mind that doing so will likely place limitations on your available talent pool.
To ensure you attract and retain the best talent, it makes sense to keep several options available. These may include partnering with umbrella providers, PAYE, or SOW (Statement of Work) solutions.
You should also take care to clearly outline your company&rsquo;s stance regarding the recruitment of new workers. Are vacancies for self-employed individuals engaged on a short-term contract basis, or are they permanent or internal contractor positions? On job adverts, make sure you convey to prospective candidates whether they will be bound by IR35 rules.&nbsp;
<h2>5) Communicate any changes to your workforce</h2>
Contractors are likely to face financial implications due to IR35, so make sure you fully communicate policy changes with any contractors that you engage. Doing so will demonstrate to contractors that you are taking &ldquo;reasonable care&rdquo; to assess their status. It will also present them with an opportunity to ask any questions (which they are likely to have) and offer you a chance to minimise any misunderstandings.
You should allow enough time to enable any affected contractors to prepare for any significant changes to their take-home pay, as well as enough time for a dispute resolution process to be completed. SRG can work with you to decide how and when to share this with your contractors.
<h2>Further IR35 advice</h2>
If you&rsquo;d like SRG&rsquo;s support in relation to the IR35 off-payroll legislation and/or accurate status determinations, please get in touch via&nbsp;<a href="mailto:ir35@srgtalent.com">ir35@srgtalent.com</a>

With IR35 legislation now firmly in place, companies and contractors alike need to ensure they fully comply.

5 ways private-sector companies can ensure they comply with IR35 tax legislation

2022 marked a promising year for the future of the pharmaceutical industry in the UK, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/clinical-trial-activity-2023/">the number of new clinical trials rose</a>&nbsp;after a four year drop in global rankings after a new government initiative was implemented.
&nbsp;
However, keeping pace with this shift in momentum won&rsquo;t be without its challenges over the coming year.
Debate surrounding the cost of participation in the UK&rsquo;s VPAS scheme connecting the industry and the NHS&nbsp;<a href="https://www.csl-uk.com/emig-surveys-member-investment-intentions-related-to-2023-vpas-rebate-level/">is heightening.</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, Brexit agreements have led to the UK&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/how-to-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-future-of-pharma">exit from the Horizon Europe research programme,</a>&nbsp;increasing existing talent shortages and limiting access to scientific expertise required to lead new innovative ventures.
 In this article, Behruz Sheikh explores three key talent trends shaping the foundation, and future of the pharmaceutical industry.
&nbsp;
Read on to find out more about:
<ul>
<li>The impact of talent shortages</li>
<li>The renewed focus on talent retention</li>
<li>How funding shortages are shifting access to talent</li>
</ul>
<h2>The impact of talent shortages in pharma</h2>
&nbsp;
As pharmaceutical organisations make the shift towards digital, new roles are emerging and
existing ones are rapidly transforming. In the next decade,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/how-to-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-future-of-pharma">more than 90,000 pharmaceutical jobs are estimated to disappear</a>&nbsp;and be replaced by up to 120,000 new roles.
&nbsp;
In this climate of transformation and evolution, the skills gap is becoming increasingly apparent.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/how-to-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-future-of-pharma">80% of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are experiencing a skills mismatch</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/how-to-prepare-your-workforce-for-the-future-of-pharma">50% of executives</a>&nbsp;say that recruiting experienced staff is challenging. In the clinical trial sphere,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/talent-in-clinical-trial-management">36% of drug developers say that staff shortages are limiting progress.</a>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/talent-in-clinical-trial-management">&nbsp;</a>
As organisations struggle to find experienced talent externally, attention is beginning to shift towards upskilling alongside recruitment to strengthen resources.
&nbsp;
While having a set criteria when hiring a new employee is important, expert talent in today&rsquo;s candidate market can often come at a higher price than companies expect. Upskilling less experienced employees can often offer companies an alternative route to stemming talent pipelines and fuelling project continuity.
&nbsp;
In my line of work, I&rsquo;ve seen an influx of capable scientific talent re-enter the workforce from COVID laboratories; which have largely receded in number. These professionals have established experience working in a laboratory and although they do not come equipped with the same level of expertise as a seasoned professional, they can offer a sense of commitment and capability to adapt and develop the specialised expertise required for required laboratory functions.
Considering candidates from more alternative backgrounds as described above can bring the added benefit of diversity of thought and improved performance -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/why-is-diverse-leadership-in-stem-important">51% of Fortune 500 companies say diversity actively improves employee engagement</a>&nbsp;&ndash; a key attribute to performance in the lab.
&nbsp;
At SRG we&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-to-reduce-staff-attrition">connect our clients in pharma with our diverse talent networks</a>, and employ techniques across the hiring process to reduce bias and improve inclusivity including anonymising CVs and facilitating remote interviews.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>The renewed focus on talent retention</h2>
Working in the pharmaceutical industry relies on developing a specific technical skills-set.
&nbsp;
This often deters professionals from moving to alternative jobs, and heavily impacts businesses when they do &ndash; as project continuity is impacted in absence of the right expertise.
&nbsp;
However, the &lsquo;Great Resignation&rsquo; of 2020-2022 reflected a change in sentiment in the professional pharmaceutical community, as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-great-attrition-is-making-hiring-harder-are-you-searching-the-right-talent-pools">54% of pharmaceutical professionals</a>&nbsp;who left their roles during the event did not return to the same industry.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://marketing.biospace.com/deep-dive-employee-retention-in-the-biopharmaceutical-industry-1">A recent survey led by BioSpace</a>&nbsp;shows that 67% of pharmaceutical professionals are looking to change roles in the next 12 months. Of this group, 54% cite they are moving in pursuit of a more challenging career and 35% say they are moving to attain a greater amount of compensation.
&nbsp;
Offering more competitive salaries, or alternatively proactively creating new opportunities for existing employees to upskill, thrive and develop in their careers in increasingly integral for businesses to stay competitive and retain employees.
&nbsp;
<h2>How funding shortages are shifting access to talent</h2>
Increases to the voluntary scheme for branded medicine pricing and access rebate level (VPAS), where companies selling branded medicines costing over &pound;5m to the NHS must pay a rebate fee, are persuading companies to shift trading practices with the UK.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.csl-uk.com/emig-surveys-member-investment-intentions-related-to-2023-vpas-rebate-level/">86% of members of the Ethical Medicines Interest Group</a>&nbsp;say that the VPAS rebate level was unsustainable for their business, and 75% of members suggested that the 2023 VPAS rebate would drive a reduction of investment in UK clinical research by 10-20%.
&nbsp;
Meanwhile government funding over COVID-19 has continued to subside as focus is redoubled in alternative areas in the life science space.
&nbsp;
In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/talent-in-clinical-trial-management">M&amp;A activity heightened in this evolving landscape to record breaking heights</a>&nbsp;before declining in 2022. This year, the industry is seeing the effects of these mergers as an increased number of organisations improve their capabilities and service offerings in light of their new acquisitions.
&nbsp;
However, while some organisations can afford to purchase smaller businesses to optimise pipelines, other businesses in pharma are making redundancies in light of the current economic and funding climate.
&nbsp;
This has created an additional talent pool of specialist pharmaceutical talent, which with the right hiring strategy in place, can be valuable additions to growing teams seeking to keep pace with larger competitors.
&nbsp;
<h2>How to build an accurate hiring strategy for today&rsquo;s recruitment market</h2>
The right hiring strategy is more critical than ever in today&rsquo;s pharmaceutical industry as the competition for talent heightens. With the importance of retention and time to hire in mind, hiring accuracy depends on having access to the right talent network, and having the ability to effectively assess the quality of candidates before they make it to interview.
At SRG, we&rsquo;ve harnessed video technology to streamline this technique. In a recent project, our consultants led video-interviews based on the specific qualities the line manager required. We then provided a shortlist of these videos alongside candidate profiles directly to our client, before facilitating an onsite interview.
&nbsp;
This technique meant that we increased the quality of candidates coming to site, as our clients were able to make a clear and informed decision based on not just a CV, but a video introduction which helped bring the person behind the application to the forefront, before the interview stage even occurred.
&nbsp;
<a href="mailto:solutions@srgtalent.com">Click here to find out more about how SRG could help you</a>&nbsp;with your next pharmaceutical recruitment project.&nbsp;

Clinical trials are under increasing pressure. Not only is the industry expected to create new medicines, it is required to reduce time spent and costs.

What are the most promising clinical trial technologies

In the face of a rapidly changing business environment, the advantages of&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/what-is-strategic-workforce-planning" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">workforce planning</a>&nbsp;play a pivotal role in the success of STEM businesses.&nbsp;
Technical and specialist talent is in high demand as leaders double down on their commitment to innovation and ongoing geopolitical disruptions post-COVID continue to drive business model transformation.
<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2023/pwc-26th-ceo-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">46% of global CEOs</a>&nbsp;are reconsidering their market presence this year, and<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2023/pwc-26th-ceo-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;41%</a>&nbsp;are diversifying their products and service offerings. Given the context, controlling costs remains a focal priority &ndash; but not at the cost of access to talent.<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2023/pwc-26th-ceo-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;40% of leaders</a>&nbsp;are concerned about increases in inflation, but<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2023/pwc-26th-ceo-survey.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;60%</a>&nbsp;do not plan on reducing their headcount this year.
In this article, I&rsquo;ll explore key insights and methods to support <a href="../../../../../../blog/how-to-create-a-successful-business-growth-plan-in-stem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">building a powerful workforce planning strategy</a>&nbsp;to meet the requirements of today&rsquo;s STEM business environment.
Read on for more about:
<ul>
<li>The advantages of workforce planning&nbsp;</li>
<li>The importance of an effective preferred supplier list</li>
<li>&nbsp;How to strengthen your workforce planning strategy</li>
</ul>
<h2>The advantages of workforce planning</h2>
Workforce planning enables businesses to both identify and prepare for their future business and workforce needs together.&nbsp;
While individual business requirements can mean the key objectives behind a business plan may change, the core principle behind a workforce plan remains the same: getting the right people in the right jobs to drive efficiencies and save time and money.
A powerful workforce plan needs to consider access to talent, skills gaps, and fluctuations in the internal workforce to ensure that strategic outcomes are not only achieved but accelerated.
To do this successfully, a workforce plan must be data-driven, connected to specific KPIs, and tied to long-term business goals.
&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/why-strategic-workforce-planning-is-so-important" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advantages of a successful strategic workforce plan&nbsp;</a>include:
<ol>
<li>An identification of internal skills gaps</li>
<li>Supply chain management</li>
<li>Governance</li>
<li>Quarterly business reviews</li>
<li>An understanding of future talent demands</li>
<li>Impactful and aligned people and organisational strategies</li>
<li>A sustainable talent pipeline</li>
<li>Improved business risk management </li>
</ol>
<h2>The importance of an effective preferred supplier list</h2>
A Preferred Supplier List (PSL) is a key access point for services, including recruitment and access to talent to feed into your workforce planning strategy.&nbsp;
While preferred supplier lists do have a number of benefits, they can also be limiting for hiring managers, particularly when they are not regularly reviewed and optimised &ndash; hindering the efficacy of the overall workforce plan. Benefits of having a preferred supplier list include:
<ol>
<li>Cost competitiveness &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">49% of hiring managers</a>&nbsp;say working with a preferred supplier list can help control costs and gain access to more competitive prices.</li>
<li>Consistent EVP &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">45% of hiring managers</a> note that consistent communication of the&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/how-to-develop-a-successful-employer-branding-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">employee value proposition (EVP)</a>&nbsp;when working with a preferred supplier strengthens the&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/importance-of-communication-in-candidate-retention" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">candidate experience&nbsp;</a>and employer outcomes.</li>
<li>Strength of relationship with recruiters &ndash; Established relationships with preferred suppliers can support project continuity and enhance the overall candidate and employer experience across the recruitment project.</li>
<li>&nbsp;Service level commitment &ndash; Preferred suppliers can hit the ground running with recruitment projects in terms of maintaining pre-established service level commitments.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Downfalls of having a preferred supplier list include:
<ol>
<li>Time taken to manage agencies &ndash;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;65% of hiring managers&nbsp;</a>cite that the time taken to manage the many agencies on their preferred supplier list can limit the time-saving benefits the list offers.</li>
<li>The number of suppliers on the list &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">60% of hiring managers&nbsp;</a>find the number of suppliers challenging to both navigate and manage &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">81% of organisations&nbsp;</a>have up to 50 agencies on their preferred supplier list.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Access to specialist and technical hires &ndash;<a href="https://app.ramp.global/pdf/psl_research_2015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;45% of hiring managers&nbsp;</a>struggle to find the technical and specialist hires they need using their preferred supplier list.</li>
<li>&nbsp;Quality of data &ndash; working with multiple systems across many providers can limit data quality in terms of compliance, quality of hire, time to hire, and DE&amp;I recruitment initiatives making it challenging to measure organisational impact.</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
<h2>How SRG can strengthen your workforce planning strategy</h2>
At SRG, our&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/the-3-key-principles-of-an-effective-hiring-strategy-in-stem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">data-driven approach to recruitment&nbsp;</a>enables us to provide measurable and impactful recruitment outcomes for businesses across STEM.
As a specialist recruitment organisation operating across the wider STEM industries, we have the expertise and flexibility to provide strategic and bespoke solutions to effectively streamline and optimise how our clients hire&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../clients/our-services/outsourced-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">by powering solutions</a>&nbsp;like:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>MSP and contingent recruitment</li>
<li>RPO and permanent recruitment</li>
<li>Executive and technical hiring services</li>
<li>Bespoke solutions</li>
<li>Consultancy recruitment services</li>
</ul>

Harness the advantages of workforce planning with actionable advice on how to strengthen your strategy to suit today’s STEM business world.

The Advantages of Workforce Planning in STEM

Congratulations! You&rsquo;ve pushed through the daunting experience of interviews and waiting times, possible rejections, and a whole heap of emotions. Finding a new job can be overwhelming for many. Fear of change, and new beginnings, taking risks, and leaving secure positions can all contribute to this; however, a deep breath and a large leap of faith can land you in a new place more suited and beneficial for you.
When your decision to leave is met with a counteroffer from your current employer, leaving can become even tougher. Doubt surface around your decision, and your subconscious may force you to question your loyalty, or lack of, leaving you racked with guilt over putting yourself and your career progression first.
In this article, we will guide you on how to handle a counteroffer from a current employer.
Read on to discover:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>What is a counteroffer?</li>
<li>The potential risks of settling</li>
<li>How to handle a counteroffer</li>
</ul>
<h2>What is a counteroffer?</h2>
A counteroffer, in recruitment circumstances, is typically given in response to an existing offer, already provided to the employee by their prospective employer. It is the employer&rsquo;s attempt to retain the employee and persuade them into retracting their resignation. This usually occurs once the employee has handed in their notice. As a counteroffer is given with the intent to make the employee reconsider their resignation, it tends to offer attractive advantages such as a pay raise or promotion.
In current times&nbsp;employee retention has never been so prominently important to an employer, which is why they may try a counteroffer. Attracting and retaining an employee is key to building and maintaining a successful business, as satisfied employees make for a positive company culture. This is not to say all employees will remain in the same role at the same company for their full career. As people progress, their careers tend to follow, meaning employees may reach a point where they feel it is time to move on.
<h2>The potential risks of settling</h2>
When a counteroffer is made, it&rsquo;s always important to be hyper-aware of the truth behind why the employer is pleading with you to stay. Employers are never keen to lose hard-working employees, however, this doesn&rsquo;t mean the counteroffer at hand has come from a heartfelt place.
On average it can cost a business up to &pound;3,000 when hiring a new staff member via recruitment consultancy.&nbsp;Employers are vastly aware of the&nbsp;costs&nbsp;involved when welcoming a replacement to the business, the money it draws from the company pockets to hire and train can become rather costly, a cost they could avoid by convincing you to stay.
Alongside that your employer will understand time will be needed to train the new employee. Training a new employee often takes the time of other members of the team too, adding extra tasks onto their probably busy schedules, something no knowing employer would do unless urgently necessary.
It is crucial to weigh up the real reasons your employer may be bargaining with you to reconsider, as in most cases it may be more beneficial for you in the long term to accept the job offer for your new role and decline the counteroffer. In turn, a short-term increase in salary will not ensure future career progression.
Remember, if your main reason for leaving is an unhealthy work environment, negative work culture, or feeling undervalued by management,&nbsp;it is doubtful a higher salary or role with additional responsibilities will elicit a change in the way you feel, and it is probably time to move on.
<h2>Should I accept a counteroffer from my current employer?</h2>
Take your time! Before you reach a decision on whether to accept or decline your counteroffer, it is important that you take your time to consider the pros and cons of staying in your current employment. That said, it is equally important to make your prospective employer aware of your decision time. Here are some points to reflect on when making your decision:
<ul>
<li>Money:&nbsp;Was the job search due to your current salary? Is it predominantly the wage packet that is pushing you into a new employer?</li>
<li>Recognition:&nbsp;Do you feel your hard work isn&rsquo;t being recognised in your current role? Do you feel unappreciated or undervalued?</li>
<li>Work-life balance:&nbsp;Are you searching for a more rewarding work-life balance? Would accepting the counteroffer equate to that?</li>
<li>Trust and loyalty:&nbsp;Will the environment of the workplace change should you choose to stay as your employer is aware you were considering leaving? Could this result in you being excluded from future promotions?</li>
</ul>
Once evaluated, speaking to your current employer, and discussing the details of their counteroffer is important, as it will help you understand why they want to keep you, and what it means for you going forward.
Ask for time to deliberate, and politely thank them for both the offer and their patience. It&rsquo;s important to keep those bridges uninflamed. This time can be used for you to compare and contrast the counteroffer with your new job offer, considering company values, company vision, work-life balance offerings, and career development. In conjunction with this, revisit your primary reasons for leaving your current employer. Are those reasons realistically going to be resolved if you were to accept the counteroffer?
Most importantly, trust your gut! You know the aspects you rank most valuable more than anybody else. When weighing everything up, what came out on top for you? What did you regard as crucial? Is that going to be achieved by settling? If there is any doubt left about which offer to accept once you have evaluated all the pros and cons, follow your intuition. What feels right for YOU?
As soon as you reach a decision, let your current employer know straight away. This shows respect and provides you with the opportunity to thank them for the counteroffer, and all the help/ opportunities (if applicable) you were provided with whilst under their employment. You can then confirm directly to them, that you will be declining the offer.
You are then able to let your new employer know as soon as possible of your acceptance!

When your decision to leave is met with a counteroffer from your current employer, leaving can become even tougher. Learn how to handle a counteroffer from a current employer with Chris Beckenham, Chemicals Team Lead.

How to Handle a Counteroffer from your Current Employer

<h2>Introduction</h2>
Since 2008, 28th February (or 29th February if it is a leap year) has been an important day in the calendar for the 300 million people worldwide who are living with a rare disease, their families, and carers.
<a href="https://www.rarediseaseday.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rare Disease Day</a> raises awareness of rare diseases and the impact they have on people&rsquo;s lives around the world and helps to build an international community of diversity and unity.
Find out more about Rare Disease Day below, why it is important to show support for the cause, and what&rsquo;s happening in the world of research, drug discovery and treatment to fight rare diseases.
<h2>Rare Disease Day</h2>
With rare diseases impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, Rare Disease Day was set up to give hope, recognition, and a voice to those people, and provide an energy and focal point from which to advocate the discovery, research, and treatment of rare diseases at local, national, and international levels.
A globally coordinated movement, <a href="https://www.rarediseaseday.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rare Disease Day</a> has been at the heart of communities built and connected by a purpose to create equity in social opportunity, healthcare and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with rare disease.
Every year, on the final day of February, the rarest day of the year, everyone &ndash; including individuals, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, clinicians, policy makers, industry representatives and the public &ndash; is invited to raise awareness, spread the word far and wide and call on policy makers to make a change and improve people&rsquo;s lives.
<h2>Raising awareness of rare disease is vital.</h2>
Whilst a rare disease is classed as a disease which affects 1 in 2,000 people or fewer, there are &ndash; <a href="https://rd-research.org.uk/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as highlighted by Rare Disease Research UK</a> &ndash; over 7,000 rare diseases currently known. This means that rare disease will affect 1 in 17 people during their lifetime, amounting to over 3.5 million people in the UK alone.
Rare diseases impact people of all ages; in fact 75% of rare diseases affect children, and more than 30% of children with a rare disease die before their fifth birthday.
Raising awareness of rare diseases and their impacts, through events and campaigns such as Rare Disease Day, helps to drive efforts to increase research which could lead to vital innovations in discovery, diagnosis, and treatment.
<h2>How science, medicine and technology is helping fight rare disease&hellip;</h2>
In the UK alone, huge progress has been made in the discovery of rare diseases, with over 1,000 complex new diagnoses made thanks to remarkable advances in genomic research.
For example, developments in <a href="https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/genomic-medicine/understanding-genomics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whole genome sequencing</a> have allowed organisations such as Genomics England to study every letter of DNA in a person&rsquo;s genome &ndash; a breakthrough that gives researchers a better chance of finding and understanding changes that are responsible for causing rare disease.
There has also been an increase in the availability, speed and accuracy of testing and screening for patients, enabling faster final diagnosis and effective treatment for rare diseases. Improved access to specialist care, treatment and drugs &ndash; which are being rapidly developed as a result of extensive research and data pooling &ndash; has also included a <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/medicines-2/medicines-repurposing-programme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medicine Repurposing Programme</a> in the UK, which identifies and progresses opportunities to use existing medicine in new ways.
And, with the rapid development of new technologies, Artificial Intelligence is becoming a prevalent part of disease research.
Second-generation AI systems are revolutionising the healthcare industry by bridging the gap between diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment for patients. These personalised systems are designed to enhance end-organ function, overcome problems of tolerance or loss of efficacy, and improve patients&rsquo; responses to chronic drugs, all from a precision medicine perspective.

Every year, on the final day of February, Rare Disease Day raises awareness of rare diseases, how they affect people and how we can help make a difference. Here we find out more about the initiative, its importance and what’s already happening in the fight against rare diseases.

Rare Disease Day: Raising awareness of rare diseases, globally.

While workforce trends, including the Great Resignation and a highly competitive candidate market, are driving salary increases across STEM, employee motivation levels are dwindling.
Despite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2022.html)%20(https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">62% of leaders</a>&nbsp;shaping their long-term corporate strategy around employee engagement,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2022.html)%20(https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">merely 15% of today&rsquo;s workforce feels motivated at work</a>. This trend reveals a divide between what employees need to feel motivated at work, and what formal reviews suggest.
Bridging the motivation gap in today&rsquo;s climate of uncertainty and transformation means looking beyond traditional financial incentives and toward activating meaningful change, to enhance and enable your people&rsquo;s success.&nbsp;
In this article, I&rsquo;ll explore:
<ul>
<li>3 reasons why money doesn&rsquo;t motivate employees</li>
<li>The power of purpose and belonging</li>
<li>Alternative ways to motivate employees</li>
</ul>
<h2> 3 reasons why money doesn&rsquo;t motivate employees</h2>
<h3>Money is an extrinsic motivator</h3>
Research shows that internal motivators, where motivation is derived internally (through alignment of feelings, values, or goals), are&nbsp;<a href="https://intl-rop.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/10/19/0734371X11421495?__cf_chl_rt_tk=3llBZpjWW6x8hJTiFyZbq4sGsnrFBSj6zYwpnB9MxD0-1649755516-0-gaNycGzNCJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">three times more likely to spur employee engagement</a>&nbsp;than external motivators, where motivation is derived from external rewards (like money).&nbsp;
The<a href="https://intl-rop.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/10/19/0734371X11421495?__cf_chl_rt_tk=3llBZpjWW6x8hJTiFyZbq4sGsnrFBSj6zYwpnB9MxD0-1649755516-0-gaNycGzNCJE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;research&nbsp;</a>also suggests even at lower salary levels (that still allow for needs to be met), employees were significantly more likely to feel engaged at work when they felt intrinsically motivated, and less likely when they were extrinsically motivated, or motivated by money.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s important to note that while financial incentives don&rsquo;t have to be the focus of your offerings, paying a fair wage is still integral;<a href="https://www.aafp.org/fpm/1999/1000/p26.html#:~:text=Frederick%20Herzberg%20theorized%20that%20employee,more%20productive%2C%20creative%20and%20committed." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;wider motivation theory&nbsp;</a>suggests that without meeting a fundamental &lsquo;hygiene&rsquo; level of financial compensation, internal motivators lose their power. However, placing a greater focus on internal motivators can empower your employees to derive a deeper sense of engagement at work than money alone.&nbsp; &nbsp;
<h3>Money doesn&rsquo;t improve leadership</h3>
<a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">70% of changes in employee engagement are driven by leadership.&nbsp;</a>
Managers and other leaders play a critical role when it comes to keeping employees informed, up-to-date and empowered &ndash; both through a sense of individual success, and a wider sense of purpose within the organisation.
<a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recent research&nbsp;</a>from Gallup suggests meaningful communication is key to engagement in the workplace. Gallup found that employees who receive daily feedback from their managers were 3x more likely to be engaged than those who received less regular feedback.&nbsp;
Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/106912/Turning-Around-Your-Turnover-Problem.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">75% of reasons for voluntary turnover can be influenced by managers&nbsp;</a>&ndash; demonstrating the potential impact meaningful conversations and action can have in the workplace.&nbsp; Without meaningful communication in leadership to activate real changes to work environments, financial incentives are unlikely to enable performance or engagement.&nbsp; 
<h3>Money is not a universal solution</h3>
<a href="../../../../../../insights/guides-and-reports/2022-global-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SRG and New Scientist&rsquo;s 2022 Global Science Employment Report&nbsp;</a>reveals that across the US, Europe and UK, a good work-life balance was the factor cited as most important by the most people working in STEM industries.&nbsp;
However, a good work-life balance was also ranked as the least important factor by the most respondents in the UK and Europe. The results suggest that over half of global respondents would also find an employer appealing if they offered both an attractive salary along with stimulating and challenging work.
Our research demonstrates the variance in priorities for individuals globally across STEM. While money is a partial priority for many respondents, environmental factors that contribute to an individual sense of purpose (intrinsic motivators) like a good work-life balance, as well as challenging and stimulating work, do take precedence.
Taking the time to communicate with your teams and understand what drives them as individuals can help forge a more meaningful work experience that encourages higher levels of motivation, and engagement. &nbsp;
<h2>The power of purpose and belonging</h2>
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">70% of employees use their work to define their sense of purpose</a>, and since the pandemic, more people are reconsidering just how aligned their values are with that of their organisation.&nbsp;
This is driving events like the &lsquo;Great Resignation&rsquo;, where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-organization-blog/its-not-about-the-office-its-about-belonging" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">over half of employees left their roles as they didn&rsquo;t feel a sense of &lsquo;belonging&rsquo; at work</a>.&nbsp;
By enabling employees to connect their purpose with the wider organisation, leaders benefit from not only mitigating turnover, but powering greater levels of resilience, belonging, and engagement.
<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/igniting-individual-purpose-in-times-of-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recent research&nbsp;</a>from McKinsey suggests that during times of change, a strong sense of purpose can help employees navigate uncertainty and exhibit better resilience, and recovery from negative events.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/igniting-individual-purpose-in-times-of-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Employees who described themselves as &ldquo;living their purpose&rdquo; at work, were 4x more likely to be engaged, and 5x more likely to have greater levels of well-being</a>, compared to those who didn&rsquo;t feel their sense of purpose was aligned with their organisation.
Leaders can start to enable employees to enhance this connection between their individual and organisational purpose by initiating open conversations around purpose, meaning and values, and&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/the-3-key-principles-of-an-effective-hiring-strategy-in-stem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">embracing a mission-led approach</a>.&nbsp; 
<h2>Need help optimising your talent strategy?</h2>
SRG are part of Impellam Group, the UK&rsquo;s largest staffing business, and the sixth-largest MSP worldwide. Our global presence, extensive talent network and over 30 years of experience in making scientific hires, enable us to meet the unique requirements of every company we work with.
Connect with Jacob on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/solutionsatsrg/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Linkedin</a>, or email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:solutions@srgtalent.com">solutions@srgtalent.com</a>&nbsp;to arrange a discussion about your talent attraction strategy.&nbsp;
About the author:&nbsp;Initially joining SRG through the strategic sales team, Jacob&rsquo;s passion for technical search and his experience managing global recruitment means he now heads up&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../clients/search-by-srg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Search by SRG</a>, and is Director of both Search by SRG and Client Solutions. Jacob is passionate about partnering with clients to ensure that there is unity. Jacob is still very much hands-on. He recognises the importance of ensuring that the right people are in the right jobs to increase productivity, diversity of thought, and ultimately the success of our clients. &nbsp; Outside of executive search and client solutions, Jacob can also be heard discussing all things work-related on our&nbsp;<a href="https://anchor.fm/jacob-midwinter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Think Bigger Series podcast</a>.

Find out why money doesn't motivate employees and discover the best way to power employee motivation.

Why Money Doesn't Motivate Employees

Let&rsquo;s set the scene&hellip;
You have a new role in a rapidly growing department that you&rsquo;re looking to fill, and five agencies that could take on the role. Your next step might be to schedule a half-hour call with each agency to brief them and, from there, the race starts.&nbsp;
Not only are you recruiting for one role, in one department, but as a Hiring Manager or Director, you are tasked with recruiting for multiple specialisms across STEM. Each specialist agency you work with pursues candidates via their database, with some candidates being approached multiple times by several different agencies. These agencies often fail to communicate a consistent employee value proposition (EVP) that is unique, relevant, and compelling to your business, resulting in a poor candidate experience that can damage your brand&rsquo;s image.&nbsp;
This approach is far too common across recruitment and can harm candidate experience, limit the potential of cultural fit and increase the likelihood of making a mis-hire, all while consuming much more time than you&rsquo;d expect as you juggle the multiple points of contact.
A great solution for STEM businesses with a variety of specialist roles across science, tech and engineering is to engage with a recruitment partnership. This is where a group of specialist agencies join forces to provide one holistic service to minimise costs and accelerate the hiring process. As the client, you get access to multiple specialist consultants in one place and reduce time to manage agencies, leaving you more time to focus on screening, interviewing and onboarding the right people.&nbsp;
In this article, I&rsquo;ll explore three reasons why recruitment in STEM needs to change, and how leaders can leverage recruitment partnerships to better empower candidates and Hiring Managers alike.&nbsp;
Expect to discover:
<ul>
<li>How to establish a streamlined recruitment process&nbsp;</li>
<li>How to shorten time-to-hire</li>
<li>How to limit recruitment costs</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to establish a streamlined recruitment process</h2>
STEM businesses are matrixes of logistics, manufacture, research, and development.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the recruitment industry for the most part often falls into silos. While many agencies have the specialist teams necessary for select industries, and even niche positions, the breadth of roles that it takes to power a STEM business often surpasses capabilities. This leads organisations to approach a multitude of recruitment providers to meet their requirements and leaves HR departments with a complex network of contacts and payrolls to manage.
In STEM recruitment partnerships, a recruitment company utilises connections across wider industries to take on recruitment across departments, enabling a single point of contact process that minimises HR time commitment. The partnership may work with specialist scientific, tech and engineering agencies, with the process simplified through one main point of contact. These agencies also work in partnership to build a consistent and quality EVP for your business, building your reputation in the industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>How to shorten time-to-hire</h2>
Time to hire in traditional recruitment processes is heightened by a competitive candidate market, where duplicate applications are rife. Candidates are faced with more opportunities than ever and are often interviewing for multiple roles at the same time. This results in a higher frequency of dropouts, lost time for hiring managers and recruiters, and an overall increase in time to hire.
Recruitment partnerships combat this by establishing a high-quality candidate list, limiting dropouts and the number of overall interviews. Recruitment partners have the scope to represent your brand, and consistently represent your company, its EVP, and the role. This leads to a greater number of passive applicants and engaged candidates, who feel connected and engaged with your company.&nbsp;
Recruitment partners activate a sense of continuity, enabling your hiring managers to move away from starting from scratch every time a new role becomes available. Unlike traditional interim recruitment services, recruitment partners develop a nuanced understanding of ideal candidate profiles for company culture. This means they recommend similarly skilled candidates for newly available vacancies and vastly reduce the overall time to hire.&nbsp;
For example, a recent client of mine in the Chemical industry found that they had been relying on multiple agencies for specialist engineers, back-office admin, and floor workers, before realising that SRG had the scope to take on that recruitment under their parent company, Impellam, as a recruitment partnership. We were able to work out total hire amounts, cost-per-hire, and develop a monthly invoice to help manage recruitment spend.
We also established a refund policy, where we provide refunds and enable alternative recruitment options for any roles that we can&rsquo;t fill within the partnership. This model enabled a more streamlined and efficient process both internally for the client&rsquo;s HR, and for candidates who now received a consistent and convincing EVP.
<h2>How to limit recruitment costs and reduce cost-per-hire</h2>
Research from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation reveals that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/hiring-mistakes-are-costing-uk-businesses-billions-each-year-rec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3 out of 5 hires made in the UK are mis-hires.</a>&nbsp;What&rsquo;s more, despite<a href="https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/hiring-mistakes-are-costing-uk-businesses-billions-each-year-rec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;85% of HR decision-makers admitting to making a bad hire, a third of decision-makers believe that hiring mistakes come at no cost</a>&nbsp;to the business.&nbsp;
In reality, hidden costs across recruitment involve money wasted on induction, training, lost productivity and increased staff turnover, generating<a href="https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/hiring-mistakes-are-costing-uk-businesses-billions-each-year-rec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;a total loss of &pound;132,000 for a mid-managerial position alone.&nbsp;</a>
So, what drives mis-hires?&nbsp;
<a href="http://press.careerbuilder.com/2017-12-07-Nearly-Three-in-Four-Employers-Affected-by-a-Bad-Hire-According-to-a-Recent-CareerBuilder-Survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A study from CareerBuilder</a>&nbsp;suggests that a lack of cultural fit is a major cause. 37% of mis-hired employees in their study left as the job did not match the interview, or the listing description. An additional 33% left due to a lack of clear expectations for the role.
While contingent recruitment models rely on a &lsquo;fastest-finger first&rsquo; model for candidate acquisition, recruitment partnerships involve nurturing candidates from previous recruitment projects, alongside new and passive candidates. This means each candidate is thoroughly screened, receives a consistent and accurate representation of the role and the organisation&rsquo;s EVP, and that clients get higher quality candidates for their money.
What&rsquo;s more, by utilising personality profiling, video interviews and a dedicated Account Manager for the entirety of the recruitment project, recruitment partnerships activate a much more accurate, and reliable hiring process and avoid the cost of mis-hiring employees or delayed recruitment.
<h2>How SRG uses recruitment partnerships</h2>
SRG is a part of Impellam Group, the UK&rsquo;s largest staffing business, and the sixth-largest MSP worldwide, connected to 16 other brands across the global world of recruitment. Our global presence, extensive talent network and over 20 years of experience enable us to meet the unique requirements of every business we partner with.
As Client Solutions Manager, I empower clients across SRG to draw on our wider branches of recruitment services owned by Impellam to power their complete recruitment strategy in a holistic way.
We often work in partnership with Impellam&rsquo;s brands,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lorienglobal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lorien</a>&nbsp;on tech recruitment, and<a href="https://www.carbon60global.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;Carbon 60&nbsp;</a>on engineering roles.&nbsp;
We ensure a single point of contact for clients while maintaining a specialist recruitment approach. The partnership model also means limiting time to hire by leveraging an established relationship with both clients and candidates, on top of curbing the potential of mis-hires and escalating recruitment costs.
Do you have a variety of STEM roles, and are interested in hearing more about how a recruitment partnership works?&nbsp;Contact Chris to discuss how it could work for your organisation:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:">solutions@srgtalent.com</a>
About the author:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/srgchrispercival/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Percival</a>&nbsp;is Client Solutions Manager at SRG. Chris is a highly personable individual who takes the time to understand your business and business needs. Chris knows that there is no such thing as a &ldquo;one size fits all&rdquo; recruitment solution, offering a bespoke service offering that integrates seamlessly with your current processes.

Find out how, and why recruitment partnerships drive business success with Chris Percival, Client Solutions Manager at SRG

3 Reasons Why Recruitment Could Benefit from Agency Partnerships

<h3>British scientists have long exerted a huge impact on global STEM. From computer science to the double helix, the world would be a very different place without British innovation.</h3>
For&nbsp;centuries, Britain has been a veritable hotbed of scientific innovation. From Isaac Newton to Stephen Hawking, the country's best scientists are household names all across the globe.
While there are plenty of&nbsp;valid&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/impact-of-brexit-on-stem-recruitment">concerns about the long-term effects of Brexit on the UK STEM sector</a>, British science is still in a good place. According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-comparison-of-the-uk-research-base-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most recent government data</a>, the UK produces 7% of the world's scientific research papers (despite comprising only 0.9% of the global population and 2.2% of global GDP). And of the most highly-cited research papers, Britain has a 15% share.&nbsp;
But British science goes far beyond these impressive statistics. Without resorting to hyperbole, it's fair to claim that the contributions of British scientists &mdash; some of the most influential scientists of all time &mdash; have directly changed the course of world history.
To celebrate the ongoing achievements of the British STEM sector, we look at six British science pioneers whose work had ramifications reaching far beyond the boundaries of the discipline.
&nbsp;
<h2>6 British scientists who changed the world&nbsp;</h2>
&nbsp;
<h2>1. Isaac Newton (1643-1727)</h2>
Sir Isaac Newton is not just one of the great British scientists, but he&rsquo;s also one of the most prominent scientists ever to have walked this planet. A true polymath, the Lincolnshire-born Newton was an expert mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and alchemist.
Newton is best known for his (likely apocryphal) 'eureka' moment when he saw an apple fall from a tree &mdash; an epiphany that supposedly inspired his most-celebrated work,&nbsp;Principia. More than just a thesis,&nbsp;Principia&nbsp;formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation which are still relevant, cited, and form the basis of empirical research today.
Aside from his contributions to classical mechanics, Newton worked extensively in optics and formulated his theory of colour, which attributed colour as a property of light. If that's not all, he also invented the field of calculus (Gottfried Leibniz, the prominent German polymath and contemporary of Newton, developed the idea independently around the same time).
When paired with his mathematical breakthroughs, Newton&rsquo;s work has formed the basis of hundreds of years of scientific discovery &mdash; giving us the empirical toolkit to compare apples with apples. Much more than just a titan of science, Newton's continued legacy was underscored when he was voted the sixth-greatest Briton of all time in a 2002 BBC poll.
&nbsp;
<h2>2. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)</h2>
Though Newton's name is synonymous with science, few people on this list have had an impact as profound as the 19th-century naturalist, geologist, and biologist, Charles Darwin.
Breaking with almost two millennia of deeply entrenched religious dogma, Darwin's theory of evolution would radically alter our understanding of humanity's place within nature.
In his landmark 1859 book&nbsp;On the Origin of the Species, Darwin used compelling evidence to suggest that populations evolve over the course of generations through the process of natural selection. Such was the impact of this theory, that by the 1870s, evolution was considered a fact by the scientific community and educated public. Indeed, natural selection now forms the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining both the common ancestry of organisms and the diversity of life.&nbsp;
Darwin's achievements went far beyond one seminal book, however. Earlier in his career, his five-year voyage on the&nbsp;HMS Beagle&nbsp;and his subsequent discoveries made him one the most widely celebrated naturalists and geologists of the day. Later in life, he also put forward the idea of sexual selection in his 1871 book&nbsp;The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex&nbsp;&mdash; extending on his famous theory of natural selection.
By changing the way the average person thinks about the world, Darwin is considered the father of modern thought and one the most influential figures in human history.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>3. Ada Lovelace (1815-1852)</h2>
Many people cite another British great, Alan Turing, as the creator of the computer. But without the work of Ada Lovelace, it might not have been possible. In the socially conservative Victorian era, Lovelace was years ahead of her time.
Many of us think of computers as a relatively recent invention, and the idea that computing goes back to 1840 seems somewhat far-fetched at first consideration. But before Apple and Microsoft and before the Harvard Mark I, Ada Lovelace had an incredible grasp of computing. Her understanding was not only unparalleled at the time, but went under-appreciated for more than a century &mdash; only coming back to the fore in the 1950s.
What makes her understanding of computing more incredible is that she was working at a time when few women had access to education. Despite being faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, she overcame society&rsquo;s obstacles to inspire some of the greatest computer scientists of the 20th century.
Considered the first computer programmer, Ada Lovelace was a true Victorian visionary.
&nbsp;
<h2>4. Alexander Fleming (1881-1955)</h2>
Another Nobel Prize winner &mdash; this time in 1945 &mdash; Alexander Fleming had an impact that would transcend science. Born in Ayrshire in 1881, Fleming&rsquo;s great discovery came when he was studying influenza in 1928 &mdash; almost a decade after returning from service in the First World War.
He noticed that mould had started to develop on&nbsp;staphylococci&nbsp;culture dishes which had accidentally been left out. This mould had created an immunity circle around itself, resisting bacteria. Fleming named this substance&nbsp;penicillin.
Though it wasn&rsquo;t Fleming who translated this discovery into the drugs that fight off bacterial infections we use today (that honour went to the US drug industry), his groundbreaking findings led the way in reducing the impact of bacterial infections for millions of people globally (he also went on to write highly influential papers on immunology, chemotherapy, and bacteriology).&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/the-history-of-science-in-scotland">One of the greatest Scots in history</a>, Fleming is a true icon of both science and global healthcare.
&nbsp;
<h2>5. Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994)</h2>
As the only British woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, it&rsquo;s perhaps not surprising to see Dorothy Hodgkin&rsquo;s name on a list of the greatest British scientists. Though born in Egypt, she was raised and educated in the UK.
Hodgkin&rsquo;s prolific career was full of incredible scientific discoveries. In 1945, she discovered the atomic structure of penicillin. In 1954, she published work discovering the structure of vitamin B12. This research, produced in collaboration with American chemist Ken Trueblood, led to Hodgkin being awarded a Nobel Prize for &ldquo;her determinations by X-ray techniques of the structures of important biochemical substances.&rdquo;
Hodgkin went on to reveal the structure of insulin, a project she&rsquo;d been working on for decades. Incredibly, she worked throughout her life while suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
&nbsp;
<h2>6. Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)</h2>
Many consider Rosalind Franklin&rsquo;s emission from the rollcall of Nobel Prize winners as a blemish on the prize&rsquo;s record. Franklin, a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer, made hugely important and influential contributions to our understanding of the molecular structures of DNA.
Through her work on the X-ray diffraction images of DNA, we discovered the DNA double helix. The discovery of this structure allowed scientists to understand how genetic information is passed between parents and their offspring.
Despite the importance of her work, she&rsquo;s still often overlooked for three reasons. Firstly, she died of ovarian cancer at young age. Secondly, her work was appropriated by the Cambridge University scientists James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins, who published a series of articles that led to the trio picking up a Nobel Prize.
The final reason, of course, was her gender. Back in the 1950s were just not taken seriously in an academic context. Wilkins, who would later win the Nobel Prize by piggybacking on Franklin&rsquo;s research, initially thought that she was a lab assistant rather than the head of her own project.
Like Ada Lovelace before her, Rosalind Franklin is a frank reminder of the struggles that women had to endure just to have their work acknowledged and respected. If there's one thing to take from this celebration of British scientific achievement, it&rsquo;s that we strive to ensure&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/4-female-scientists-today-who-are-changing-the-world">women working in science</a>&nbsp;&mdash; wherever they are &mdash; are afforded the same level of opportunity, appreciation, and respect as their male counterparts.
&nbsp;
<h2>7. Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)</h2>
Simply put, the theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking was one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century and arguably one of the greatest thinkers of all time. To wrap up our list, we'll let the great man summarise his remarkable life in his own words in this video from Discovery UK.

For centuries, British scientists have had a huge global impact. From computer science to the double helix, the world would be a very different place without British innovation.

7 of The Greatest British Scientists and How They Changed The World

<h3 dir="ltr">In celebration of Black History Month, SRG and our sister brand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/sitecore/content/lorien/home/insights">Lorien</a>&nbsp;are exploring the stories behind some of the most significant contributions made by STEM figures of black heritage. In this article, we look at the trailblazing life of&nbsp;George Washington Carver&nbsp;(c. 1864-1943), the most prominent black scientist and inventor of the first half of the 20th century.</h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Early life</h3>
Born into slavery in Diamond, Missouri towards the end of the American Civil War (his exact birthdate is unknown), Carver&rsquo;s early life was marred by the violent structural racism of the time.
&nbsp;
Just a week after his birth, Carver &mdash; along with his mother and sister &mdash; was kidnapped by raiders and sold in Kentucky. Of the three captives, only the young George would return to the Carver farm.
&nbsp;
After the Emancipation Proclamation of 1865 abolished slavery in the United States, Carver&rsquo;s former owners Moses and Susan Carver decided to raise and educate the precocious young boy. Susan taught George how to read and write, helping to spark a lifelong quest for knowledge.
<h3 dir="ltr">Education</h3>
Possessing a natural curiosity, Carver earned his diploma at Minneapolis High School in Kansas. He was then accepted into the nearby Highland College but denied admittance once his race became known to college administrators. Instead of attending classes, he homesteaded a claim in Beeler, Kansas, where he maintained a small conservatory of plants, flowers, and geological collections and started conducting biological experiments.
&nbsp;
In 1888, after obtaining a $300 bank loan for education, Carver attended Simpson College in Iowa to study art and piano. Here, his art teacher soon recognised Carver&rsquo;s talent for plants and flowers; encouraging him to study botany at Iowa State Agricultural College. When he enrolled at Iowa State in 1891, he became the college&rsquo;s first black student.
<h3 dir="ltr">Finding his calling</h3>
While at Iowa State, Carver forged a reputation as a brilliant botanist. It was this reputation that impelled Booker T. Washington &mdash; the leading African-American leader of the time &mdash; to hire Carver to run the agricultural department at the historically black Tuskegee Institute, a school founded by Washington himself.
&nbsp;
Under Carver&rsquo;s stewardship, the agricultural department at Tuskegee gained national renown. Carver and his team conducted groundbreaking research into on plant biology, primarily focusing on the development of new uses for crops including peanuts, sweet potatoes, soybeans, and pecans. He also helped forge a curriculum and faculty that created innovative methods of crop rotation, as well as developing alternative cash crops for poor farmers in areas heavily planted with cotton.
&nbsp;
With heavy monoculture (reliance on a single crop) leaving many fields barren, cotton production had begun to decline in the American South by the early 20th century. Amid economic uncertainty and endemic rural poverty, Carver&rsquo;s ideas on crop rotation were to prove highly influential. By planting peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes, Carver realised farmers could restore nitrogen to the soil and produce higher yields.
&nbsp;
Though these crops grow well in the climate of the South, there was little demand for them at the time. Thanks to Carver&rsquo;s groundbreaking research and flurry of inventions, this changed. For struggling sharecroppers in the South, Carver&rsquo;s work provided a much-needed lifeline. In the process, he revolutionised the farming industry.
<h3 dir="ltr">Inventions</h3>
In all, Carver could lay claim to inventing hundreds of products, including 300+ from peanuts (milks, plastics, dyes, cosmetics, soap, ink, paints) and 118 from sweet potatoes (flour, vinegar, rubber, molasses, glue).
&nbsp;
Contrary to popular belief, Carver did&nbsp;not&nbsp;invent peanut butter. However, thanks to his many peanut-based innovations &mdash; as well as the "Peanut Man" moniker he was affectionately given during his lifetime&nbsp;&mdash; this apocryphal belief has endured to the present day.
<h3 dir="ltr">Later life and legacy</h3>
Towards the end of his life, Carver became a leading figure in US public life as his efforts became widely recognised. In 1939, he was awarded the Roosevelt Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Southern Agriculture. In 1941, Time magazine even dubbed him the &ldquo;Black Leonardo.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
An early proponent of environmentalism and outspoken critic of racial inequality, Carver&rsquo;s pioneering work in agriculture and celebrity status transcended the virulent racism of the Jim Crow era &ndash; a remarkable achievement for the time.
&nbsp;
Carver died after a fall on January 5th, 1943 at the age of 78. He was buried on the grounds of the Tuskegee Institute next to his old boss and friend, Booker T. Washington. His gravestone rather aptly reads:
&nbsp;
"He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honour in being helpful to the world."
&nbsp;
A true American icon, George Washington Carver&rsquo;s extraordinary contributions improved the lives of farming families all over the US and inspired countless subsequent generations of scientists from all backgrounds. Indeed, his life stands as a testament to the transformative power of education and the burning quest for knowledge.
&nbsp;
For more insights into the world of science, stay tuned to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog">SRG blog</a>.

This Black History Month, we celebrate the life and legacy of George Washington Carver, one of the most prominent black scientists of the 20th century.

#BlackScienceHeroes: George Washington Carver

<h3 dir="ltr">Scotland is the UK&rsquo;s second-largest life sciences cluster, with over 770 organisations employing more than 41,000 people. And with the industry continuing to grow, it&rsquo;s becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for scientists and researchers in the UK and beyond.</h3>
&nbsp;
As we explored in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/the-history-of-science-in-scotland">previous blog</a>, Scotland&rsquo;s STEM sector is thriving. Building on the country&rsquo;s prestigious scientific heritage, businesses are joining forces with local government to make the country a world leader in STEM research.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And with Scotland offering solid career progression, an abundance of breathtaking scenery and a high quality of life, STEM professionals are relocating to the country in their droves.
&nbsp;
In this article, we&rsquo;ll take a closer look at the dynamic science hubs that are driving innovation in Scottish STEM.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Aberdeen</h2>
A cosmopolitan and bustling metropolis with around 220,000 inhabitants, Aberdeen &mdash; nicknamed the Granite City &mdash; is Scotland&rsquo;s third most populous city and a major STEM hub.
&nbsp;
In the late 20th century, this regional capital on the northeast coast became famous for its North Sea oil, sparking a modern-day gold rush. By the 2000s, novel industries such as biotech had also come to the fore &mdash; accelerating the growth of Aberdeen&rsquo;s STEM workforce.
&nbsp;
Aberdeenshire&rsquo;s diverse STEM economy is underpinned by a host of world-leading research institutions and life-science organisations. If that&rsquo;s not all, the food and drink industry also attracts leading businesses to the city. According to InvestAberdeen, the Aberdeen City Region contributes an estimated&nbsp;<a href="https://investaberdeen.co.uk/key-sectors/food-and-drink#:~:text=In%20Scottish%20terms%2C%20the%20region,50%25%20of%20its%20fish%20landings." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">20% of Scotland's food and drink industry output</a>.
&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the energy sector is still a major employer. An estimated 500,000 jobs have been created by the energy industry in and around Aberdeen, including jobs in Scotland&rsquo;s world-renowned renewable energy sector.
&nbsp;
With excellent job prospects as well as first-class education, healthcare, local amenities, and transport links, Aberdeen has one of the highest standards of living in the UK. In 2012, it was even ranked as Mercer&rsquo;s 56th most liveable&nbsp;city in the world. More recently, in 2018, PwC&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/regional-sites/scotland/press-releases/edinburgh-aberdeen-among-top-uk-cities.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Good Growth for Cities Index</a>&nbsp;ranked Aberdeen in the top 10 UK cities to live and work.
&nbsp;
Away from the city, you&rsquo;ll also be a 15-minute drive from the stunning Aberdeenshire countryside and jaw-dropping coastal walks. And with more whisky distilleries than any other area of Scotland, it&rsquo;s the ideal place for distillery scientists and Scotch connoisseurs alike.
 Despite being geographically remote, Aberdeen is well connected by its transport links, including frequent trains to other British cities and regular ferries to Orkney and the Shetland Islands. Aberdeen is also globally connected: Paris and Amsterdam are only an hour&rsquo;s flight away.
<h2 dir="ltr">Dundee</h2>
&ldquo;Dundee is home to one of the most exciting life-sciences clusters in the UK, with world-class companies, universities, and research institutes all within a three-mile radius.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&mdash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biodundee.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BioDundee</a>
&nbsp;
Home to a cosmopolitan population and the only V&amp;A Museum of Design outside of London, Scotland&rsquo;s fourth-largest city is a surprising cultural and artistic heavyweight.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And with a host of leading biomedical companies calling Dundee home, this thriving metropolis is also an increasingly popular destination for STEM workers. Given that the city&rsquo;s motto is &ldquo;One city, many discoveries,&rdquo; it&rsquo;s hardly surprising to see its culture of innovation continue to flourish.
&nbsp;
Indeed, the Tayside region has long established itself as a major centre in the digital entertainment industry, particularly in mobile app development and gaming (Rockstar North, the creator of the best-selling Grand Theft Auto video game series, was formed in Dundee). Now, it&rsquo;s garnering a reputation for being a prolific life-science hub.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Currently, the city is home to 20% of Scotland&rsquo;s life-science companies &mdash; despite the combined population of Dundee and the surrounding Angus region making up less than 5% of Scotland&rsquo;s total. The city also hosts the Dundee Science Centre, which in 2018 received&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-45096295" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&pound;1.5 million in funding</a>&nbsp;to create "an inspiring community hub and lifelong learning resource."
&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the surrounding Angus region, home of the eponymous Angus beef, is a major agricultural centre. 30 miles northeast of Dundee, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also has a base in Montrose, where it is the major employer in the town. For scientists, engineers, and researchers, the area&rsquo;s employment opportunities are plentiful.
&nbsp;
Thanks to affordable housing, a healthy local economy, and a good quality of life, Dundee&rsquo;s reputation is soaring. In 2015, GQ magazine named Dundee the 'Coolest Little City in Britain', while in 2018, The Wall Street Journal&nbsp;ranked Dundee in fifth place on its list of '<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-41761399" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Worldwide Hot Destinations</a>'.
<h2 dir="ltr">Edinburgh</h2>
If you&rsquo;re looking for a blend of vibrant city living and verdant green escapism, few places in the UK can match Edinburgh. From its network of historic buildings to its one-hundred-plus parks, the captivating Scottish capital has long been a go-to destination for tourists and professionals alike. The city did inspire JK Rowling to write Harry Potter, after all.
&nbsp;
With all the ingredients need for city living &mdash; including world-class events, international restaurants, and lively nightlife, all within walking distance from one another &mdash; it&rsquo;s little wonder that Edinburgh ranks consistently high on liveability indexes.
&nbsp;
Edinburgh is also unparalleled for employment prospects. The city is home to the highest percentage of professionals within the UK, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bachelorsportal.com/cities/35/edinburgh.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">43% of the population holding a degree-level or equivalent qualification</a>. Salaries are also amongst the highest in the UK.
&nbsp;
For scientists, it&rsquo;s a great place to advance your career. In Scotland, Edinburgh is the national epicentre for scientific employment &mdash; second only to London and Greater Manchester within the UK.
&nbsp;
The Edinburgh Science Triangle (EST), which stretches out across the wider Lothian region, is a world-class science and technology location for research, scientific convergence, and industry collaboration. Consisting of seven science parks, four universities and two leading agritech institutes, it&rsquo;s one of the largest R&amp;D clusters in Europe.
&nbsp;
Edinburgh&nbsp;<a href="https://edinburghbioquarter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BioQuarter</a>&nbsp;is a hub for life-science innovators, hosting twenty-five world-leading healthcare and biomedical science companies from across the globe. Altogether, BioQuarter employs 39,000 people across 750 organisations. Facilities here include the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM), and the Queen&rsquo;s Medical Research Institute (QMRI).
&nbsp;
Outside of STEM, Edinburgh is also a major centre in banking, home to the world&rsquo;s largest arts festival (AKA the Fringe Festival), and in 2004 was designated the world&rsquo;s first UNESCO City of Literature.
<h2 dir="ltr">Glasgow</h2>
With over one million inhabitants, Glasgow is Scotland&rsquo;s largest city and economic powerhouse.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Once an industrial juggernaut that used to build 20% of the world&rsquo;s shipping, Glasgow has had to adapt with the times since the collapse of its shipbuilding industry.
&nbsp;
Thankfully, the city has done so without compromising on its world-famous identity. Still a hive of economic and cultural activity, Glasgow&rsquo;s music, arts, business, and sports scenes continue to shine brightly and attract ambitious professionals from all over the world.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In the STEM-related industries, Glasgow certainly gives Edinburgh a run for its money. Each year, the region&rsquo;s universities teach&nbsp;<a href="http://glasgoweconomicleadership.com/sector/life-sciences/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">22,000 students in life-science subjects and produce over 5,000 first-class life-science graduates</a>. With specialised facilities and expertise in drug discovery, bioinformatics, precision medicine, translational research, clinical trials, and pharmaceutical services, the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Valley region is rightfully earning a reputation as a leading STEM hotspot.
&nbsp;
Indeed, with over 230 life-science companies (<a href="https://neweuropeaneconomy.com/in-focus/glasgows-innovation-leads-the-way-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">40% of the Scottish total and 50% of Scottish medtech companies</a>), the Glasgow BioCorridor is undoubtedly the powerhouse of Scottish life sciences. A flurry of major manufacturing firms are also based in the city, keeping its proud tradition in the sector very much alive and kicking.
&nbsp;
As for day-to-day living, cheaper house prices than Edinburgh and a more down-to-earth feel make Glasgow one of the most popular locations for people seeking new pastures, particularly for young professionals looking to take the next step in their career. A variety of vibrant restaurants, bars, theatres, museums, galleries, and shops all contribute to Glasgow being the fifth-most visited city in the UK.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Location-wise, Glasgow is literally at the centre of it all. The rest of the UK and Scotland is easily accessible by rail and road, while Glasgow Airport has flights to over 100 international destinations.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
And if you&rsquo;re looking for a counterpoint to the constant buzz of the urban area, some of Scotland&rsquo;s best beaches are only an hour&rsquo;s drive away, as is the awe-inspiring tranquillity of Loch Lomond. In this sense, Glasgow certainly lives up to its &lsquo;Dear Green Place&rsquo; mantle.
<h2 dir="ltr">Inverness</h2>
Thanks to pioneering health R&amp;D, this remote, picture-postcard city in the Highlands is fast becoming a destination of choice for adventurous scientists. With one of the fastest-growing local economies in the UK thanks to its burgeoning hi-tech and healthcare sectors, Inverness is often cited as the happiest city in the UK.
&nbsp;
Located in the far north of Britain, Inverness has a different feel to the rest of the country &mdash; more closely resembling Trondheim or Reykjavik than Glasgow or Edinburgh. Like Aberdeen, it also sits outside of the so-called &lsquo;Silicon Glen&rsquo;; Scotland&rsquo;s Central Belt of scientific industry that spans from Glasgow across to Dundee.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
However, this doesn&rsquo;t limit its potential for growth and innovation. By rail, Glasgow and Edinburgh can be reached in under four hours, while Aberdeen is 2-hours-and-20-minutes train ride away. By car, the Cairngorms and Loch Ness are accessible in under half an hour. The local airport also runs flights to various UK and European destinations, meaning you won&rsquo;t be totally cut off from civilisation.
&nbsp;
While city slickers may prefer the cities further south, Inverness is an ideal location for those of you looking for a somewhat detached and calmer pace of life. With the iconic Highland region &mdash; including the world-famous Loch Ness &mdash; stretching out as far as the eye can see, Invernesians have boundless opportunities to discover the magic of the great Scottish outdoors.
<h2 dir="ltr">The best of the rest</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Falkirk</h3>
Located in the central lowlands, the town of Falkirk sits almost exactly halfway between the powerhouses of Glasgow and Edinburgh &mdash; making both easily commutable. Closer to home, the nearby Grangemouth petrochemicals refinery employs over 1,000 people. With low house prices and a slower pace of life, Falkirk is a great option for STEM workers wanting to escape the big city.
<h3 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Perth</h3>
This small city of 50,000 is a regional hub for renewable energy and manufacturing; both of which are major employers in the area. Part of Scotland&rsquo;s scientific Central Belt, Perth is also a short drive away from Dundee. And with the city commonly referred to as &lsquo;The Gateway to the Highlands&rsquo;, residents are treated to miles upon miles of remarkable countryside right on their doorstep.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">&nbsp;</h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Stirling</h3>
Described by The Guardian as &ldquo;Edinburgh in miniature,&rdquo; the historic centre of Stirling is another fantastic alternative to big-city living. Thanks to its strategic location &mdash; as the old saying goes, &ldquo;he who controls Stirling, controls Scotland&rdquo; &mdash; Stirling Castle was once the stronghold of the Scottish monarchy. While the castle still stands proud, the city is firmly embracing the 21st-century, with R&amp;D and life science employers clustering around the University of Stirling campus.

Take a closer look at the dynamic regional science hubs that are driving innovation in Scotland's STEM sector.

The best locations for science jobs in Scotland

The expected return on investment from drug development is drastically falling.
While in 2010, returns averaged at 10.1%,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/my/Documents/risk/my-risk-sdg3-intelligent-drug-discovery.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in 2019 ROI dropped to just 1.9%</a>.
Drug development typically&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2020/average-cost-developing-new-drug-could-be-15-billion-less-pharmaceutical" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">costs upwards of &pound;1 billion</a>&nbsp;and can take anywhere&nbsp;<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263049629_Drug_Development_and_Discovery_Challenges_and_Opportunities" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">between 8-12 years</a>. Drug discovery is a key contributor to that time frame, and usually consumes a third of the total R&amp;D budget.&nbsp;
The future of the industry relies on finding new, innovative ways to speed up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/5-drug-discovery-and-development-challenges-and-how-to-solve-them">discovery and development</a>&nbsp;without compromising the quality and accuracy of the process, and AI is proving itself capable of doing just that.&nbsp;
With AI, biopharma organisations can improve the accuracy of predictions at the discovery stage, curbing the cost of the overall drug discovery process, and delivering better drugs to market, faster.
Read on to find out:
<ul>
<li>How AI improves drug discovery</li>
<li>How leading pharmaceutical organisations are using AI</li>
<li>What the future holds for AI in medicine</li>
</ul>
<h2>How can AI improve drug discovery?</h2>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6226120/#cts12577-bib-0005" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Less than 10%</a>&nbsp;of drug candidates that make it to clinical trials progress to market.
A lack of knowledge on the 3d structure of drug compounds and targets, as well as a reliance on animal models that fail to accurately represent human physiology, are just two factors underlying this limited success rate.
Jackie Hunter, CEO of Benevolent Bio, a division of Benevolent AI, says that half of those failures are fundamentally due to a lack of efficacy. In&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.ey.com/content/dam/ey-sites/ey-com/en_gl/topics/life-sciences/life-sciences-pdfs/ey-biotechnology-report-2017-beyond-borders-staying-the-course1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ernst &amp; Young&rsquo;s biotech report</a>, she states, &ldquo;that tells you we&rsquo;re not picking the right targets&rdquo;, and that &ldquo;even a 5 or 10% reduction in efficacy failure would be amazing&rdquo;.
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-useful-is-ai-in-medical-research">AI has a vital role to play in clinical research</a>.
By leveraging data and machine learning, AI technology can improve efficiency across every stage of the drug discovery process, including:
<ul>
<li>Initial prediction of the target protein&rsquo;s role in disease</li>
<li>Design of in silico compounds from libraries to improve structural knowledge</li>
<li>Novel target identification&nbsp;</li>
<li>Prediction of the structure &ndash; activity relationship</li>
<li>Prediction of ADMET properties</li>
<li>Selection of ideal patient population for clinical trials</li>
<li>Observation of adverse effects</li>
</ul>
<h2>Recent pioneers in AI and Biopharma</h2>
<h3>Exscientia</h3>
<a href="https://www.exscientia.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Excscientia</a>&rsquo;s &lsquo;Centaur Chemist&rsquo; is showing huge potential, and results for the pharmaceutical industry. &lsquo;Centaur Chemist&rsquo; works by computationally sifting through and comparing millions of small molecules, choosing the most viable candidates for synthesis, testing and optimisation, before finally selecting the best drug candidate for clinical trials.&nbsp;
<a href="https://pharmaphorum.com/about-pharmaphorum/gsk-adds-to-copd-pipeline-as-exscientia-deal-bears-fruit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Working with GSK</a>, Exscienta successfully identified the first active lead molecule for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) &ndash; paving the route for a vitally needed novel therapy.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2022/2022-01-07-07-00-00-2362917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sanofi has also chosen to work with Exscientia</a>, and have invested approximately $5.2 billion in aggregate into their collaboration. Their research will focus on 15 novel small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.exscientia.ai/press-releases/press-release-details/2021/exscientia-accelerates-covid-19-drug-discovery-using-ai/Default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Exscientia has been contributing to the COVID-19 effort</a>, and have announced a new project optimising novel small molecule inhibitors into a therapeutic development candidate for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.
<h3>Recursion</h3>
<a href="https://www.recursion.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Recursion</a>&nbsp;is a digital biology company with AI at the centre of their work.
Recursion&rsquo;s 4.7-petabyte biological image database fuels an advanced AI platform that can reveal drug candidates, mechanisms of action, novel chemistry and potential toxicity.
Just 18 months after their collaboration with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.takeda.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Takeda</a>&nbsp;in 2017, Recursion delivered new therapeutic candidates for more than 6 diseases. In 2020, Recursion identified TAK-733, a clinical-stage MEK inhibitor with the potential to treat hereditary cancer.
<a href="https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/recursion-enters-into-global-licensing-agreement-with-takeda-to-develop-tak-733-in-hereditary-cancer-syndrome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Gibson, co-founder and CEO of Recursion announced</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;TAK-733 is a great example of the power of our approach to decode challenging and important areas of biology.&rdquo; He describes the power of Recursion&rsquo;s approach &ldquo;by applying machine learning to images of cells, we capture cellular changes accompanying hundreds of unique biological perturbations, and even loss of just a single gene&rdquo;.
<h3>Benevolent AI</h3>
<a href="https://www.benevolent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Benevolent AI</a>&nbsp;is a leading clinical-stage AI drug discovery organisation, that started working with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AstraZeneca</a>&nbsp;in 2019 to identify new targets for chronic kidney disease, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.&nbsp;
Since then, Benevolent AI&rsquo;s Platform has identified&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benevolent.com/news/benevolentai-achieves-collaboration-milestone-with-novel-ipf-target-selected-for-astrazenecas-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">two novel targets</a>&nbsp;that have been experimentally validated and selected for AstraZeneca&rsquo;s portfolio.
<a href="https://www.benevolent.com/news/benevolentai-achieves-collaboration-milestone-with-novel-ipf-target-selected-for-astrazenecas-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Professor Maria Belvisi, SVP and Head of Research and Early Development at AstraZeneca</a>&nbsp;spoke about the collaboration positively, saying &ldquo;our ongoing collaboration with Benevolent AI has enabled us to leverage the world&rsquo;s available scientific literature and our in-house experiments, all brought together through machine learning to identify previously unrecognised links.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h2>What does the future hold for AI in medicine?</h2>
While AI use in pharma has, until recently, focused on analysing large data sets, there remains a future potential to combine insights from real-time target population interactions with larger datasets to drive the design of personalised precision drugs.
According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2022/2022-01-07-07-00-00-2362917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Frank Nestle, Global Head of Research and Chief Scientific Officer at Sanofi</a>, the &ldquo;application of sophisticated AI and machine learning methods will not only shorten drug discovery timelines, but will also help to design higher quality and better targeted medicines for patients&rdquo;.
Personalised precision drugs have long been conceptualised in medicine but remain too expensive to manufacture without AI intervention. In the future, personalised drugs could provide specific treatment to individual patients, based on their personal genetic background and symptoms to avoid side effects. This would aid early intervention and improve treatment adherence.
Before this level of disruption and development is achieved, the biopharma industry will need to pave the way with the right AI professionals and technical experts to ensure the right decisions are made at the right time.
<h2>Skills gap in AI</h2>
<a href="https://www.pharmexec.com/view/skills-shortage-imminent-threat-life-sciences-innovation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ian Marison, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Biofactory Competence Center</a>&nbsp;(BCC) in Fribourg, Switzerland has written on the skills gap subject. According to Marison, &ldquo;a survey last year by the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes found that traditional manufacturing positions were the easiest functional roles to fill. But when you look at the skill sets required to manage biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes &mdash; in particular, around engineering, data analytics and process development &mdash; the skill set shortage challenge persists.&rdquo;
He notes that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and process analytical technology (PAT) in drug production, as well as various approaches using data science, big data, and machine learning, is increasing the demand for life scientists with mathematical and computing skills.&nbsp;
<h2>Are you facing talent shortages in AI?</h2>
Our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/clients/our-services/search-by-srg">Search by SRG Team</a>&nbsp;are experts in STEM recruitment and can help you find expert talent to meet your business requirements. Email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:solutions@srgtalent.com?subject=Recruitment%20solutions%20enquiry">solutions@srgtalent.com</a>&nbsp;and one of our consultants will be in touch to arrange a call at a time that suits you. About the author:&nbsp;Janne Bates specialises in resourcing top talent within AI, Machine Learning and Bioinformatics across the Life Science industry. She partners with companies across the globe with a focus on the European market. Specialist Areas:&nbsp;AI The typical roles Janne recruits include from C suite down:&nbsp;Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry, Machine Learning, Data Science, Biological Systems Specialists

Janne Bate from Search by SRG investigates how the use of artificial intelligence is transforming the biopharma industry

How AI Drug Discovery Technology is Transforming the Biopharma Industry

<h3>Analytical chemistry is a burgeoning field of science that gives practitioners plenty of scope to be creative and uncover fascinating insights into the nature of substances.</h3>
Science is fundamental to everyday life. As we uncover more about the effects of global warming, genetic engineering, and a myriad of other subjects, the role of chemists&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;particularly that of analytical chemists&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;is becoming increasingly important.
After all, without understanding chemistry, how can we intelligently explore the most pressing scientific questions of our time?
In this article, we explore what it&rsquo;s like to work in such an innovative field.
&nbsp;
<h2>What is analytical chemistry?</h2>
Analytical chemistry is a broad and active branch of chemistry that deals with the gathering, processing, and communicating of information related to the composition and structure of matter.
The principles of analytical chemistry are used to check the quality of drugs, foods, and other chemicals used in products, consumables and the life-saving medicines we use every day. Without analytical procedures, it would be nigh on impossible to ensure the safety of these chemicals.
Analytical chemists perform controlled experiments to uncover the precise chemical components of a substance. To do so, they analyse samples by using a range of techniques such as spectroscopy, electro-chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Analytical chemists are employed by a variety of public and private sector organisations and can specialise in areas such as toxicology, pharmaceuticals, quality control or forensics.
The expertise of analytical chemists is needed for a broad range of purposes, including drug development, toxicology, and forensic analysis.
&nbsp;
<h2>What requirements are needed to be an analytical chemist?</h2>
In order to obtain an entry-level position, analytical chemists need a BSc or HND in a relevant subject such as chemistry, applied/analytical chemistry or biochemistry. Many decide to gain extensive work experience in the lab via work-study programmes or internships. Others opt to start out at a lab technician level, which places more emphasis on practical experience than academic qualifications.
Gaining membership of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rsc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)</a>&nbsp;can also help individuals progress to more advanced positions.
This can be awarded three years after graduation, and it recognises achievements in professional activity. Depending on the achievement or level of experience, members can be awarded the status of fellow (FRSC) or chartered chemist (CChem), which signifies the attainment of specialised subject knowledge.
Most analytical chemists working in the research field must achieve a master&rsquo;s degree or PhD to advance.
&nbsp;
<h3>Analytical chemist skills</h3>
Aside from academic qualifications, it&rsquo;s important for prospective analytical chemists to display a combination of key research and transferable skills, including:
<ul>
<li>Numerical and analytical ability</li>
<li>A curious, independent mind</li>
<li>The motivation and ability to solve complex problems</li>
<li>Attention to detail</li>
<li>Deep theoretical understanding of analytical techniques</li>
<li>Excellent IT skills</li>
<li>Working well as part of a team</li>
</ul>
Given the lengthy processes involved in analytical chemistry, patience is also an important trait.
&nbsp;
<h2>Which industries can an analytical chemist work in?</h2>
With a useful and highly sought-after skill set, analytical chemists are employed across a diverse range of industries in a variety of locations.
One sector that commonly employs analytical chemists is the pharmaceutical industry. In this field, analytical chemists determine the shelf-life of a compound and ensure if the quality of a drug substance is suitable for use in clinical trials. Using a wide variety of analytical techniques, they check for chemical impurities.
Other major industries with an analytical chemist presence include research and development (R&amp;D), food and drink, agriculture, forensics, healthcare, academia, energy, and government.
Opportunities for analytical chemist roles are most often available in large metropolitan areas. In research and development, most opportunities are found in the south of England.
&nbsp;
<h2>What does an analytical chemist do on a day-to-day basis?</h2>
A job as an analytical chemist involves the regular testing of products, raw materials, and intermediates on a daily basis.
The exact nature of the role depends on the setting. Analytical chemists who work in forensic analysis, for example, apply their analysis to evidence of potential crimes. Conversely, analytical chemists working in the pharmaceutical industry determine the quality and stability of drug products.
Typical responsibilities include:
<ul>
<li>Analysing and interpreting data</li>
<li>Accurately recording data in accordance with guidelines</li>
<li>Writing research papers and reports</li>
<li>Ensuring that health and safety standards are met</li>
<li>Keeping up to date with&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/science-trends">scientific and technical trends</a></li>
<li>Developing novel new analytical methods</li>
</ul>
Analytical chemists spend most of their time in a laboratory environment. The various experiments performed by them require handling potentially dangerous chemicals, so following standard protocols and safety procedures is imperative.
Practitioners of analytical chemistry test substances via two methods: a classical qualitative test and a quantitative instrumental check.
Classical methods use separations such as precipitation, extraction, and distillation. Meanwhile, instrumental methods&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;which make use of sophisticated, state-of-the-art instruments&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;can be used to separate samples using chromatography, heat interaction, electric fields or magnetic fields.
Once the experiments have been performed, analytical chemists switch to an office setting to analyse their data using advanced computer software.
In some cases, analytical chemists working for larger organisations may even be required to travel between locations to help monitor safety conditions.
The life of an analytical chemist is full of new discoveries, so there is no such thing as a typical working day.
&nbsp;
<h2>How much does an analytical chemist earn?</h2>
The average salary for an analytical chemist in the UK is &pound;27,000, though this very much depends on location, employer, and level of experience.
Discover the latest salaries in our industry |&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../insights/stem-survey">Download your free copy of the SRG STEM survey</a>
Graduate starting salaries for analytical chemist jobs are range from &pound;18,000 to &pound;25,000. With a PhD in a related field, it may be possible to start on a higher salary. For analytical chemists at a more senior level with years of experience, salaries&nbsp;are in the region of &pound;25,000 to &pound;40,000.

As we uncover more about the effects of global warming, genetic engineering, and a myriad of other subjects, the role of chemists — particularly that of analytical chemists — is becoming increasingly important.

What’s it like to be an analytical chemist?

<h3 dir="ltr">To stay ahead of the competition, STEM organisations are recognising that calling on the support of an experienced managed service provider (MSP) can help them fulfil their human capital needs.&nbsp;</h3>
&nbsp;
In today&rsquo;s hypercompetitive and increasingly complex STEM recruitment market, having an agile eye on future talent is critical.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In our previous blog, we explored&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/why-strategic-workforce-planning-is-so-important">the benefits of one such core area of people strategy: workforce planning</a>. With rapid technological change and economic uncertainty exerting a huge impact on top-level decision-making, lending strategic weight to the workforce of the future is a must for any business.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
By investing in workforce planning, you&rsquo;ll be investing in improved business outcomes &mdash; from bridging the skills gap to reducing absenteeism. Here&rsquo;s how SRG&rsquo;s dedicated MSP team can help you streamline your workforce and adequately prepare for a range of future scenarios.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">1) Industry-leading expertise</h3>
&nbsp;
From the outset, we&rsquo;ll assign a single point of contact for all temporary worker requirements. This individual will be one of our STEM talent management experts and will manage the process with the support of a dedicated team.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">2) End-to-end optimisation</h3>
&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll set up a streamlined process that's underpinned by our bespoke technology platform and geared towards improving workforce efficiencies.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">3) Total workforce oversight</h3>
&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll provide full visibility of temporary worker headcount, spend, tenure, quality, and supplier performance &mdash; with your full input and agreement on key metrics from the get-go.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">4) Competitive rates</h3>
&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ll provide competitive agency rates, pre-agreed temp and perm fees, and access to the latest market information to ensure worker pay rates are in line with the market.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">5) Access to the best candidates</h3>
&nbsp;
You need candidates that are ready to fill open positions. With SRG, you&rsquo;ll gain access to one of the largest and most reliable talent pipelines in STEM.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">6) Full compliance</h3>
&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll have assurance that all temporary workers meet vetting requirements and comply with workplace and legislative regulations such as IR35, GDPR, and AWR.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">7) Supplier management</h3>
&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll benefit from effective and proactive supplier management through consistent terms of engagement, performance measurement, coaching, and SLA/KPI management.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">8) Frequent progress reports</h3>
&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll be kept in the loop via an intuitive project dashboard as well as regular, face-to-face meetings with the SRG account manager.
&nbsp;

Find out SRG’s dedicated MSP team can help you streamline business processes and build a dynamic workforce.

How SRG can help you turbocharge your workforce planning strategy

By 2025, digitisation stands to unlock over&nbsp;<a href="https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/future-ready-organizations-leveraging-digital-to-operate-faster-and-smarter-could-help-unlock-5-trillion-in-economic-growth-says-accenture-study.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&pound;400 trillion of value for the chemical industry</a>.&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s more, manufacturing operations readily have the infrastructure for embracing digital. Existing automated operations, process controls, sensors and real-time data systems generate crucial insights that couldn&rsquo;t all be analysed, until recently.
Today, big data analytics enable chemical companies to capitalise on their data to better streamline operations and meet rapidly changing customer needs without escalating costs. However, while some infrastructure may be in place, many chemical companies still struggle to know how to best leverage digital technologies to achieve optimal returns.
In this article, I&rsquo;ll outline the key benefits and barriers of digital transformation in chemicals, and explore how industry leaders are unlocking the potential of digitalisation through their hiring decisions. 
<h2>Key benefits and barriers to digital transformation in the chemical industry</h2>
In 2017, the UK government commissioned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/made-smarter-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Made Smarter to lead a review</a>&nbsp;on how UK manufacturing industries can prosper through digital tools and innovations.&nbsp;
The review involved over 200 organisations across manufacturing, academia, trade bodies and technology companies and resulted in almost 1,000 companies receiving funding for industrial digital technology in 2020.&nbsp;
They found chemical manufacturing organisations equipped with industrial digital technology benefitted from:
<ul>
<li>Real-time visibility of processes/supply chains&nbsp;</li>
<li>Recording of all process conditions and parameters</li>
<li>Shortened changeover</li>
<li>Improved quality control through data analysis and automation</li>
<li>Eliminating ergonomically disadvantageous tasks</li>
<li>Faster machine fault diagnosis</li>
<li>Integration of data from R&amp;D and manufacturing</li>
<li>Improved maintenance efficiency</li>
</ul>
However, the project&rsquo;s success was not without its challenges.
Made Smarter identified several&nbsp;<a href="https://www.madesmarter.uk/media/y12d3ywe/20171027_madesmarter_final_digital.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">barriers and threats to the project&rsquo;s success</a>&nbsp;that remain key industry challenges.&nbsp;
Key barriers included:
<ul>
<li>&nbsp;Skills shortage &ndash; Skills shortages in digital engineering capabilities remain hindered by a fragmented skills system and a lack of systematic engagement between education and industry.</li>
<li>An ineffective landscape of business support &ndash; limited empirical evidence, and no clear route to access help make it difficult to understand what &lsquo;good&rsquo; digital transformation looks like, and successfully implement it.</li>
<li>Cybersecurity threats &ndash; risks around cybersecurity and a lack of common standards that enable technologies to connect can make adopting new technology challenging, particularly for SMEs.</li>
<li>Lack of funding &ndash; Although the UK has previously funded the technology under a pilot scheme, the UK&rsquo;s tax system is not targeted enough to incentivise end to end digitalisation. </li>
</ul>
<h2>How industry leaders are achieving the next level of operational excellence in chemicals</h2>
While it&rsquo;s clear that digitisation can deliver immense returns across chemical manufacturing, achieving operational excellence takes more than just large-scale implementation.&nbsp;
Research from Accenture reveals that while most major chemical companies are investing in digital innovation,<a href="https://www.accenture.com/gb-en/insights/industry-x-0/chemicals">&nbsp;less than a quarter are succeeding.&nbsp;</a>
However, the companies that did achieve success not only scaled more than half of their proof of concepts; they earned higher than average return on digital investment. Meanwhile, more than 75% of other companies earned lower than the industry average, regardless of how much they scaled by.&nbsp;
The research suggests that to truly unlock the potential of large-scale digitalisation, chemical organisations must have a strategic commitment to facilitating innovation. To succeed, chemicals organisations need to find, and hire skilled professionals, align and upskill their workforce, and support their people to manage and utilise the technology to its full advantage.
While large-scale implementation may deliver benefits on paper, without the right workforce the technology won&rsquo;t enable business success.
According to Deloitte,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/future-of-digitalization-in-the-chemical-industry.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">talent enablement remains a key hurdle to digital success&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>
Industry-leading chemical organisations overcome this by not only investing in new technologies, but skills programs and training opportunities that create seamless and holistic development opportunities across the business.&nbsp; This in turn, boosts brand image and helps establish the organisation at the forefront of the chemicals field, attracting more specialists and experts with the interest and capability to make the most of digitalisation.
Candidates can prepare themselves for this by considering their career development in the wider context of digitalisation. Understanding how digitalisation is influencing the industry and developing the right skills to capitalise on new technology will enable career progression across the future of chemicals. 
<h2>The future of digitalisation in the UK chemical industry&nbsp;</h2>
While many in the chemicals sector are familiar with the current technological landscape; including sensors, monitors, and alarms &ndash; they are yet to fully understand how digital techniques can be applied holistically across operations.&nbsp;
The future of digitalisation in the UK relies on empowering and equipping the people behind the industry with the tools, knowledge and training to fully succeed.&nbsp;
This means communicating successful case studies, establishing demonstration facilities and turning to experts and strategic partners for support to develop the skill base required to move forward.
It also means that companies may need to accept compromises on skills when hiring and<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/how-to-fix-the-future-skills-gap-in-stem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;invest in the right training and upskilling opportunities for new talent,</a>&nbsp;as well as established workers to fully capture the advantages of digitalisation.&nbsp; Investing in junior, rather than senior talent also provides an opportunity to balance out spending and free up the financial collateral to capitalise on better innovative technologies, faster. While discreet digitalisation projects have long been the norm, it&rsquo;s time for leaders to go beyond the constraints of small scale adoption, to holistic end-to-end implementation.&nbsp;
Looking to the future, leaders must develop a knowledge of digital techniques, and an understanding of where they can be applied for the most benefit for their organisation. Accomplishing this starts with leveraging data with AI and empowering the workforce with the skills required to capture the full benefits digitisation has to offer. 
<h2>We&rsquo;re here to help</h2>
Want to find your next role in chemistry?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayeallison/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Connect with Faye on Linkedin&nbsp;</a>
Need help hiring chemical industry experts? Email solutions@srgtalent.com to arrange a call back at a time that suits you.
 Faye specialises in finding scientists and technical talent for the chemical and materials industries, from purely R&amp;D to analytical testing to manufacturing.&nbsp; Supporting start-ups and spin-outs as well as SMEs and multinational business, typical roles Faye recruits for include: Development Chemists, Synthetic Chemists, Material Scientists, Research Scientists, Analytical and QC Chemists, Laboratory Technicians, Microbiologists, Technical Leaders/Managers and other similar technical or laboratory associated roles.

Discover how digital transformation is changing the future of the chemical industry workforce.

How to Harness the Advantages of Digitalisation in Chemical Industry Hiring

<h3 dir="ltr">In celebration of Black History Month, SRG and our sister brand&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/sitecore/content/lorien/home/insights">Lorien</a>&nbsp;are exploring the stories behind some of the most significant contributions made by STEM figures of black heritage.&nbsp;This time, we celebrate the pioneering life of&nbsp;Katherine Johnson&nbsp;(1918-2020), a NASA mathematician whose calculations played a pivotal role in enabling the first crewed spaceflights.</h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">Early life &amp; education</h3>

Johnson was born Creola Katherine Coleman in West Virginia in August 1918, the youngest of four children. With her mother being a teacher, the young Katherine was encouraged to pursue her academic potential and mathematical talent from a young age.
&nbsp;
By the age of 10, an innate curiosity and intelligence had propelled her several grades ahead at school. However, because her hometown did not offer black children public schooling beyond the eighth grade, her family had to move 120 miles (193km) so she could attend high school in Institute, West Virginia. The school was situated on the campus of the historically black West Virginia State College (WVSC).
&nbsp;
After graduating high school at 14, Katherine attended WVSC. Here, she took every available maths course offered by the college and found a mentor in the professor William Schieffelin Claytor, who was notable for being only the third African-American to earn a PhD in mathematics.
&nbsp;
While at college, Johnson also developed a keen interest in astronomy and geometry &mdash; fascinations that would align with her mathematical talent later in life. She graduated in 1937 at the age of 18 with the highest honours in mathematics and French.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
After teaching for a couple of years, she was accepted to West Virginia University's graduate math program and became the first black woman to attend the school. However, she quit after one year to raise her three young daughters with her first husband, James Goble.
<h3 dir="ltr">Joining NASA</h3>
In 1952, a relative mentioned that the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was hiring black female mathematicians. Johnson, who had returned to teaching and wanted to pursue a career as a research mathematician, jumped at the chance. In June 1953, she accepted a job as a &ldquo;computer&rdquo; at the agency.
&nbsp;
Johnson was based at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia, where she was supervised by fellow African-American mathematician and West Virginian, Dorothy Vaughan. Here, she spent the next four years analysing data from flight tests and worked on the investigation of a plane crash caused by wake turbulence. In 1956, her husband lost his battle with brain cancer.
&nbsp;
Though there was nothing particularly remarkable about Johnson&rsquo;s early work at NACA (which disbanded to become NASA in 1958), her attitude to the racial and gender barriers of the time certainly was. Displaying foresight and assertiveness, Johnson ignored the segregated workplace and endemic sexism at NACA, questioning her colleagues&rsquo; outdated views and asking superiors if she could attend important meetings.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Thanks to her courage and persistence, Johnson became the first woman in the Flight Research Division to be credited as an author on a research report. However, this was only the start of her groundbreaking contribution.
<h3 dir="ltr">Reaching for the stars</h3>
In 1957, the Soviets launched the Sputnik satellite &mdash; an event that would kickstart the Space Race and change Johnson&rsquo;s life irrevocably. Joining the Space Task Group at the newly-formed NASA, Johnson performed trajectory analysis for the United States&rsquo; first human spaceflight: Alan Shepard&rsquo;s May 1961 mission, Freedom 7. She also calculated the launch window for his Mercury mission later that year.
&nbsp;
By 1962, NASA had begun using electronic computers to perform orbital equations previously done by human &ldquo;computers&rdquo; like Johnson. However, the machines were prone to being a little temperamental.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Prior to the launch of his Friendship 7 mission to orbit the Earth, astronaut John Glenn asked engineers to specifically get Johnson to recheck the equations that had been programmed into the computer, but by hand. Glenn refused to fly until Johnson had confirmed the calculations herself.
&nbsp;
&ldquo;If she says they&rsquo;re good,&rsquo;&rdquo; Glenn told engineers, &ldquo;then I&rsquo;m ready to go.&rdquo; In the end, Glenn&rsquo;s orbital flight was a success -- helping to tip the Space Race in favour of the United States for the first time.
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s hard to understate just how remarkable Johnson&rsquo;s contribution was for the time. The author Margot Lee Shetterly, who wrote a book on the achievements of Johnson and her colleagues, perfectly encapsulates Johnson&rsquo;s trailblazing impact:&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&ldquo;So the astronaut who became a hero looked to this black woman in the still-segregated South at the time as one of the key parts of making sure his mission would be a success.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
After Glenn&rsquo;s successful mission, Johnson went on to make trajectory calculations for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon, helping to synchronise the Lunar Module with the lunar-orbiting Command and Service Module. She also worked on the Space Shuttle and the Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS, later renamed Landsat) and authored or co-authored twenty-six research reports.
<h3 dir="ltr">Later life and legacy</h3>
&ldquo;We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics.&rdquo; 
&mdash;&nbsp;Katherine Johnson
&nbsp;
Following her retirement in 1986, Johnson dedicated herself to encouraging students to take up STEM careers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In 2015, President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, proclaiming that she &ldquo;refused to be limited by society's expectations of her gender and race while expanding the boundaries of humanity's reach.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Though Johnson&rsquo;s achievements went somewhat under the radar for much of her life, the 2016 film&nbsp;Hidden Figures&nbsp;changed all that. The film (starring Taraji P. Henson as Johnson) chronicles the vital role that Johnson, Vaughan and their colleague Mary Jackson played in the Space Race &mdash; catapulting the women into the public spotlight and giving them long-overdue recognition for their achievements.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Johnson passed away at the age of 101 in February 2020, having lived a life that spanned the worst excesses of Jim Crow segregation to the inauguration of the first black president &mdash; an event that Johnson had no doubt made possible in her own small way.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
While the odds were stacked against her, Johnson&rsquo;s genius with numbers enabled American astronauts to boldly go where no one else had ventured before. In doing so, she was able to defy all expectations for an African-American woman of her era.
&nbsp;
With women and minorities still facing barriers to STEM opportunities, few scientific role models offer such an inspirational, visionary example for us all to follow.
<div>&nbsp;</div>
&nbsp;
For more insights into the world of science, stay tuned to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog">SRG blog</a>.

We celebrate the life and legacy of the trailblazing mathematician Katherine Johnson, who played a key role in 20th-century space exploration.

#BlackScienceHeroes: Katherine Johnson

<h3 dir="ltr">Strategic workforce planning is a high-impact process of human resource management in which organisations identify their workforce needs for the future. By closely aligning with business strategy, a strategic workforce plan aims to meet these talent needs with supply &mdash; delivering short- and long-term organisational objectives in the process.</h3>
&nbsp;
Skilled workers are the most important asset to any business, but major skills shortages and a widening skills gap are making it difficult for organisations to attract and retain the best people. In STEM &mdash; one of the fastest-growing industries around &mdash; not being able to access these skills can be particularly damaging.
In this current climate, being able to accurately forecast future demands to meet them head-on is integral. However, we&rsquo;re not saying that the old adage&nbsp; &ldquo;fail to prepare, prepare to fail&rdquo; holds any weight in this context. Preparing for the unexpected is one thing. Strategising and creating an actionable plan is another.
With a strategic workforce plan, organisations can build a sustainable pipeline to the talent and skills they need for future growth. But what is a strategic workforce plan, exactly
<h2 dir="ltr">Understanding the basics</h2>
In simple terms, a workforce plan is a matter of supply and demand &mdash; or, in this case, demand and supply.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In designing a workforce plan, an organisation first ascertains its current and future demand for key workers and skill sets in order to identify the gaps that exist across the workforce. Once this has been established, the workforce plan sets out how the organisation can meet these demands within a designated timeframe.
&nbsp;
To better visualise this, let&rsquo;s plot some supply-and-demand headcount forecasts onto a graph.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
In the example below, an FMCG organisation&rsquo;s projected supply is unable to meet the projected demand over a two-year period
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/1---new-website/optimised-images-2021/talent-gap.jpg" alt="the talent gap in workforce planning">
&nbsp;
To close the talent gap within a given timeframe and help deliver on business objectives, developing a comprehensive strategic workforce plan enables businesses like the organisation above to outline exactly how they can get there.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
To do so, workforce planning calls on core HR strategies such as&nbsp;hiring,&nbsp;developing internal talent,&nbsp;partnering or outsourcing,&nbsp;redesigning workflows, and/or&nbsp;restructuring teams/departments.
&nbsp;
In the graph below, the same organisation implements a strategic workforce plan and goes on to achieve its two-year headcount target.
&nbsp;
<img src="../../../../../../-/media/srg/1---new-website/optimised-images-2021/headcount-targets.jpg" alt="headcount target in workforce planning">
&nbsp;
Ultimately, workforce planning is an ongoing balancing act. Businesses need to balance the demand for labour with the available supply of labour, and workforce planning provides ongoing oversight of these fluctuating metrics.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">What are the objectives of workforce planning?</h2>
Workforce planning focuses on far more than just headcount, however.
To be strategic, a workforce plan needs to be data-driven, tied to long-term business goals, and connected to specific KPIs. Strategic workforce planning can help businesses:
<ul>
<li>Identify skills gaps across the workforce</li>
<li>Predict future talent demands</li>
<li>Align and integrate people strategies with organisational strategies</li>
<li>Ensure that demand for people, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values are met by supply</li>
<li>Convince leadership to recognise employees as the most valuable resource underpinning the strategic direction and performance of the company</li>
<li>Enhance the reputation of human resources within a business</li>
<li>Mitigate risk exposure (e.g. safety planning and Equal Opportunities training)</li>
</ul>
Workforce planning is a continuous process, so these objectives may adjust over time depending on the demands and constraints of your industry. However, the fundamental premise remains the same: getting the right people in the right jobs to increase efficiencies and save time and money.
<h2 dir="ltr">Operational workforce planning vs strategic workforce planning</h2>
Strategic workforce planning is often conflated with operational workforce planning, though the two have key differences.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Operational workforce planning occurs at the supervisor level and examines work-unit issues &mdash; namely, how to ensure a work unit is able to effectively execute business strategy.
&nbsp;
Strategic workforce planning, on the other hand, explore systems-wide issues and strategies. It supports the organisation&rsquo;s strategic plan, addresses external workforce factors that affect the business, and seeks to maintain organisational capacity.
&nbsp;
Another key difference is linked to project duration. Operational workforce planning tends to focus on shorter hiring timeframes (usually up to a year), while strategic workforce planning typically has a timeframe of up to five years.
<h2 dir="ltr">What are the main principles of strategic workforce planning?</h2>
<ol>
<li>Current state assessment.&nbsp;This involves ascertaining current supply and demand, as well as looking at external market factors that affect HR decision-making (e.g. employment rates, legislative change, competitor activity, etc.).</li>
<li>Future state analysis.&nbsp;This consists of determining the future demand for key HR metrics such as staff turnover rate and time-to-hire.</li>
<li>Strategy formulation.&nbsp;This is the main planning stage. It involves conducting a gap analysis, anticipating potential scenarios, and deciding on project KPIs.</li>
<li>Execution and adjustments.&nbsp;Once the plan is implemented, an ongoing process of monitoring, measuring, and modifying begins.</li>
</ol>
<h2 dir="ltr">How to create a workforce plan</h2>
Though the goals more or less remain the same across the board, there is no one-size-fits-all model for strategic workforce planning. Each organisation is unique, each sector presents its own challenges, and each employee has different goals to deliver.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
As such, your plan should be designed to scrutinise your current workforce, outline your future workforce needs, and identify key gaps across the business.
&nbsp;
For a step-by-step guide on how to create your own tailored workforce plan, download our white paper: a guide to strategic workforce planning for STEM organisations.
&nbsp;

Learn how a strategic workforce plan can help your organisation build a sustainable pipeline to the talent and skills you need for future growth.

What is strategic workforce planning?

Find out why strategic workforce planning can be the most important tool in an organisation's people strategy.

Why strategic workforce planning is so important for business success

Becoming a biomedical engineer requires a lot of focus and effort. It is one of the most sought after career paths worldwide. Not only is it a profession that is vital to our health service &mdash; designing the latest medical devices and equipment &mdash; it is one that will become increasingly relevant in the future. Especially as we become ever more efficient through technology.
Whilst job satisfaction is high in biomedical engineering, the entry level requirements are tough. Most professionals undertake further education before they enter either the NHS or the private sector. This isn&rsquo;t a job that can often be done straight after a biomedical engineering degree.
But the rewards are impressive. As Forbes states, biomedical engineering is the &ldquo;high-paying, low-stress STEM job you probably haven&rsquo;t considered.&rdquo;
As a biomedical engineer, you will apply design and engineering principles in the science and clinical space. From research and development, to design and implementation, you&rsquo;ll be the driver behind the latest medical equipment innovation. Whether it be robotics, medical imaging devices or bionics, it is a profession that truly connects creative ideation with clinical knowledge.
Ultimately, to be successful in this career you need an in-depth knowledge of life science subjects, engineering and design, whilst also having a passion for positively impacting people&rsquo;s lives.
<h2>What is an average biomedical engineering salary?</h2>
According to Payscale, the national average biomedical engineer salary in the U.K ranges between &pound;18,299-&pound;50,868, with the median salary being &pound;28,679 (&pound;29,173 in London). However, with greater experience comes greater money. And with the UK suffering a STEM skills shortage at the minute, total compensation is only going to increase &mdash; particularly in the private sector, which isn&rsquo;t affected by static pay scales.
In our most recent 2018 SRG Salary Survey, we found that both biological sciences and engineering are in the top 5 most difficult skill sets to hire for. This means that in the future, a biomedical engineer will likely find their skillset incredibly valuable, with salaries likely to increase, especially in light of Brexit.
<h2>What qualifications do you need to be a biomedical engineer?</h2>
The minimum requirements to enter into a biomedical engineering career are a bachelor's degree &mdash; accredited by The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) or The Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Though most people will have graduated in biomedical engineering itself, there are some in the profession who have entered with a mechanical engineering or physics background.
Most people will also go on to further education, particularly those who want to work in the NHS, or in advanced research and development. The NHS requires you to complete the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP), which is salaried for three years, and is needed for all senior positions within the NHS. Entry requirements are a 2:1 in a relevant degree program.
Though positions are open in the private sector for those with a good 2:1 biomedical engineering degree, many professionals obtain a postgraduate MSc and PhD in the same subject.
Some research and development organisations now expect this, or at the very least they cherry pick the best of the talent before they consider those with a graduate degree alone. Especially for more senior positions.
<h2>How easy it to find a job?</h2>
STEM skills are in demand. Not just in the UK, but across the globe. Because of this, finding a role as a biomedical engineer shouldn&rsquo;t be too difficult, provided you&rsquo;ve got the relevant skills and experience.
This is the key here. If you put the work in, come from a solid academic background, and can express your expertise in interviews, you&rsquo;re not going to find yourself out of work. And with STEM skills becoming ever more important in an increasingly technical, digital economy &mdash; which is ultimately built on creativity and engineering skills &mdash; finding roles in the future will be simpler than most career paths.
<h2>The life of a biomedical engineer</h2>
The great thing about choosing to be a biomedical engineer is that you can work in a number of environments. From hospitals to universities, health charities to research units, as a biomedical engineer your career prospects aren&rsquo;t restricted to one particular sector. This gives you greater freedom and flexibility going forward, especially if you want to have a wide and varied career. Likewise, you have the option of working in the private or public sector. There are obviously advantages and disadvantages to both, but what is important here is that you have a choice. If you are currently studying for a biomedical engineering degree, and are unsure what path you wish to go down, you should seek expert advice. Looking to shift your current career? Likewise, you should speak to the experts.
Though you can always shift lanes once you&rsquo;ve spent time gaining professional experience, understanding where you want to go can help smoothen your journey to biomedical success.

Becoming a biomedical engineer is one of the most sought after career paths worldwide and is vital to our health service.

How to become a biomedical engineer in the UK

<h3>Antibiotic resistance is one of the key global health challenges of our time. Though resistance to drugs can occur naturally, the misuse of antibiotics is exacerbating the issue &mdash; leading to longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs and increased mortality. With scientists scrambling for solutions, biochemistry may be a panacea to the problem.</h3>
&nbsp;
<h2>The problem: the scale of antibiotic resistance</h2>
Antibiotic Research UK call it a &ldquo;<a href="https://www.antibioticresearch.org.uk/about-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">global catastrophe</a>&rdquo;. The UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has called for an &ldquo;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46973641" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">urgent global response</a>&rdquo;. Former Chief Medical Officer for England, Sally Davies, says that &ldquo;the world is facing an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/08/world-faces-antibiotic-apocalypse-says-chief-medical-officer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">antibiotic apocalypse</a>.&rdquo; Antibiotic resistance (also known as antimicrobial resistance) is one of the defining public health concerns of the 21st century. Through the overprescription and misuse of antimicrobial drugs, microbes are able to resist the effects of medication that once successfully treated them. When microbes become multidrug-resistant (MDR), superbugs emerge. The issue is rooted in both structural inefficiencies within healthcare systems as well as patient behaviour. In the UK, the NHS estimates that as many as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/27/fifth-of-prescribed-antibiotics-are-unnecessary-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1 in 5 antibiotics may be prescribed inappropriately</a>, with patients being given the drug for minor ailments such as sore throat, cough and sinusitis. To compound the problem, there is a medication adherence problem: in the US, up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pillsy.com/articles/medication-adherence-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50% of people do not take their medication as prescribed</a>. Despite the rollout of preventative measures such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhs.uk/video/pages/antibiotics-dont-work-for-everything.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">only using antibiotics when necessary</a>, deaths from antibiotic resistance are already at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p1113-antibiotic-resistant.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an all-time high</a>. In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths each year. Every 11 seconds someone is infected. Every 15 minutes someone dies . If epidemiological trends continue unchecked, the problem is poised to cause 50 global million deaths a year by 2050 and an economic productivity loss of around $100 trillion If the tide is not stemmed, researchers predict that a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181008083459.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">worldwide pandemic</a>&nbsp;akin to the cataclysmic Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919 (which killed between 30 and 50 million people or roughly 4% of the Earth&rsquo;s population at the time) could also be imminent. Wholesale preventative action is urgent.
&nbsp;
<h2>The science: how do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?</h2>
Antimicrobials treat infections caused by harmful microbes, of which there are two kinds: bacteria and fungi. While most microbes are harmless and even beneficial to humans, harmful microbes called germs can cause infections and disease. Antibiotics are used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacterial infections while antifungals are administered to treat fungal infections. Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics when they genetically mutate or change in a way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs designed to cure or prevent infections. When these bacteria are able to multiply and spread their drug-resistance to other bacteria, the harm they do amplifies significantly. By developing the ability to neutralise an antibiotic drug before it can take effect, other bacteria can pump the antibiotic out and render it useless in fighting infection. Once a multidrug-resistant pathogen such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa takes hold, it is able to rapidly spread between hosts &mdash; crossing international borders and contributing to a global health crisis.
<iframe class="optanon-category-C0004 " width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4oukHcpQoXM"></iframe>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>The potential solution: biochemistry enters the fray</h2>
Biochemistry is a field of medical science that combines the core tenets of biology and chemistry. In simple terms, it is the study of living matter.&nbsp; The largely laboratory-based field is crucial for studying how antibiotics destroy bacteria by targeting their biological processes. Thanks to breakthroughs in biochemistry, we now know how antibiotics work. We even know the molecular structure of antibiotics such as penicillin and streptomycin. Biochemistry also permits us to observe the pathways and mechanisms that cause physiological drug-resistance. Antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance has a biochemical basis. Through an ongoing understanding of these processes, scientists can design and synthesise new and effective antimicrobial compounds in a bid to combat the persistence of drug-resistant infections. The&nbsp;Streptomyces&nbsp;bacteria genus, for example, naturally produces antimicrobial substances &mdash; supplying about two-thirds of all clinically useful antibiotic drugs. Armed with knowledge on how this bacterium&rsquo;s metabolic pathways generate natural antibiotics, scientists are beginning to manipulate these pathways to produce new antibacterials. Biochemists are coming up with innovative strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance. One novel approach involves combining an FDA-approved non-antibiotic drug with a specific antibiotic. According to researchers at Monash University in Australia, this unorthodox combination can boost the effectiveness of antibiotics against gram-negative 'superbugs'. The combination enables it to breach the outer membrane barrier of resistant bacteria and restore the activity of an antibiotic.&nbsp; In 2015, the first transferable resistance to polymyxins, a type of antibiotic, was discovered. This was alarming because polymyxins have long been used as a last line of defence against serious infections caused by superbugs such as&nbsp;Pseudomonas aeruginosa,&nbsp;Klebsiella pneumoniae&nbsp;and&nbsp;Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii).&nbsp; Since then, researchers have been testing different combinations of drugs or compounds with polymyxins to try and improve their effectiveness against these superbugs &mdash; and with some success.&nbsp; When combined with polymyxin B, the new cystic fibrosis drugs, ivacaftor and lumacaftor, were found to increase antibiotic activity. So too was closantel, a drug used to treat parasitic worm infections. Another innovative method involves&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327175.php#1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">using metals and metalloids as an alternative treatment for infections</a>. At the University of Connecticut (UConn), a research team led by Kumar Venkitanarayanan applied selenium (Se) to&nbsp;A. baumannii, which is one of the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Selenium is a metalloid that&rsquo;s recognised as a dietary oxidant and an essential micronutrient that helps the immune system function. After applying it to&nbsp;A. baumannii, the nanosized selenium was found to inhibit pathogen growth. The fight against antibiotic resistance is not just limited to the laboratory. Success requires collaboration across different areas of science. According to the University of Queensland&rsquo;s Dr Mark Blaskovich:
"In the short term, the greatest potential for reducing further development of antimicrobial resistance lies in developing a rapid test that can quickly tell whether or not you have a bacterial infection (as opposed to a viral cold or flu), and whether you really need an antibiotic."
Blaskovich argues that the best immediate course of action is to identify whether a patient already has a drug-resistant infection prior to being prescribed an antibiotic.
This might become a reality sooner rather than later. With more reliable diagnostics and data sharing across the medical world, the bacterial genetic tests Blaskovich is describing can now&nbsp;<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-missing-link-in-fighting-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deliver sample results in hours rather than days</a>. The result? Faster detection of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and more accurate predictions of a pathogen&rsquo;s resistance to a particular antibiotic. This, in turn, can directly help reduce the overprescription and misuse of antibiotics.

Are fears of an ‘antibiotic apocalypse’ really going to play out in reality?

How much should you be worried about antibiotic resistance

<a>Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) threatens to unravel the successes of modern medicine, compromising the efficacy of life-saving surgeries, chemotherapy, and infection treatment.</a>
At&nbsp;<a href="https://bionow.co.uk/news/b6231cc5054447" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BioInfect&rsquo;s 2022 conference</a>, I heard from leading researchers across the pharmaceutical industry as they delved into critical issues surrounding antimicrobial drug resistance and drug development. I left inspired to do my part in raising awareness of what could be &ldquo;the next pandemic&rdquo;.
As anti-microbial resistance accelerates, the burden on health systems is growing. Hospitals face increased mortality and morbidity from infectious disease, longer in-patient stays, and&nbsp;<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340040/WPR-RC070-07-AMR-2019-en.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an overall increased cost of care</a>.
By 2050, the UK alone stands to face a loss of&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/antibiotic-could-save-millions-of-lives-from-superbugs-after-study-eradicates-mrsa-in-mice-12577187" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 million lives to drug-resistant infections every year</a>.&nbsp; In the words of Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer to the UK Government, we face an &ldquo;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/08/world-faces-antibiotic-apocalypse-says-chief-medical-officer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">antibiotics apocalypse</a>&rdquo;.
In this article we&rsquo;ll explore:
<ul>
<li>What antimicrobial resistance is</li>
<li>Why anti-microbial resistance is a global threat</li>
<li>Options for action &ndash; prevention, innovation and costs</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>What is anti-microbial resistance?</h2>
Anti-microbial drugs are used to treat infections caused by either harmful bacteria, or fungi. While antibiotics are used for bacterial infections, antifungals are used to treat fungal infections.
Anti-microbial resistance occurs when bacteria mutates or changes in a way that makes them resistant to drugs designed to treat infection. While AMR is in essence, a natural phenomenon, it has been accelerated by global overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicine leading to what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/08/world-faces-antibiotic-apocalypse-says-chief-medical-officer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Professor Dame Sally Davies, England&rsquo;s Chief Medical Officer&nbsp;</a>describes as an &ldquo;apocalyptic&rdquo; crisis.
Over the last few decades,&nbsp;<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340040/WPR-RC070-07-AMR-2019-en.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more than 100 forms of anti-microbial resistant bacteria have emerged</a>, and more continue to be discovered. Once these drug-resistant bacteria take hold they can rapidly spread between hosts, cross international borders, and fuel health crises.
&nbsp;
<h2>Why antimicrobial resistance is a global threat</h2>
&nbsp;
Anti-microbial resistance threatens to undermine global health security and is outpacing efforts to contain it. Without further action, the World Health Organisation&nbsp;<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340040/WPR-RC070-07-AMR-2019-en.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimate a yearly loss of 10 million lives by 2050</a>, with&nbsp;4.5 million deaths occurring in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
Poor and vulnerable populations are less able to afford effective antibiotics and are most affected by AMR. By 2050, the World Bank estimate that&nbsp;<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340040/WPR-RC070-07-AMR-2019-en.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AMR will push 28 million more people into extreme poverty</a>.
<a href="chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/340040/WPR-RC070-07-AMR-2019-en.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A report from the World Health Organisation</a>&nbsp;describes how in 2017, 82% of people who had tuberculosis infections globally had a multi-drug resistant strain of the infection. This means 82% of treatment courses were longer, more expensive and involved more toxic drugs.&nbsp;
Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent research from The Lancet</a>&nbsp;shows that both South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have a high antibiotics consumption rate, and a higher rate of patient death. Both regions feature a higher prevalence of critical infections, alongside limited laboratory infrastructure to determine whether to stop, or narrow antibiotic treatment.&nbsp;
Other drivers of a higher AMR burden in these regions include:
<ul>
<li>Inappropriate use of antibiotics driven by ease of acquisition and insufficient regulation</li>
<li>Poor access to second line, and third line antibiotics</li>
<li>Counterfeit or substandard antibiotics that accelerate resistance</li>
<li>Poor sanitation and hygiene</li>
</ul>
While AMR poses a greater threat in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, it remains a global health problem. Resistance is already high for many key antibiotic substances and shows no sign of slowing down while continuing to spread world-wide.
&nbsp;
<h2>Options for action &ndash; prevention, innovation and costs</h2>
<h3> Enabling infection prevention</h3>
Infection prevention and control initiatives have been refined over the course of the pandemic and should be readily applied to AMR.
<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02724-0/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research from The Lancet</a>&nbsp;on the global burden of AMR suggests that the principles of infection prevention should come first when it comes to combating the spread of AMR.
Key initiatives for improved infection prevention include both&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/teams/health-care-readiness/infection-prevention-and-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hospital-based infection prevention and control programmes</a>&nbsp;to help prevent infection acquires in health-care settings, and sustained support for community-based programmes focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing countries.
&nbsp;
<h3>Fostering innovation</h3>
Innovation is critical to fuel and enable the development of new antibiotics and vaccinations, as our current treatments lose efficacy, as well as new technologies to improve screening.
Vaccine development is an important preventative mechanism that leads to reduction of antibiotic prescribing to weaken AMR emergence.
Additionally, maintaining the development pipeline for new antibiotics is crucial to ensure we have the medications to replace those lost &ndash; this is particularly crucial post-pandemic as other endemics continue to spread.
Chikungunya fever has caused numerous epidemics across APAC, Africa, and the sub-tropical regions of the Americas, and currently lacks any appropriate anti-viral drug treatment.
<a href="https://www.evotec.com/en/execute/therapeutic-areas/anti-infectives" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Evotec are pioneering new ways</a>&nbsp;to treat and potentially prevent chikungunya virus infections caused by Chikungunya fever. Evotec&rsquo;s antibody was developed by Sanofi and is now at clinical trial stages after showing potential across in vitro and in vivo models.
When it comes to new technologies, University of Oxford&rsquo;s Engineering and Physical Science department are leading&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-06-09-averting-antibiotics-apocalypse-major-funding-announced-tackle-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a newly funded initiative</a>&nbsp;to generate new commercially viable technologies to enable transformative innovation.
The programme is set to deliver:
<ul>
<li>A treatment screening platform prototype to speed up the testing of new therapies</li>
<li>A prototype of a point of care diagnostic device for healthcare and agriculture to limit inappropriate antibiotic usage</li>
<li>Pre-clinical efficacy data to support new treatments for critical infections</li>
</ul>
<h3> Overcoming costs with push and pull initiatives</h3>
At first glance, funding new antibiotic therapies isn&rsquo;t financially feasible for pharmaceutical companies.
New drugs are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/5-drug-discovery-and-development-challenges-and-how-to-solve-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">notoriously expensive to develop</a>, and companies rely on high sales volumes to recoup their investments and enable a profit. However, antibiotic use is tightly restricted to prevent resistance and preserve the drug&rsquo;s efficacy, making recruiting for and running clinical trials alone challenging.
Once the drug eventually reaches the market, its prescription will again be restricted as much as possible, generating lower sales volumes and diminishing returns. This situation has meant most large drug companies have discontinued antimicrobial drug research and development.
Today, push and pull initiatives that bring together regulatory, financial, and scientific organisations are helping to unravel the cost limitations involved with anti-microbial drug development and empower more companies to take action.
Push incentives are strategies that help to directly lower the cost of drug development. They involve support from public funding and other funding groups, pooled compound procurement and open access knowledge repositories.
In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-019-00382-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">interview with Nature magazine</a>, Lloyd Pane, EVP Head of Evotec, describes how the number of new funding mechanisms is growing. He mentions groups including CARB-X, BARDA, the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership, and the European Innovative Medicines Initiative as &ldquo;highly committed to antibiotic discovery and development&rdquo;.&nbsp;
Additionally, Lloyd highlights the importance of &ldquo;improving the regulatory framework to allow submissions for approval based on smaller clinical trials&rdquo;. He highlights the instrumental role that regulatory bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration, and the European Medicines Agency are playing in establishing better regulatory pathways.
Despite the prevalence of &lsquo;push&rsquo; incentives, the situation remains critical. Lloyd explains, &ldquo;since 1962, only two new classes of antibiotics have been approved. We need new classes of antibiotics, new targets, and new mechanisms of action.&rdquo;
Pull incentives provide an additional route to cost efficiency and are ideally used alongside push incentives. Pull incentives disconnect return on investment from sales volume by providing alternative revenue generating benefits once the drug has reached the market.
Phil Thomson, President of Global Affairs at GlaxoSmith Kline&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/improving-health-globally/pull-the-science-2020-antimicrobial-resistance-benchmark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">explores the topic saying</a><a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/responsibility/improving-health-globally/pull-the-science-2020-antimicrobial-resistance-benchmark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">,</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;the current antibiotic market is dysfunctional. Whilst there are grounds for optimism scientifically with prospects of targeted medicines, new diagnostic technologies and vaccination, the commercial market is unattractive."&nbsp;
Thomson describes how &lsquo;pull incentives&rsquo; could &ldquo;stimulate investment across the full product lifecycle, from discovery through development and onto the market &ndash; thereby making it attractive for biotech&rsquo;s and larger companies to invest in antibacterial efforts&rdquo;.
While GlaxoSmith Kline support a range of pull mechanisms they are just one company among many &ndash; for large scale change to occur, government and national health action is vital.
<a href="https://bionow.co.uk/news/b6231cc5054447" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BioInfect&rsquo;s 2022 AMR conference</a>&nbsp;saw a range of speakers discuss the challenges faced in reducing anti-microbial resistance, including cost. Professor Colm Leonard, Consultant Clinical Advisor for NICE described the importance of incentives to support long-term R&amp;D. Professor Leonard described a conceptual new approach to monetising antibiotic development through a &lsquo;subscription type&rsquo; payment model, where companies are paid passed on their value to the NHS rather than the volumes used.
This approach could offer a way to de-link sales volume incentives from return on investment on a much larger scale and enable more organisations to turn their attention to antibiotics development. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2>Can you help to prevent antimicrobial resistance? </h2>
Patients have an instrumental role to play when it comes to ensuring that antibiotics are consumed appropriately.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pillsy.com/articles/medication-adherence-stats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In the US alone,&nbsp;50% of people do not complete their medication courses as prescribed.</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile a UK household survey reveals<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6830627/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;that 14% of patients who are prescribed antibiotics have left over medication</a>, and a third of these individual keep the antibiotics for future use. Completing any&nbsp;prescribed&nbsp;antibiotics courses is critical to help preserve treatment efficacy, limit the chances of repeat infection, and curb antimicrobial resistance. &nbsp;
Scientists across the world are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/biochemistry-helping-solve-antibiotic-resistance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leading the development of new innovative therapies</a>&nbsp;to generate a critically needed next generation of antibiotic treatments, in the fight against the&nbsp;<a>antibiotics apocalypse.</a>
&nbsp;
<h2>Want to learn more about a career in pharma? </h2>
At SRG, we believe in creating strong bonds for life. Our expert consultants provide leading recruitment support on a global scale, supporting candidates across STEM into rewarding scientific careers.
Your future is calling &ndash; SRG will take you there and beyond.

Are we on the brink of an antibiotics apocalypse? Behruz Sheikh explores the global impact of antimicrobial resistance and options for action.

Avoiding the Antibiotics Apocalypse- Options for Action

The 14th&nbsp;of November marks World Diabetes Day so it&rsquo;s apt to note the number of sufferers is increasing at an alarming rate. Globally, around 415 million people are diabetic &mdash; nearly half of which are undiagnosed. Diabetes treatment costs have peaked at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46139595">&pound;1bn/year</a>&nbsp;in the UK; in the US they are more than&nbsp;<a href="http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html">$320 billion/year</a>.
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes: what&rsquo;s the difference?
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. It affects around 10% of sufferers and is not related to diet and exercise.
Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, affects most patients (around 90%) and is linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, as well as family history. Whilst the pancreas still produces insulin, the body doesn&rsquo;t use it as effectively as it should, developing insulin resistance.
Whilst type 1 symptoms develop quickly because the body doesn&rsquo;t produce insulin at all, it can take years for type 2 symptoms to appear meaning that those with the condition can go decades without a diagnosis.
Misdiagnosis of type 1 diabetes as type 2 is also a problem, especially amongst those over 30. Type 1 has historically been seen as a condition which develops in children and teenagers, leading it to be mislabelled as &ldquo;juvenile diabetes&rdquo;.
With the number of diabetes sufferers predicted to rise to over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com/article/S0168-8227(17)30375-3/abstract">640 million by 2040</a>, what are the current advances in diagnosis and treatment?
Spotting the warning signs years in advance
With type 2 diabetes, early detection is key to avoid long-term health issues such as blindness, amputation and stroke.
A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5932476/">Japanese study</a>&nbsp;observed 27,000 non-diabetics between 2005 and 2016, during which 1,067 cases of type 2 diabetes were diagnosed. The researchers discovered that all of the participants who became diabetic had increased fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, along with higher BMIs, up to 10 years before diagnosis.
This was also the case with those who were diagnosed as pre-diabetic, albeit to a lesser degree, suggesting that the warning signs could potentially be detected as much as 20 years before diagnosis. This would allow individuals to reduce their risk of developing the disease by improving their diet and level of exercise.
From finger pricks to connected devices
Improved detection is a great start, but monitoring the condition can be tricky, with the onus on the patient to monitor their own blood glucose levels with finger prick blood tests.
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are finally becoming available. These are small devices which sit under the skin, continuously measuring the amount of glucose present in the body&rsquo;s interstitial fluid. They can also alert the user when levels are above or below critical values. The devices still require finger prick tests twice a day to calibrate them but significantly reduce the burden on the patient.
The latest technology is the&nbsp;<a href="https://freestylediabetes.co.uk/freestyle-libre">Flash glucose monitor</a>. It works in a similar way to other CGM devices, measuring the glucose levels in the interstitial fluid under the skin. Where it differs is that the user only gets readings when they scan the sensor as opposed to continuously. The Flash can be worn for longer (14 days rather than 7 for CGM devices) and every time the user scans the monitor, they can access the previous 8 hours&rsquo; readings as well as the current one to help identify trends.
CGM devices are not currently available to everyone on prescription, although&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/flash-glucose-monitoring">Diabetes UK&rsquo;s #FightForFlash campaign</a>&nbsp;has seen over 65% of areas in the UK offer the flash monitoring system on prescription and the charity is pushing for full coverage.
Life-changing therapies
With the advent of new diagnostic and monitoring devices, diabetes researchers are also searching for better treatments and even exploring the possibility of potential cures.
The development of an &ldquo;artificial&rdquo; pancreas, or closed loop insulin delivery system, has gained pace in recent years. This system monitors blood sugar levels and administers the correct dose of insulin to the user, potentially replacing the current method of manually injecting insulin via a pump.
<a href="http://www.medtronic.com/content/dam/medtronic-com/us-en/newsroom/media-resources/media-kits/diabetes-management/documents/minimed-670g-approval-release-final.pdf">Medtronic gained FDA approval in 2016</a>&nbsp;for its MiniMed&reg; 670G system, the first Hybrid Closed Loop insulin delivery system approved anywhere in the world.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/bigfoot-raises-37m-to-trial-ai-enabled-insulin-delivery-devices">Bigfoot Biomedical recently raised $37m</a>&nbsp;in order to fund a clinical trial of their automated insulin infusion device, which is currently ongoing.
With projects such as these in the pipeline, the next few years may well see artificial pancreas technology become widely available.
A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(17)32851-2/abstract">Dutch study</a>&nbsp;unearthed a potential game-changer when an hour-long procedure, trialled in 50 patients with type 2 diabetes, burned away the mucous membrane of the small intestine causing a new membrane to develop within two weeks. This procedure caused blood sugar levels to stabilise, with 90% of participants still seeing normal levels a year later. This may add weight to the theory that there is link between nutrient absorption by the mucous membrane in the small intestine and the onset of insulin resistance in people with type 2 diabetes. If this is the case, then this innovative (yet invasive) potential new treatment may make insulin pumps a thing of the past.
Aside from the disease itself, researchers have been looking at ways to combat the health issues caused by diabetes. One of the most devastating is diabetic retinopathy &mdash; damage caused by high sugar levels in the blood vessels in the eye. Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable sight loss. However, thanks to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/research-round-up/research-spotlight/research-spotlight-eye-tests-prevents-blindness">research conducted on behalf of Diabetes UK</a>, all diabetes patients now have access to annual sight tests on the NHS.
Researchers at Queen&rsquo;s University Belfast are tackling retinopathy through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/our-research-projects/northern-ireland/earlier-detection-of-diabetic-retinopathy-using-non-invasive-imaging-">non-invasive imaging</a>, looking specifically at how the blood vessels in the retina change. If successful, this will help with earlier diagnosis and treatment, as well as being a safer and quicker detection method than those currently available.
<a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/our-research-projects/northern-ireland/new-therapy-to-prevent-vision-loss">Another study at the University</a>&nbsp;is developing new therapies using existing cancer and inflammation therapies to prevent diabetes-related blood vessel leakage in the back of the eye.
Recruitment needs
Biostatisticians, device developers, hardware engineers, medical advisers and medical writers are the roles currently in highest demand. With implantable and connected devices on the rise, we predict that software engineers and machine learning experts are going to be the most sought after over the coming years.
These roles can lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease, enabling patients to monitor and control their health and ensure that the predicted figure of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com/article/S0168-8227(17)30375-3/abstract">640 million sufferers by 2040</a>&nbsp;is wildly off.

The 14th of November marks World Diabetes Day so it’s apt to note the number of sufferers is increasing at an alarming rate.

Advances in diabetes diagnosis, monitoring and therapies

Have you ever wondered how to get into&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../clients/core-industries/fmcg-recruitment-agency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FMCG</a>?&nbsp;
Global consumption of consumer goods is set to yield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/is-the-consumer-goods-industry-ready-for-the-new-world-of-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">170-190 million new jobs by 2030</a>. Succeeding in this booming sector will require a wide breadth of skills, and a high level of adaptability to thrive in a rapidly changing industry.
In this article, I&rsquo;ll explain:
<ul>
<li>Why you should consider a career in FMCG</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s changing in the industry</li>
<li>Top skills FMCG employers need now</li>
<li>What job opportunities are available</li>
</ul>
<h2>Why consider a career in FMCG?</h2>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
FMCG careers are seldom without change.
As you might expect, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies work at pace; they not only manufacture rapidly, but proactively forecast and respond to product demand as needs fluctuate.
Working in this industry means being at the cutting edge of modern manufacturing and interacting with innovative methods and technologies that boost efficiency.&nbsp; Scientists and engineers are at the heart of FMCG production, conducting research, maintaining machinery, and enabling those key efficiencies and innovations that drive revenue and create company success.
Industry professionals often benefit from an international network as many have a global presence and a diverse workforce.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>What's changing in the FMCG sector?</h2>
While attention has traditionally been set on improving general efficiency, accurate demand forecasts are becoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/rapidly-forecasting-demand-and-adapting-commercial-plans-in-a-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increasingly integral</a>&nbsp;for FMCG companies.&nbsp;
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shift buyer habits in an unprecedented way, retailers across the industry have had to adapt their production strategy with little notice, leading to excess inventory of slow-moving products, and a lack of fast-moving items.&nbsp;
The pandemic has also impacted graduate hiring trends, a 2021 survey from the Institute of Student Employers shows a&nbsp;<a href="https://ise.org.uk/page/biggest-drop-in-graduate-jobs-since-great-recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">45% decline in graduate hires over the past two years</a>&nbsp;compared to 2018/2019.&nbsp;
Increasing demand for sustainable products, and improved ethicality through the supply chain have had<a href="../../../../../../blog/why-eco-friendly-sustainable-packaging-is-the-future-of-fmcg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;additional effects on traditional manufacturing processes</a>. By 2025, the top 10 global FMCG firms (including Coca-Cola, Danone, PepsiCo, L&rsquo;Oreal and Unilever) aspire to achieve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.retailtimes.co.uk/fmcg-firms-aim-for-100-sustainable-packaging-by-2025-kearney-analysis-shows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">100% sustainable packaging across all products.</a>&nbsp;
Other market challenges involve a lack of industry technological awareness. When McKinsey surveyed over 3,000 FMCG leaders across 7 countries, they found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/is-the-consumer-goods-industry-ready-for-the-new-world-of-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1 in 5 top executives and their peers in the C-Suite, don&rsquo;t understand new technologies in the sector.&nbsp;</a>
To improve forecasting, and better meet the needs of customers, the FMCG industry must improve technological awareness at every level, including the C-Suite. Additionally, without the right adaptable, persuasive talent those technologies and innovations won&rsquo;t have the impact companies need to achieve success.
<h2>Top 3 skills FMCG employers are looking for</h2>
<h3>1.&nbsp;Flexibility</h3>
In a rapidly changing industry, flexibility is paramount to success.&nbsp; Candidates with cross-functional skills who can collaborate across teams and manage more than one project at once are likely to stand out. Being able to work in different ways in different environments is also key, especially in the new era of hybrid work. 
<h3>2.&nbsp;Cognitive and technological skills</h3>
As interest in advanced manufacturing continues to grow, candidates with technological skills are in high demand. R&amp;D departments are likely to require candidates with experience in advanced analytics, database management and algorithm development. 
<h3>3.&nbsp;Conflict and stakeholder management</h3>
Effective communication is a huge part of this key skill; candidates who can influence new thinking and encourage adoption of innovations are those that can tailor their communication with teams, senior leadership, and other stakeholders. It&rsquo;s important to build commercial awareness to succeed. Clients also look for candidates that take responsibility for risks, and proactively manage and mitigate them as necessary.&nbsp;
<h2>What job opportunities are available?</h2>
The FMCG industry incorporates a wide variety of roles across various areas for both graduates, and senior professionals. Senior roles include:
<ul>
<li>Manufacturing and Production Managers</li>
<li>Technical Managers/NPD professional</li>
<li>Project Manager / Project Engineer</li>
</ul>
Graduate roles include:
<ul>
<li>Process Engineer</li>
<li>Formulation Scientist</li>
<li>NPD Scientist</li>
<li>Development Scientist</li>
<li>Chemical Engineer</li>
<li>Reliability Engineer</li>
<li>PLC / Controls Engineer</li>
<li>Design and Development Engineer</li>
<li>Mechanical / Electrical Maintenance</li>
<li>Maintenance / Engineering Management </li>
</ul>
<h2>We can help you find your next job in the FMCG industry</h2>
Want to find a new opportunity in FMCG?&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../jobs?sector=Science&amp;sub-sector=Food++FMCG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out our available roles here&nbsp;</a>
You can also connect with our Regional Science Manager,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswindridge/">James Windridge on Linkedi</a>n.&nbsp;&nbsp;
James is responsible for leading SRG&rsquo;s recruitment of scientists and engineers across the FMCG and Life Science sector, working with multi-national organisations, as well as SME&rsquo;s, to place talented candidates in a range of roles.

How To Get Into the FMCG Industry: Top Skills FMCG Needs Now

<div>
In her role as Synergy by SRG&rsquo;s Director of Scientific Services, Carol Jennings has established herself as a revered, highly-respected and hugely successful member of our team &ndash; and as an inspirational Woman in Leadership. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
In this blog, Carol tells us about her personal career journey and what has influenced her route so far, and offers her thoughts, insights and advice on what makes a great leader.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">Carol, tell us a bit about your career journey to where you are today&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Well, I originally wanted to become a Clinical Psychologist. Unfortunately, I didn&rsquo;t put the work into my A levels, and I bombed them. That brought me down to earth with a resounding thud. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Whilst retaking my A levels, I got a temporary job with Merck Sharpe and Dohme, and I was very lucky at a young age to be involved with several research programmes. This job really taught me several things &ndash; firstly that I really enjoyed being in a lab; secondly that I am someone who learns best while &lsquo;doing&rsquo;; and thirdly that you can&rsquo;t coast along and get the results you want.&nbsp;This experience inspired me to do a part time degree whilst working and I spent the best part of 20 happy years as a research scientist. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I thought I&rsquo;d always be a scientist, but life sometimes throws you a curveball and in 2008 when GSK decided to cut their Neuroscience programme, I found myself thinking about my future career and this is when I went into operations. I struggled at first being away from the bench but continued to learn so many new things and I&rsquo;m lucky that I&rsquo;ve worked in a number of positions in which I&rsquo;ve been able to develop as a manager and leader.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">Where did your passion for science and recruitment stem from?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
I&rsquo;m not sure where it all started really, if I am being honest! I was always more interested in the sciences than anything else at school and always liked learning new things, so that had an influence for sure. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I think I&rsquo;m just fascinated with how things work &ndash; my partner calls me the data collector! The thing about science is that the field is so vast, and we don&rsquo;t know everything there is to know,&nbsp;so staying engaged, driven and excited is easy as there is always more to learn.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">What part of your role as&nbsp;Director of Scientific Services &ndash; Synergy by SRG&nbsp;excites and drives you the most?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Probably the people side more than anything; working with great people and seeing people develop and grow. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I&rsquo;ve been lucky to have had some truly inspirational people in my teams over the years, some of whom have overcome huge adversity in their lives. As I&rsquo;ve trodden (and still treading) a career path in science, it&rsquo;s amazing to see others going on that same journey and thriving whilst doing so.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">Who or what has influenced you most during your career journey so far?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
When I left GSK because they had taken the decision to refocus on disease areas away from Neuroscience I was devastated. I don&rsquo;t think anyone in the team I worked with really felt like it was a job, everyone just wanted to make a difference and so when it ended it was like the world had fallen in around me.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I couldn&rsquo;t see a future after that experience,&nbsp;but the one thing about working in science is that you learn very quickly that change happens whether you like it or not and that you might as well embrace it. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
In my case it took me a while, but my first job in operations as a lab manager made me realise &ndash; amongst many other things &ndash; that you could hugely impact science even if you weren&rsquo;t at the bench. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I&rsquo;m also incredibly lucky to have worked for and with some fantastic people over the years, people that I&rsquo;ve enjoyed spending time with, respected and learned a lot from.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">What drives and motivates you in your leadership role?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Making an impact really motivates me, whether it&rsquo;s working with new customers, evolving services for existing customers or seeing people develop. Really, anything in which you can see something or someone growing and becoming better is motivating and inspiring for me.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">How do you balance the demands of your professional and personal life?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Not being afraid of an early morning or a late evening is a big help! &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I have horses and dogs&nbsp;who love routine, so that keeps me on time and to task. Luckily my partner is based at home too and shares all the &lsquo;housework&rsquo;, so we just ensure we coordinate diaries. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I&rsquo;ve always found that finding balance in work or life helps to find a balance in the other too.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
And I put a big emphasis on ensuring I take breaks when needed, to breathe and find some perspective when things get hectic. A particularly challenging meeting at work is soon put into perspective by some fresh air and exercise; conversely the same fresh air and exercise sets you up for the next piece of work!&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">What do you think is key to inspiring and influencing teams and colleagues around you?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Being passionate and firmly believing in what you do rubs off on the team and inspires others to do and be the same. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Always being supportive to the people around you is vital; as is wanting others to succeed in all that they do. If it&rsquo;s important to them, it should be important to you.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
We&rsquo;ve recently introduced more of a coaching style into our management tools, and this has really resonated as coaching can really influence your team and their ways of working.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">What advice would you give to fellow Women in Leadership and females who aspire be one?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Ensure you involve and listen to your team; believe in yourself and your beliefs, always; and be prepared to&nbsp;know that you won&rsquo;t always get it right and own your mistakes. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Honesty and integrity count for a lot in all aspects of life, but as a leader it is vital. If you expect others to act with honesty and integrity, you must lead by example. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I&rsquo;d also say take your time, make the move when you&rsquo;re ready and don&rsquo;t feel pressured.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">What do you believe are the most important qualities for a successful leader?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Being yourself and not being afraid to not always have the answer. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
One very successful leader I know once admitted to me that they weren&rsquo;t sure they could do the job. Some people may think this a weakness but to me it just showed this person was just human. Their questioning of their own ability was actually due to their strong desire to make a positive impact &ndash; basically because they cared deeply about making a difference.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I think this is crucial; it is so important that you care about what you do and your team.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" role="heading" xml:lang="EN-GB" aria-level="2">This year&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme#:~:text=LOGO%20USE%20COLLABORATIONS-,IWD%202025%20campaign%20theme%20is%20'Accelerate%20Action',March%208%20to%20help%20%23AccelerateAction." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Women&rsquo;s Day theme</a> is #AccelerateAction. What does this mean to you?&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
To me this is all about&nbsp;making positive progress forwards in the journey to finding true equality, and we all have a part to play in it. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB">Finally, can you share a memorable experience or achievement from your career that has significantly impacted your approach to leadership?&nbsp;</h2>
I once had an opportunity toa apply for a senior global role and was actively encouraged to apply. At that time,&nbsp;I&rsquo;d just been through a restructure, and I had a very good Manager who I really liked so decided not to apply out of loyalty to them. I was then told that&nbsp;&lsquo;loyalty gets you nowhere&rsquo;. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I often think about that because I am absolutely sure that had I got that role at that time I wouldn&rsquo;t have been very good at it. So going with my gut at that time was for me the right decision. &nbsp;
</div>
<div>
I believe that if you can&rsquo;t believe in yourself, you can&rsquo;t expect others to believe in you as a leader. And believing in myself and my own decisions proved extremely valuable.
</div>

We put the spotlight on Carol Jennings, Director of Scientific Services – Synergy by SRG, to hear about the career journey of one of our inspirational Women in Leadership. 

Women in Leadership at SRG: Carol Jennings’ Story 

In a period of potential uncertainty surrounding the future of laboratory efficiency and innovation, there are growing concerns regarding the ability to find, hire retain, and develop top lab talent &ndash; according to new insights gathered in late 2024 by Functional Service Provider (FSP) and industry-leading life science &amp; clinical talent specialists,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy by SRG</a>.
Based on the thoughts and experiences of over 1000 UK laboratory leaders surveyed by Synergy by SRG, the <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/lab-leader-vision-2025">Lab Leader Vision 2025 report</a> highlights the importance of people in lab settings, even in increasingly automated environments, and provides analysis of the workforce challenges labs are facing and how to tackle them.
<h2>Staff Retention and Attraction in Laboratories</h2>
People and their skills, expertise, experience and dedication are, have been and always will be key to high performance, productivity and efficiency in laboratory environments.
Therefore, losing skilled people can be detrimental to vital projects, potentially causing delays or cancellations; increase pressure on remaining staff; and lead to a need to find, recruit and onboard new people from a limited talent pool, in a highly competitive market.
That&rsquo;s why, no matter the size of a lab, its projects and challenges, it is vital to not only find, attract and hire the right talent, but ensure people are retained and developed too.
Unfortunately, however, lab leaders are finding that staff retention and attraction are amongst the biggest challenges and concerns they&rsquo;re facing.
70% of those asked in the Lab Leader Vision survey expressed concern about the ability to retain laboratory talent; with 60% worried about acquiring laboratory staff too &ndash; this compares to 66% of respondents asked in 2022. What&rsquo;s more, 10% of 2024 respondents anticipated that recruitment and retention would be their biggest challenge in 2025.
<h2>Skills and Expertise Gap in Laboratories</h2>
Demands on labs, their people and their output continue to increase. As a result, the demand for people with the talent and skills required to ensure a lab remains productive and efficient is ever-growing too.
Competition for talent is high. However, the talent pool from which to find and hire people is small. This, according to 78% of lab leaders we asked, is contributing to a concerning and growing skills and expertise gap.
The key to responding to this challenge is, according to Chris Blackburn &ndash; Director of Skills Growth at Impellam Group, nurturing existing talent within lab environments and the wider STEM industries. Reacting to the survey&rsquo;s findings, Blackburn says:
&ldquo;Empowering people, their skills and aspirations, and nurturing their development and career growth, is key to retaining the talent you already have within your organisation&hellip; It is vital to maximise learning and development opportunities tailored to the needs of your people and your company&rsquo;s goals, to inspire your workforce, drive social mobility and foster fulfilling, exciting and successful career.&rdquo;
95% of respondents to the Lab Leaders survey had a similar opinion, highlighting a belief that prioritising upskilling is key to achieving lab innovation in future; suggesting that efforts to make a commitment to existing employees and their skill sets are already high on the agenda.
<h2>Embracing the Power of Employee Value Proposition (EVP)</h2>
In response to the survey&rsquo;s findings, and what Lab Leaders are telling us about laboratory skill and talent gap concerns, Synergy by SRG &ndash; guided by Paul Callery, Head of People at Synergy Scientific Solutions &ndash; have highlighted the importance of supporting upskilling efforts via the power of a Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and how you position your laboratory as a place for people to showcase the very best of themselves and their talents, and how you reward them for doing so, is key.
A robust EVP has the power to increase new hire commitment, reduce compensation premium and achieve a deeper reach into the talent market. What&rsquo;s more, it can help to decrease turnover of existing employees too.
According to Callery, &ldquo;A strong People Proposition is central to attracting, developing, and retaining the best people, especially in the face of skill shortages and increased competition for people.
&ldquo;The average job tenure has fallen to just a few years, so a work environment must not only be attractive to great talent when joining, but also one that encourages them to stay too.
&ldquo;Keeping hold of talent, through engagement, development and growth opportunities, is key.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/lab-leader-vision-2025">For further insights and in-depth commentary on today's laboratory landscape, click here to request the full &lsquo;LAB LEADER VISION&nbsp;2025&rsquo;&nbsp;report.</a>
<div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
<h3>About Synergy - Functional Service Provider (FSP)</h3>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy</a>&nbsp;provides a flexible FSP model, deploying and integrating expert teams to deliver core Lab Activities across the pharmaceutical, biotech, FMCG, chemical, clinical research, biopharma, and sensory industries. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powered by SRG</a>, we take a collaborative approach to delivering fundamental core scientific activities, working closely and directly with your team to understand existing processes and infrastructure, identify areas to improve operational efficiencies and innovation, and support business continuity and continued improvement. All whilst allowing your people to focus on what&rsquo;s most important &ndash; your core strategic science and projects. &nbsp;

Based on the responses of over 1000 Lab Leaders surveyed by Synergy by SRG, here we address the current concerns surrounding lab talent and skills gaps. 

Lab Leader Vision 2025: Addressing Talent and Skills Gap Concerns in Laboratories 

Lab leaders are under increasing pressure to boost efficiency and drive higher value strategic science throughout 2025 and beyond, meaning that it is imperative for them to get the most, and very best, out of their lab environment and the people within it.
<a>However, according to the </a><a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/lab-leader-vision-2025">Lab Leader Vision 2025 report</a>, based on a survey of 1,000 laboratory leaders in the UK by Functional Service Provider (FSP) and industry-leading life science &amp; clinical talent specialists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy by SRG</a>, there are growing efficiency and operational challenges to contend with.
<h2>Efficiency and Operational Challenges in Laboratories</h2>
The best, highest-performing laboratories, lab leaders and lab teams are ones that are efficient in everything they do and the way they operate.
And for a lab to be at its most efficient in its operations, to drive high-value strategic science, several factors and potential challenges must be identified and their impacts considered and addressed.
Be it a lab team&rsquo;s lack of skills, expertise and experience; struggles to attract, hire and retain talent; or the pressures of projects, their tight deadlines and high demands, any issues and problems within a lab environment have the potential and power to impact its operational efficiency.
But whilst there is an awareness of such problems and challenges, and of the need to tackle them, many lab leaders are concerned about their possible implications.
73% of lab leaders we asked worry about lab efficiency and what could impact it, with 60% also concerned about their potential to problem solve. This highlights an increase in the level of concern since 2022, when our survey revealed that 50% of lab leaders asked were worried about problem solving.
Additionally, 23% of lab leaders are showing concern beyond their current state-of-play, telling us that operational efficiency will be their biggest challenge in 2025. This suggests that plenty of problem-solving work is to be done, now and into the future.
<h2>Workflow Optimisation in Laboratories</h2>
For a lab to be at its most efficient, the way it operates needs to be optimised to its full potential.
Whether it&rsquo;s optimising a team&rsquo;s performance by making the most of their skills, expertise and time; using and optimising software and technology for specific projects; or ensuring that strategies are optimised to meet the objectives of organisations, their projects and their requirements.
In a laboratory environment, optimising workflows has always been a key component of achieving optimal results. Responding to our survey, 55% of current lab leaders asked supported this view, stating that workflow optimisation is &lsquo;critical&rsquo; to them for driving innovation.
This correlates with the opinion of 49% of leaders asked, who highlighted that manual processes take up most time in their labs and require optimising to make them more efficient.
<h2>The Power of Driving Continuous Improvement in Lab Environments</h2>
Responding to lab leaders&rsquo; thoughts and concerns regarding operational efficiencies in laboratories and how to address them, Synergy by SRG &ndash; utilising the expertise and experience-led insight of the Synergy team &ndash; have spotlighted the importance of Continuous Improvement in lab environments in the <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/lab-leader-vision-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lab Leader Vision 2025 report</a>.
Continuous Improvement (CI) is built upon analysing and optimising processes and their outputs, with a focus on identifying, prioritising and actioning changes required for optimisation over time.
In a laboratory environment, CI usually involves understanding existing processes and potential opportunities to improve them, the way a lab functions and how to continue developing the skills and knowledge of its people. It is key to enabling optimal operational and workflow efficiency, cost saving and problem solving.
However, for Continuous Improvement to be effective, it requires strategies built on objectives that often rely on the experience, expertise and insights of lab leaders and key stakeholders &ndash; something that isn&rsquo;t always easy to achieve, as it can mean taking such expertise away from important day-to-day tasks. In fact, 55% of lab leaders told us that Continuous Improvement, the work involved in CI and how to implement it is a real concern.
When we consider how important CI is to lab efficiency, and that 100% of lab leaders we asked emphasised the importance of increasing lab efficiency, it is vital to get it right.
And this is why the team at Synergy &ndash; <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/synergy-scientific-services-showcasing-the-power-of-continuous-improvement">understanding the power of Continuous Improvement</a> &ndash; weave it into everything they do; providing expert support and taking care of operational efficiency improvements on behalf of clients, leaving them free to concentrate on their other priorities.
Discussing the potential of CI in labs, and of implementing effective CI training within laboratory teams, Carly Gorman &ndash; CI &amp; Quality Manager at Synergy &ndash; said:
&ldquo;At Synergy we provide CI training of varying levels to our onsite teams. This investment in people equips them with tools and techniques to improve processes&hellip; and empowers them in giving autonomy in the day-to-day unregulated processes and trends towards a more positive &lsquo;can do&rsquo; working culture.
&ldquo;For clients, this not only has benefits for the completed project and improved process efficiencies (better quality, KPIs met, less time or less cost) but also for long term, embedded positive changes on site.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/lab-leader-vision-2025">For further insights and in-depth commentary on today's laboratory landscape, click here to request the full &lsquo;LAB LEADER VISION&nbsp;2025&rsquo;&nbsp;report.</a>
<div align="center"><hr align="center" size="2" width="100%"></div>
<h3>About Synergy - Functional Service Provider (FSP)</h3>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy</a>&nbsp;provides a flexible FSP model, deploying and integrating expert teams to deliver core Lab Activities across the pharmaceutical, biotech, FMCG, chemical, clinical research, biopharma, and sensory industries. &nbsp;
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powered by SRG</a>, we take a collaborative approach to delivering fundamental core scientific activities, working closely and directly with your team to understand existing processes and infrastructure, identify areas to improve operational efficiencies and innovation, and support business continuity and continued improvement. All whilst allowing your people to focus on what&rsquo;s most important &ndash; your core strategic science and projects.&nbsp;

The Lab Leader Vision 2025 report from Synergy by SRG has uncovered growing concerns regarding the efficiency and operational challenges within lab environments.

Lab Leader Vision 2025: Efficiency, Operational and Workflow Challenges in Laboratory Environments

At SRG, we are proud to have inspirational Women in Leadership at the heart of everything we do.
In this blog, we&rsquo;re putting the spotlight one of our most fabulous females, Alison Jones &ndash; Operations Director at SRG, as she tells us a bit more about her story and career journey so far and offers advice to those following in her footsteps.
<h2>Alison, tell us a bit about your career journey to where you are today</h2>
When I left school at 16, I joined a commercial apprenticeship. By 17 I was in my first role in recruitment &ndash; an industry I have been in ever since.
I&rsquo;ve been in Operational Leadership in some shape or form since the mid-90s; finally making it to a Director role in my late 40s after achieving unprecedented growth across my teams.&nbsp;
After stints in professional service and engineering recruitment, I joined SRG in 2014 wanting to take on something different, highly technical and very niche. Science really appealed to me, and I have to say it has not disappointed so far &ndash; the work our customers do is never boring and is often mind-blowing.
<h2>Where did your passion for science and recruitment stem from?</h2>
I&rsquo;m not a scientist, but I&rsquo;ve a natural inquisitiveness and love of learning. This, coupled with my passion for finding truths, whether in nature or human behaviours, has meant I&rsquo;ve naturally grown passionate about science too.
As for recruitment, well, it is a people business. And people fascinate me.&nbsp;
<h2>What part of your role as Operational Director excites and drives you the most?</h2>
Being able to collaborate with people every day, dismantling each component of potential problems and then solving them together is deeply satisfying.&nbsp;
Watching my managers and their teams grow in their roles is my favourite part of my job. I am a Servant Leadership Advocate, and as part of that my role is to work for my people so they can shine and provide their customers with the service they deserve.
<h2>Who has influenced you most during your career journey so far?</h2>
Well, I am lucky enough to have already had a long, exciting and rewarding career, and been fortunate to work with &ndash; and for &ndash; and number of incredible people and role models.
But above them all, one has always stood out as a beacon of inspiration to me, in all aspects of life, not just my career &ndash; my wonderful Father. Whilst he is sadly no longer with us, and sorely missed, his words are with me every day.
He always told me I could do anything if I worked hard and believed in myself. And he was right. I&rsquo;m thankful to have had that confidence instilled into me from an early age; it had a significant impact on me becoming the woman I am today.
<h2>How do you balance the demands of your professional and personal life?</h2>
At home there&rsquo;s me, my husband and our (very needy!) rescue cat, plus a huge variety of friendship groups to keep-up-to-date with. I feel very privileged to have that, but balancing home with work can be a challenge.
I believe strongly in the power of prioritising health and wellbeing, especially for staying energised for work. My top tips are to get to bed at a good time and get plenty of sleep, eat well and prioritise personal activities that benefit physical and mental health. Running, for example, has a big role in this for me &ndash; at the time of writing this, I am currently training for my 7th marathon!
What I&rsquo;ve found really helps is finding a way &ndash; and I know this can be tricky &ndash; to not say yes to everything, in personal and work life. And I make sure I have diary time blocked out to drop the unexpected in and to think and reflect.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t get me wrong; sometimes none of this works but mostly it does! If I can make it work for 80% of the time, I&rsquo;m happy.
<h2>What do you think is key to inspiring and influencing teams and colleagues around you?</h2>
By being highly visible, working amongst people in my teams, being transparent, authentic and showing vulnerability. To me, they are such important traits for people, in any situation and environment, to have and show.
I don&rsquo;t always get it right. But I always remember that it is ok as a leader to not have all the answers immediately. It is also more than ok to admit that to yourself and your team.
How the leader behaves shapes everything else, so it&rsquo;s important to be your whole, most authentic self and help create an environment in which others can do the same.
<h2>What advice would you give to fellow Women in Leadership and females who aspire be one?</h2>
Be curious, don&rsquo;t be afraid to ask for help, seek understanding of what is required to progress and then apply yourself to the task in hand.&nbsp;
Ignore your little voice if it tries to derail you. We all have one; it&rsquo;s if and when we listen to it that counts! And make time to hear the quieter people &ndash; everyone has a voice.
Work with people brighter than you, learn active listening and don&rsquo;t be afraid to challenge the status quo.
And if you see someone who you aspire to be like, ask them to mentor you. I promise you that you will both benefit from the experience.
<h2>What do you believe are the most important qualities for a successful leader?</h2>
The ability to create a meaningful vision and not only bring people on the journey with you, but ensure they feel like a key part of where it takes us.
As for specific traits and qualities, everyone is different of course, but to me emotional intelligence, adaptability, decisiveness, customer focus and curiosity are at the heart of everything I do as a leader.
<h2>This year&rsquo;s International Women&rsquo;s Day theme is #AccelerateAction. What does this mean to you?</h2>
Put simply we need to do more and work more quickly to shut down gender inequality.&nbsp;
Equality cannot wait, we must work together to do better and progress women&rsquo;s rights and empowerment now, and into the future.
<h2>Finally, can you share a memorable experience or achievement from your career that has significantly impacted your approach to leadership?</h2>
Joining SRG and excelling despite not coming from a science background has been huge for me.&nbsp;
Imposter syndrome loomed particularly large initially, but I overcame it, was successful and &ndash; whilst there have been many challenges along the way &ndash; have flourished since.&nbsp; My teams are high performing, inclusive and diverse, this makes me happy and extremely proud.

Operations Director Alison Jones – one of many incredible female leaders at SRG – tells us about her journey to becoming a Woman in Leadership. 

Women in Leadership at SRG: Alison Jones’ Story

Your CV is a window of opportunity to sell yourself and your potential; understanding how to write a scientific CV can sometimes add more complexity to the process.
Unfortunately, however, getting yourself and your CV noticed isn't easy. You could be the best possible candidate, with all the skills and potential you could ever need for a certain role, but if you are not able to ensure you stand out during the application phase, it could count for nothing.&nbsp;
Employers are known to spend minimal time reading CVs. In fact, statistics show&nbsp;<a href="https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/resume-dos-donts/#:~:text=Recruiters%20spend%206%20seconds%20looking,for%20an%20unprofessional%20email%20address." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recruiters typically spend an average of just 6 seconds</a> examining a CV before determining if the applicant is worthy of an interview. <a href="https://www.neurond.com/blog/ai-resume-screening">What's more, many are using Artificial Intelligence that has been developed to tackle a large percentage of CV and application screening</a>, adding another dynamic to the application process.
This presents many challenges for an applicant. Will their CV stand out in the pile? Will it even filter through the AI stage and into the hands of a recruiter?&nbsp;
Therefore, it is vital to condense education, skills, and experience, whilst plucking out the most valuable and important parts for the role being applied for, to ensure a CV and application isn't overlooked.&nbsp;
This article helps explore the key elements of a successful CV in the scientific industry to help you attain your ideal role in STEM.
Read on to discover:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How to write an effective CV for science roles</li>
<li>What to include in your CV</li>
<li>Expert tips and recommendations</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to write an effective CV for science roles</h2>
Firstly, before you even set to work on creating a CV, it is important to throughly review the job listing for the role you're looking to apply for. Whilst it is good practice to have a quality CV template to base all applications on, one that contains all the standard information required for any application, it is important to ensure that you are able to edit and adapt your CV and its detail so that it matches up to a specifc role and its requirements.&nbsp;
When it is time to write a CV, bear in mind that there is no specific length that is considered correct. The quality of what is included within a CV is more important than quantity, so naturally the length should depend on your grades, abilities, and experience and how you portray them effectively.
Presentation is key when it comes to constructing an effective scientific CV. Stick to a traditional format, and steer away from being overly creative. For example, avoid using colours and abstract designs - your CV must be concise and to the point. Use Microsoft Word or PDF documents to format your CV clearly, check your spelling and grammar (mutliple times!) throughout, and make sure you do not refer to yourself in third person at any point.&nbsp;
And if you're still not sure of what to include or how to format your CV, there are plenty of Scientific CV examples available online to use as a guide.
<h2>What to include in your CV</h2>
Your CV is the first opportunity you get to introduce yourself to a prospective employer and your chance to tell them why you&rsquo;d be a suitable applicant. It is often their first impression of you, provide your experience in reverse chronological order, leaving no gaps and be sure to emphasise the skills you hold that are relevant to the job.
It is vital to showcase both your skills and your personal qualities, including your reliability, dependability, and dedication to the role.&nbsp;
To successfully qualify for a shortlist, your CV must include all the data needed for the company to assess whether you&rsquo;re a good fit for the role. Make sure you include the techniques and duties you use on a day-to-day basis. Bullet points are your best friend to make the CV clear and concise.
Use keywords that relevant to the role being applied for and its requirements, such as experiment analysis, machine learning, statistical modelling, data visualisation, quantification, data analytics, CLP/GHS, Reach, HPLC, Cell culture, LCMS. Don&rsquo;t overcomplicate your techniques by writing out acronyms. For example, everyone who will be reading your CV knows what HPLC is so there is no need to put &ldquo;high performance liquid chromatography&rdquo;. It may even hinder you because it could be missed in key word searches.
Remember to include clear personal information such as your address, mobile number, and email address. It is also useful to add your eligibility to work in the UK. Make sure your CV is focused more on your significant skills, achievements and experiences related to the job you&rsquo;re applying for, rather than simply listing your duties. You could even include a short line about personal hobbies or volunteering to help your CV stand out, especially if you are a graduate or in the early stages of your career.&nbsp;
And don't forget that many recruitment agencies and employers use AI and database systems called <a href="https://www.oracle.com/human-capital-management/recruiting/what-is-applicant-tracking-system/">Applicant Tracking System&rsquo;s (ATS)</a> to filter through their prospective employees, to save time and create more of an even playing field when searching for relevant experience. ATS systems scan the relevant information from a CV, such a qualifications and experience, and then produce a shortlist of potential prospects for human review and assessment. So it is important to be aware of such systems and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianehamilton/2024/11/25/how-to-get-your-rsum-past-artificial-intelligence-ai-screening/">how you can make yourself stand out to AI</a>.
Overall, be clear and concise, consider using bullet points to break up points, include relevant keywords and information, and be careful not to exaggerate.&nbsp;
<h2>Science CV buzzwords</h2>
&lsquo;CV buzzwords&rsquo; are keywords that you can use to improve your chances of being noticed by recruiters for specific roles. They can include acronyms like ABPI (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry), or adjectives like &lsquo;negotiated&rsquo;.&nbsp;
In scientific recruitment, it&rsquo;s important to note that adjective buzzwords are seldom used to prioritise candidates. Generally, recruiters base their candidate search on the techniques that are specific for the particular position.&nbsp;
In order to build a successful scientific CV buzzword strategy, you should highlight the key techniques you have experience with that align with particular positions. It&rsquo;s also important not to unnecessarily expand acronyms that are commonplace like HPLC or ELISA, as the acronyms will be used by the recruiter to search for candidates, instead of manually typing out &ldquo;high performance liquid chromatography&rdquo; or &ldquo;enzyme linked immunosorbent assay&rdquo;.
<h2>5 expert tips and recommendations</h2>
If you take anything away from this article, make sure it is these five Scientific CV writing tips at the very least. These simple, easy-to-follow steps are must-haves in any CV and application:
<ul>
<li>Research the role you&rsquo;re applying for - include keywords the recruiter has used in the job description that are applicable to you.</li>
<li>Know the industry and area you&rsquo;re interested in - take the time to understand and contextualise the fields your ideal employer works within. What major trends are shaping the sector?</li>
<li>Avoid repeating yourself - repetition of words/ phrases can suggest you don&rsquo;t have a good deal to say, which can translate to a lack of knowledge and expertise.</li>
<li>Showcase your technical experience - take the space to highlight your technical experience, and include brief details of any published academic papers.</li>
<li>Accurate spelling and grammar always makes a good first impression - Always be sure to re-read your CV and make the most of spellcheck before sending it off; even better, ask a friend to proofread it for you.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Your CV is a window of opportunity to sell yourself and your potential; understanding how to write a scientific CV can sometimes add more complexity to the process. As employers are known to spend minimal time reading CVs, it is important to condense your education, skills, and experience, whilst plucking out the most valuable and important parts for the role you’re applying for.

How to Write a Scientific CV

As we settle into the new year and look ahead to what&rsquo;s on the horizon in 2025, the UK is continuing to adjust to the change of government following Autumn 2024&rsquo;s general election and reacting to the new reforms, regulations and laws of the new Labour leadership.
Amongst the changes anticipated to make a significant impact in 2025 and beyond are in the realm of Employment Law, with a new Employment Rights Bill &ndash; unveiled on October 10th 2024 &ndash; and &lsquo;Make Work Pay&rsquo; strategy created to upgrade workers&rsquo; rights, make pay fairer for all and improve working conditions.
<a href="https://pages.impellam.com/hubfs/Employment%20Law%20Changes%20-%20Impellam%20and%20DWF.pdf">A report recently published by Impellam Group</a>, who hosted a webinar with industry experts from DWF &ndash; global integrated legal and business service providers &ndash; to discuss these new reforms, outlines the potential implications of Labour&rsquo;s approach to Employment Law.&nbsp;
<h2>Key Reforms and Their Implications</h2>
Impellam&rsquo;s report outlines 13 key reforms, changes and plans that were discussed with DWF&rsquo;s Employment Law Partner Jon Keeble and Employment Law Director Nigel Crebbin.
According to Keeble and Crebbin, given that many of the proposed changes are anticipated to be implemented between 2025 and 2027, it is vital to prepare at pace &ndash; taking stock, assessing risks and seeking assistance wherever required &ndash; whilst remaining calm, making informed decisions and adapting appropriately.&nbsp;
Ahead of their implementations, we have summarised the reforms, what to expect from them, and how employers can react below, based on the expert insights from Impellam and DWF.
<h3>Unfair Dismissal</h3>
This is one of the cornerstone reforms of Labour&rsquo;s new approach to Employment Law. They have proposed:
<ul>
<li>Removal of the Two-Year Qualifying Period - This will mean that employees will be protected from unfair dismissal from day one of their employment.</li>
<li>Consultation on Statutory Probation Periods - A nine-month probation period has been proposed to balance the assessment of new hires while providing immediate rights. During this period, the steps required for fair dismissal will be lighter than after probation.</li>
</ul>
In response to these proposals, employers need to consider whether their recruitment and onboarding processes are robust enough to minimise risk of unfair dismissal claims and review their progress reporting and improvement plans to make use of the &lsquo;lighter touch&rsquo; obligations.
<h3>Zero-Hour Contracts</h3>
The use of zero-hour contracts has soared in recent years, to the extent that many have considered their use as &lsquo;potentially exploitive&rsquo;. Labour says their proposals have been designed to reduce such exploitation:
<ul>
<li>Right to Guaranteed Hours - The reform will enable workers to convert zero-hour contracts to ones with guaranteed hours based on their average hours over a reference period. This seeks to provide more job security, whilst still allowing for working flexibility.</li>
<li>Reasonable Notice for Shift Changes - Employers will be required to provide reasonable notice for shift changes, however the definition of &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; is still under consultation due to debate over what it means for individuals in different circumstances. This may also extend to agency workers.</li>
</ul>
Key considerations for employers include reviewing their current use of zero-hour contracts and how it may impact their employment model, and implementing robust procedures to ensure reasonable notice can be provided to shift workers.
<h3>Fire and Rehire Practices</h3>
Currently, there are few limitations on employers firing employees and then rehiring them under new conditions &ndash; and not rehiring those who refuse to agree to the new terms proposed. There simply needs to be sound reasons for dismissal, and fair reasonable procedures followed for terminating employment.
The new legislation will significantly restrict existing &lsquo;fire and rehire&rsquo; practices:
<ul>
<li>Statutory Code of Practice for Dismissal and Re-Engagement - A new statutory Code of Practice on Dismissal and Re-engagement came into force in July 2024. Employers must demonstrate that firing and rehiring was unavoidable, otherwise they could be liable for unfair dismissal. Forced contract changes will become rarer as a result, and employees will be engaged in negotiation to reach agreements on flexibility.</li>
</ul>
Employers will find that changing terms and conditions will become harder, and there will be increased risk when doing so. It is vital that they consider amending template contracts and clauses and leaning on employee engagement to get this right.
<h3>Collective Redundancy Consultation</h3>
Labour&rsquo;s new Employment Law Bill removes the current threshold that requires collective consultation with trade unions or employee representatives to take place only when 20 or more redundancies are proposed to take place over 90 days in a &lsquo;single establishment&rsquo;.
The reference to &lsquo;single establishment&rsquo; is to be removed, which will have a significant impact on large employers with multiple working premises in particular:
<ul>
<li>Removal of the Single Establishment Requirement - Collective consultation will apply across an entire organisation, not just single establishments, increasing the number of situations requiring consultation. The government is considering increasing the compensation cap for companies that fail to comply with collective redundancy consultation obligations from 90 to 180 days or removing it entirely.</li>
</ul>
This is one of the most important legislation updates for employers to be aware of, as it signals a major change to collective consultation law. Therefore, it is vital to take this into account when potentially restructuring.
<h3>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)</h3>
The reforms have considered ways to make Statutory Sick Pay fairer, and more readily available, to all workers, regardless of employment status, contracts and terms which may have previously altered an employer&rsquo;s SSP entitlement.
<ul>
<li>Removal of Lower Earnings Limit - Under the new, more straightforward sick pay regulations and guidance, SSP will be available to all employees regardless of weekly earnings.</li>
<li>Immediate SSP Entitlement - Employees will be entitled to SSP from the first day of sickness absence, rather than from their fourth day of confirmed sickness.</li>
</ul>
In response, employers will need to review and update their policies and budget for potential increases in SSP payments. It may pay to consider ways to help reduce sickness in the workplace too, such as introducing initiatives to reduce stress and improve mental health. This has benefits beyond employee wellness too, potentially boosting EVP and customer retention.
<h3>Trade Unions</h3>
The introduction of the new bill will signal the end of certain legislations introduced during the terms of previous administrations, such as the &lsquo;Anti-Union Legislation&rsquo; and its associated Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.
Under Labour leadership, it&rsquo;s anticipated that there will be a step change regarding unions; plans are afoot to ensure they have a bigger role in employee rights and representation.
<ul>
<li>Increased Union Activity - The repeal of anti-union legislation will be supported by new requirements for employers to provide written statements of the right to join a union. Trade unions will also have mandatory access to workplaces upon submitting an &lsquo;access request&rsquo; and agreeing terms on what they can access, when and how often.</li>
</ul>
In response to growing union influence, employers should consider how they will respond to these access requests and set out policies to ensure compliance with the new obligations. It is also an opportunity to reconsider the role they want to have in the future in respect of working with unions.
<h3>Outsourcing</h3>
Changes made through the Procurement Act 2023 could lead to regulations being introduced which require that new contractual provisions are included in relevant public sector outsourcing contracts.
The aim is to avoid public sector suppliers having two-tier workforces, with different employment terms for employees who have transferred from the public sector and those employees who have not.
<ul>
<li>Equal Employment Terms - New regulations will require that employers ensure all employees, including those transferred from the public sector, have equally beneficial employment terms, not merely similar or &lsquo;better than before&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
With this change likely to have significant cost implications for employers taking on public sector contracts, companies should start considering the potential for increased costs when taking on public sector workers.
<h2>Fair Work Agency</h2>
It is anticipated that, by 2026 at the latest, a new Fair Work Agency will be established and given the responsibility to ensure all employees are given fair, and equal rights and opportunities within the workplace, regardless of their role.
<ul>
<li>Establishment of a Fair Work Agency - This agency will protect employee rights and enforce compliance, particularly regarding holiday pay and sick pay. Procedures are likely to be similar to those applied to the national minimum wage enforcement, so fines and even prosecution could come into play too.</li>
</ul>
Whilst the introduction of the agency won&rsquo;t be immediate, employers should already start to consider and react to the potential increased risk of enforcement action and start to plan accordingly, reviewing how they comply to legislation and regulation. It is worth noting that the agency will have access to historical records too, so any actions before the agency is established could come back to haunt any company that has disputes outstanding.
<h2>Additional Family-Based Protections</h2>
The Labour government has outlined a commitment to providing additional &lsquo;family-based&rsquo; protections and types of leave that will be given when an employee is dealing with personal issues beyond illnesses. As such, the new reforms have included changes and additions including:
<ul type="disc">
<li>Bereavement Leave - There will be a new statutory right to bereavement leave beyond the current parental bereavement leave.</li>
<li>Paternity and Parental Leave - Similar to other employee rights, the right to paternity and parental leave will be given to all employees from day one of the employment.</li>
<li>Protections for Pregnant Women and New Mothers - Stronger protections from dismissal while pregnant or on maternity leave will be created, as well as for a period after returning to work (this is likely to be 6 months).</li>
</ul>
As is the case for many of these new legislations, employers must already start considering what actions they may need to take to ensure these new rights and protections are adhered to, reviewing and amending existing policies and procedures where appropriate.
<h2>Gender Pay Gap</h2>
Whilst work has been done to narrow the gender pay gap in recent years, Labour&rsquo;s new legislation and laws have put a spotlight on what else there is to do, and how much there is to do too.
There are already reporting requirements on gender pay gaps for organisations of over 250 employees, but employers will soon have to go further in their reporting and action taking.
<ul>
<li>Mandatory Action Plans - Employers will be required to develop and publish plans to reduce gender pay gaps within their business and wider industry. &nbsp;Additionally, they must strive to provide more support to women during the menopause.</li>
</ul>
These regulations will likely be implemented in 2026, but as they are vital to achieving more equitable and diverse workforces, it will pay for employers to consider actions as soon as possible. This includes developing and putting in place equality action plans; addressing gender pay gaps; and assessing how female employers are being supported.
<h2>Flexible Working</h2>
A renewed focus on flexible working will drive a motion to promote a better work-life balance for employees and make clearer the flexible working policies and processes of all employers, to ensure that both sides of the working relationship understand their needs and expectations.
<ul>
<li>Default Position&nbsp;- Flexible working will become the default, with employers required to show that refusals are reasonable. Without specific grounds to do otherwise, employers must permit an employee to work flexibly.</li>
</ul>
Policies and processes will need to define what is and is not reasonable refusal of flexible working, and employers must adhere to them &ndash; fairly and consistently. In preparation, employers need to take responsibility for considering what &lsquo;reasonable&rsquo; is and planning accordingly.
<h2>New Worker Protection Measures</h2>
There will be a continued emphasis on safeguarding employees from sexual harassment, with specific and more rigorous obligations on employers to help protect their people from harassment &ndash; including from third parties such as customers or passengers.
Employers will need to address any harassment and take action against it; failure to do so could result in a 25% increase in compensation for employees who successfully bring harassment claims.
<ul>
<li>Sexual Harassment -&nbsp;Employers must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment; this includes conducting risk assessments and supporting affected employees. They must also demonstrate that they are doing everything reasonably possible to prevent harassment and act when promptly when incidents occur.</li>
</ul>
Whilst people-facing employees are most at risk of harassment, employers&rsquo; obligations apply to all employees, regardless of their role or working location. Safeguarding must be front and centre of all risk assessments, company-wide, and reviews of processes put in place to prevent &ndash; and react to &ndash; incidents must take place regularly and thoroughly.
<h2>Future Prospects and Consultations</h2>
In addition to these 13 key changes being implemented in the short to medium term, the Labour government has outlined further plans for employment law reform in the coming years, including:
<ul type="disc">
<li>Right to Switch Off - There will be regulations introduced to prohibit employers from contacting employees outside working hours, as part of a drive to create a better work-life balance for all.</li>
<li>Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gap Reporting - Mandatory reporting to address pay disparities will be introduced, with the aim of identifying ways of narrowing pay gaps.</li>
<li>Reform to Employment Status - Providing greater clarity on employment status and removing the intermediate category of &lsquo;worker&rsquo;.</li>
</ul>
<h2>In Summary</h2>
Labour&rsquo;s legislative changes signify a shift towards what will hopefully become more inclusive, equitable, and safe work environments.
Whilst these reforms aim to benefit employees, they have the potential to improve the way businesses operate and perform too and futureproof them as the working world &ndash; and the people within it &ndash; constantly change.
Now, and going forward into a brighter future, companies must stay informed and prepared to adapt their policies and practices to comply with the evolving landscape of employment law.
<a href="https://pages.impellam.com/hubfs/Employment%20Law%20Changes%20-%20Impellam%20and%20DWF.pdf">Click here to read Impellam's full report.</a>

Since their election in Autumn 2024, the Labour Government have outlined several changes to Employment Law, regulation and reform. 

Understanding what the new Labour Government means for Employment Law

Historically, the findings of many famous scientists and important figures across STEM have put the spotlight on males making waves in their respective fields.&nbsp;
So when we think of the most influential scientists of our time, who comes to mind? Charles Darwin, Stephen Hawking or Sir Isaac Newton perhaps?
This aligns with an issue that has existed for far too long: Women in STEM, and the impact they have, are often overlooked.&nbsp;
This has deep-rooted, major consequences.&nbsp;Girls without female STEM role models are nearly twice as likely to avoid STEM occupations, compared to those who grow up in more representative surroundings. What&rsquo;s more,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theiet.org/media/press-releases/press-releases-2024/press-releases-2024-january-march/8-march-2024-over-one-million-women-now-in-stem-occupations-but-still-account-for-29-of-stem-workforce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only 29% of the STEM workforce is female</a>, despite&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/insights-into-stem-skills-shortages-in-the-uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">major skills shortages threatening the industry</a>.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../insights/guides-and-reports/2022-https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/gender-and-ethnicity-pay-gap-breaking-down-stem-pay-inequalities-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a significant gender pay gap remains</a>&nbsp;and roles in fields such as computer science and engineering face escalating gender disparities &ndash; resulting in fewer women entering, let alone progressing, in the field.&nbsp;
So, in this article, to do our bit to represent women in STEM for International Day of Women in Science, we are showcasing 4 influential women whose careers and findings have paved the way for new scientists, while shaping the world we live in today.
<h2>1. Dr. Adriana Ocampo and the Chicxulub impact crater</h2>
<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/people/adriana-ocampo/">Dr. Adriana Ocampo is a Colombian planetary geologist and scientist at NASA HQ.&nbsp;</a>
After completing her Masters in Science, at California State University, she went onto complete her PhD in the Netherlands. Ocampo has since led six research expeditions in the same region that her most famous research took place, which ultimately led to the discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater.&nbsp;
Today, the Chicxulub crater is known to be the signature catastrophic meteor strike that likely wiped out the dinosaurs, along with many other species on earth. The asteroid was found on Mexico&rsquo;s Yucatan peninsula, after hitting Earth more than 65 million years ago.&nbsp; 
<h2>2.&nbsp; Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal&rsquo;s discoveries around HIV</h2>
Born in Guangzhou, China,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/science/flossie-wong-staal-who-unlocked-mystery-of-hiv-dies-at-73.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal</a>&nbsp;was a Chinese-American virologist and molecular biologist.
Coming from humble beginnings, Wong-Staal and her family of six, fled to Hong Kong in 1952 following the Communist revolution in the late 1940s. During her time there, Flossie was educated at Maryknoll Convent School, where she took a liking to science.
Upon completion of her studies, Flossie left home to attend the University of California in Los Angeles, where she began pursuing a Bachelor of Science in bacteriology. Following this, Flossie went on to earn her PhD from UCLA in 1972 and began conducting research from the University of California in San Diego.
Dr. Flossie Wong-Staalis is now most known for cloning methodologies in the treatment of HIV and subsequently becoming the first scientist to not only clone the immunodeficiency virus, but also determine the function of its genes.
Her findings provided the link that was needed to prove HIV is the cause of aids. Wong-Stall also carried out genetic mapping of the virus, which made it possible to develop HIV tests, and fundamentally aid the development of blood tests for HIV.
<h2>3. Two-time Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Marie Curie&nbsp;</h2>
<a href="https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/about-us/our-history/marie-curie-the-scientist">Dr. Marie Curie was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist</a> who is famously known for her pioneering research which she conducted on radioactivity.
Unable to enrol in a regular institution of higher education due to her gender, the odds for Curie&rsquo;s success were small. However, in 1890 a turning point came when she was granted admission to The Flying University, which enrolled female students, and began her practical scientific training in a chemical laboratory. She later moved to Paris in 1891 where she worked towards her first degree in physics, later followed by a second degree in 1894.
In 1903, Curie made history by becoming the first woman to win a Nobel prize, when the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Marie Curie, Pierre Curie (Marie&rsquo;s husband), and Henri Becquerel the Nobel Prize in Physics. Curie then went on to win her second Nobel Prize just seven years later, but this time in Chemistry.
To this day, she remains the only person to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in Science. Only a few years after receiving her second Nobel Prize, World War I began, and her selflessness shone through when she offered to have both prizes melted down to help provide gold for war efforts.&nbsp;
<h2>4. Rosalind Franklin pioneering work on molecular structures</h2>
Born in Notting Hill, London,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rosalind-Franklin">Rosalind Franklin&nbsp;was an English chemist and X-ray crystallographer, often referred to as the &lsquo;&rsquo;Sylvia Plath of molecular biology</a>&rsquo;&rsquo;.
After graduating from Newnham College, Cambridge, in 1941 with a degree in natural sciences, Franklin went on to enrol for her PhD in physical chemistry at the University of Cambridge. She moved to Paris in 1947 and quickly became an accomplished X-Ray crystallographer. Years later in 1951, she joined Kings College London as a research associate and discovered the key properties of DNA, now known as the double helix structure, which helped produce the photograph that helped unravel the mystery of DNA.
Franklin&rsquo;s work was crucial to the understanding of the molecular structures that make up DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. After disagreements with her director at Kings College London, she was required to move to Birkbeck College in 1953, where she took the lead on the pioneering work of the molecular structures of viruses.
The day before she was set to reveal the structure of the tobacco mosaic virus at the 1958 International Fair in Brussels, she sadly passed away at the age of 37 due to ovarian cancer. However, her research went on to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1982, as her team member, Aaron Klug, had continued her research following her passing.&nbsp;

In celebration of International Day of Women in Science, we're recognising some of the most inspirational female scientists from around the globe.

4 Inspirational Female Scientists Who Paved the Way for the Next Generation

When embarking on a career journey, there are numerous paths to consider, each designed to equip you with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to excel in your desired role and industry.
Apprenticeships are one such path, providing an opportunity to continue learning and development, whilst also gaining practical work experience and a vital understanding of employment and working life.
<h2>What Are Apprenticeships?</h2>
Apprenticeships are structured, work-based training programs that combine on-the-job learning with theoretical studies and essential work-life experiences.&nbsp;
They aim to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in specific roles, industries, and professions. Typically offered in collaboration with companies, talent experts such as SRG, and educational or training providers, apprenticeships enable people to work toward specific qualifications, licenses, or certifications that will help them start and build a career in their chosen field.
As these programs are tailored to meet industry needs, apprentices can be confident that their training will be relevant to their long-term career goals.
<h2>How long are Apprenticeships?</h2>
According to the experts behind&nbsp;<a href="https://nationalapprenticeshipweek.co.uk/apprenticeships-2/">National Apprenticeship Week, a celebration of apprenticeships, apprentices and the impact they have on all industries</a>, apprenticeships last for a minimum of 12 months.
However, the duration of a specific apprenticeship depends on the type, depth, and detail of the program, as well as the level of education, certification, or qualification being pursued.
<h2>Who Can Apply for Apprenticeships?</h2>
In short, anyone! While apprenticeships have traditionally been an excellent option for students transitioning into employment, even individuals who have been employed before can benefit from the skills and opportunities provided by apprenticeships.&nbsp;
So, whether you&rsquo;re a school or university leaver, or someone seeking a career change or simply an opportunity to learn something new, apprenticeships have a lot to offer, to a lot of people.
<h2>The Benefits of Apprenticeships</h2>
Presenting an abundance of benefits, from practical experiences to opportunities to earn a living whilst gaining vital new skills for your chosen career, there is so much value and potential in apprenticeships.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re still not convinced, here are some of the key benefits that may showcase apprenticeships as a viable option for your career growth:
<h3>Practical Experience&nbsp;</h3>
Apprentices gain hands-on experience in real-world settings, working alongside professionals in their industry. This practical knowledge is invaluable and often gives apprentices a competitive edge in the job market.
<h3>Earn While You Learn</h3>
Unlike traditional education routes such as college or university, apprenticeships allow individuals to earn a wage while they learn on the job, alleviating the financial burden of student debt.
<h3>Industry-Recognised Qualifications</h3>
Upon completing an apprenticeship, individuals receive qualifications that are highly regarded by employers, opening doors to various career opportunities.
<h3>Career Advancement</h3>
Many apprentices secure long-term employment with their training providers or other industry employers, providing a clear pathway for career progression.
<h3>Personal and Professional Growth&nbsp;</h3>
Apprenticeships enhance not only technical skills but also personal and professional attributes such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, which are essential for success in any career.
<h3>Networking Opportunities</h3>
During an apprenticeship, individuals can build a network of professional contacts, which can be valuable for future job opportunities and career advancement.

Whether you’re a school or university leaver, or someone looking for new skills and experiences for the next step in your career journey, apprenticeships could offer everything you need to grow and develop, and much more. 

Understanding Apprenticeships and Their Benefits 

In his role as Head of People &ndash; Impellam Project Services, Paul Callery works closely with teams across our business &ndash; including the <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Scientific Functional Service Provision team at Synergy</a> &ndash; to help guide our people through their career journey with us, and take their skills and experience to the next level. 
Here he talks us through why this is so important, and specifically the role that apprenticeships have in driving immediate and long-term development. 
<h2>The Value of Continuous Learning</h2>
We realise the importance of always looking forward to what&rsquo;s to come in the days, weeks, months and even years ahead. It may sound clich&eacute;, but if you&rsquo;re standing still and not moving with the times, you&rsquo;re not going to be prepared for the future &ndash; on an individual and business-wide level. And before you know it vital changes and developments within your industry will have passed you by. 
That&rsquo;s why continuous learning and development, and investing in people's growth, is so important in providing short-term value for people within their roles and promoting and creating long-term career progression too. What&rsquo;s more, by strengthening individual capabilities, we&rsquo;re shaping and safeguarding the services &ndash; and quality of service &ndash; we provide to our clients. 
Within <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy Scientific Services</a>, at the heart of our commitment to investing in employee growth are our high-quality apprenticeships &ndash; initiatives that are vital to providing opportunities for practical, &lsquo;hands-on&rsquo; experience-based learning and further development of skills and knowledge. 
<h2>Apprenticeship Opportunities with Synergy Scientific Services</h2>
The apprenticeships we offer to our people at Synergy are designed to build skills and experiences across the scientific space, including data analysis, bioscience degrees, lab technician roles, and people leadership. 
Each and every Synergy apprentice is provided with the time, support and guidance needed to expand their expertise while contributing more effectively to the work they do every day. 
We put emphasis on developing critical skills that are vital for building and thriving in a successful career within the scientific sector &ndash; skills that are highly sort after. Combining skill building with &lsquo;on the job&rsquo; experience creates 
These are critical skills that are required for a successful career in the scientific industry, and skills that are highly sought after. Combining these skills with the 'on the job' experience creates a fantastic well-rounded individual who is then in a wonderful position to kick on in their careers
<h2>Benefits of Synergy Apprenticeships</h2>
Synergy apprenticeships support skills development in existing roles and also offer an alternative pathway to traditional higher education. 
Additionally, our people can &lsquo;earn while they learn&rsquo;, so not only are they able to gain practical, hands-on experience, but can do so whilst earning a living rather than taking on the burden of student loan debt. This puts them in a great position to kickstart a successful, sustainable career. 
To ensure they thrive, all apprentices benefit from dedicated mentorship and regular coaching sessions, equipping them with the tools to balance their workload and maximise their potential. These sessions focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, and professional growth, helping our apprentices develop into confident, capable professionals who can drive innovation within Synergy and for our clients.
<h2>Success Stories and Client Feedback</h2>
It is amazing to see our people progressing and leading the way in their areas and knowing that our apprenticeships have an important role in this. 
We have received some fantastic feedback from those who are benefitting from our apprenticeships, and from our clients who have highlighted the impact that our people are having on their operations. 
Team Leader Amer Gerges and QC Lab Technician James Brears are both working at a Global Biopharma Company &ndash; a client of Synergy Scientific Services &ndash; as part of their apprenticeship. Here's what they had to say about their experiences so far:
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Quote from Amer Gerges</h3>
&ldquo;I have been very pleased with my apprenticeship experience with Synergy. My journey began with completing a Leadership Skills training programme and developing a bespoke PDP that outlined my objectives and the key areas for development needed to gain the skills and knowledge required to grow in my role and career.
&ldquo;Following coaching conversations with my line manager and the Head of People, it was agreed that a People Professional apprenticeship would be the most suitable programme to help me achieve the objectives outlined in my PDP. Synergy supported me in finding a high-quality training provider at a relevant level for my background and experience and enrolled me on the apprenticeship programme.
&ldquo;Although there were some initial challenges in balancing the schedule of workshops, study time and my daily work commitments, Synergy has been flexible and supportive in accommodating this. My line manager has provided the necessary support to ensure my apprenticeship is successful and has been willing to offer direct support to my team if needed.
&ldquo;I started my apprenticeship two months ago, and so far, I have gained in-depth knowledge of the role of people professionals across various areas, including the employee lifecycle from attraction to retention, the impact of AI, employee wellbeing and good work, supporting teams through change, and the integration of strategy to achieve the organisation&rsquo;s overall goals. This knowledge will enable me to approach different challenges in my role with the right mindset and resources.
&ldquo;Synergy&rsquo;s Head of People is my apprenticeship mentor and has previously supported me with various people-related challenges. We have also worked together on implementing key projects such as Frontline Forums and the Capability Mapping Framework, which will help me gain the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSB) required to successfully complete my apprenticeship.&rdquo;
<h3 class="MsoNormal">Quote from James Brears</h3>
"My apprenticeship has been a fantastic experience so far and for me personally has been a brilliant alternative to university. To be able to gain industry experience in a world-class pharmaceutical company has been invaluable and I feel I now have an in-depth knowledge of principles such as GMP and right first time.&nbsp;
"As I approach completion of my first year, I have reflected back on all the opportunities I have had. I was selected to complete the train the trainer course which has been a real boost for my development as I am now training new starters in my team, and my role has allowed me to become a STEM ambassador, meaning I can go to STEM events at schools and learning centres to help inspire the next generation into STEM careers.&nbsp;
"Synergy has been a big support in my apprenticeship journey so far, especially my line manager, who has regular 1-1&rsquo;s with me to discuss my training and personal development plan, and they also attend my university check-ins which occur every 10 weeks to make sure I am on track with balancing my studies against full-time work."

The team at Synergy Scientific Services, as Paul Callery – Head of People – Impellam Project Services explains here, are dedicated to employee growth and driving long-term career progression through the power of apprenticeships. 

Expert Insight: Apprenticeships with Synergy Scientific Services 

To mark World Cancer Day 2025, we are putting the spotlight on some of the biggest and most impactful cancer breakthroughs that we anticipate will become key to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients in the future.
Cancer is a painfully ubiquitous feature of modern life. Whether friends or family have had the illness, or you are a survivor yourself, cancer has affected almost all of us in some way.
And it's getting more commonplace, with latest research suggesting that <a href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/lifetime-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 in 2</a>&nbsp;people born after 1960 in the UK will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime.
With the number of new cancer cases in the UK and throughout the world continuing to rise, the outlook seems bleak. But with breakthrough technologies currently at the research, development and implementation stages, the likelihood of providing earlier diagnoses, offering more eﬀective treatments and even find a cure increases exponentially.
So, what are these new technologies, therapies and treatments, and what eﬀect can they have on different types of cancer going forward? Here are the five most exciting cancer developments to look out for in 2025 and beyond.
<h2>Artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer diagnostics</h2>
Artificial Intelligence has been at the heart of many medical breakthroughs in recent years, and in the field of oncology it is certainly making a big impact &ndash; helping to improve cancer diagnosis, treatment planning and patient care.
For example, in 2020, an international team at Google Health developed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1799-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AI capable of evaluating breast cancer mammograms</a>. Comparing the detection accuracy of the tech with the ability of experienced radiologists, the team found that the AI surpassed traditional methods of detection. It was also shown to reduce the number of false positives and false negatives. This pioneering study represents a major leap in the use of AI during clinical care for cancer.
Five years later and AI tools are increasingly supplementing, supporting and &ndash; in some cases &ndash; replacing the work of physicians and radiologists; playing a key role in facilitating and accelerating drug discovery and enhancing precision medicines that are increasing a patient&rsquo;s chance of recovery from cancer.
What&rsquo;s more, a use of AI produces several biproducts and benefits, including significant time savings and increased capacity for over-stretched diagnosis facilities all over the globe.
<h2>Allogeneic Natural Killer (NK) Cells Therapy</h2>
In January 2025, the <a href="https://scienmag.com/md-anderson-unveils-january-2025-research-breakthroughs-in-cancer-science/">University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre unveiled an abundance of exciting breakthroughs</a>, uncovered from recent research into cancer therapy within clinical settings.
A standout finding from the centre&rsquo;s numerous studies highlights the promising potential of novel cellular therapies, specifically allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
In a pioneering Phase I clinical trial, researchers investigated the use of FT596, an iPSC-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapy. This therapy, engineered to hunt down B-cell lymphoma cells, demonstrated a promising safety profile, with more than 80% of participants observing significant clinical responses.
With the immune landscape in cancer research and treatment ever-changing, it is vital to continue developing our understanding of NK cells, and new therapies such as these will be key to finding safe, effective ways of treating cancer patients &ndash; throughout 2025 and far beyond.
<h2>HER2-Targeted Therapies</h2>
In another of the MD Anderson Cancer Centre breakthroughs, a Phase II trial assessed two HER2-targeted therapies, tucatinib and trastuzumab, in women with advanced HER2-negative breast cancers.
Whilst elevated HER-2 activity is common in several cancers, including breast cancer, therapeutic options for patients with high levels of specific HER-2 mutations have been largely untested until now.
The <a href="https://scienmag.com/md-anderson-unveils-january-2025-research-breakthroughs-in-cancer-science/">MD Anderson research highlights</a> just how important exploring every potential avenue in cancer treatment is; the results of this particular trial were very promising, with response rates indicating tumour reductions in 42% of patients.
In the face of such results, we can anticipate an increase in HER-2 therapy research over the coming months and years &ndash; something which could be key to exploring and expanding treatment for female cancer patients in particular.
<h2>Seven-Minute Cancer Treatment</h2>
In a world first, the<a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/08/nhs-world-first-rollout-of-cancer-jab-that-cuts-treatment-time-by-up-to-75/"> NHS has introduced a groundbreaking seven-minute cancer treatment</a>, marking a significant advancement in patient care.
Traditionally, cancer patients have received the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab via intravenous transfusion, a process which in some cases could take up to an hour.&nbsp;
This incredible new breakthrough method allows the drug to be given via subcutaneous injection, which not only speeds up the delivery of treatment &ndash; taking just seven minutes &ndash; but also makes for a more comfortable patient experience.
The rollout of this game-changing treatment, which will also enable the freeing-up of vital resources in NHS chemotherapy units, follows approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), making the NHS in England the first health system globally to implement this efficient cancer therapy.
<h2>Precision Oncology</h2>
Representing a transformative approach to cancer treatment, <a href="https://www.mskcc.org/news/why-new-precision-oncology-cancer-treatments-benefit-patients-of-some-ancestries-more-than-others">precision oncology</a> allows for the tailoring of specific therapies to match the unique genetic and molecular profile of each cancer patient and their illness.
Analysing specific mutations and biomarkers within cancer cells enables cancer specialists to select target, precise therapies that can prove more effective than traditional, &lsquo;off the shelf&rsquo; treatments and present fewer side effects too.
This personalised strategy often involves the use of advanced, recently developed technologies such as genomic sequencing and molecular diagnostics to identify the most promising treatment options.
It is anticipated that precision oncology will not only enhance the efficacy of cancer therapies but open new avenues for early detection and prevention too, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

Cancer has touched almost all of us in some form. Whether it is your friends or family that have been aﬀected, or you are a survivor yourself, the disease that is uncomfortably ubiquitous in the modern age. But hope springs eternal; new, potentially life-saving treatment are starting to appear on the horizon.

5 breakthrough cancer developments to look out for in 2025 and beyond

Functional Service Provision (FSP) is a targeted outsourcing model that is widely used across a variety of STEM sectors, including in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device manufacturing industries.
Unlike full-service outsourcing solutions, in which an entire project is handed over to a Contract Research Organisation (CRO), an FSP allows companies to outsource specific functions and tasks but still retain control over their overall project.
Via an FSP, <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Synergy Scientific Solutions</a>&rsquo; dedicated team of scientific experts provide versatile, specialist services, expertise and resources to deliver on the specific requirements and goals of an organisation, whilst their own people focus on their core strategic objectives.
<h2>Key Components and Benefits of an FSP</h2>
Opting for a <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions">Functional Service Provision and outsourcing particular projects and services to experts such as the Synergy team</a> can prove a highly efficient and cost-effective choice for many scientific organisations; especially those that work within tight time and budget constraints, or don&rsquo;t have the specific skills and knowledge their project needs within their own teams.
The many key components and benefits of an FSP include:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Specific Functional Services: An FSP enables an organisation to outsource particular services and utilise a targeted approach to applying specialised expertise to specific functions &ndash; without relinquishing control over the overall project, or areas where assistance isn&rsquo;t required.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Flexibility and Control: One of the main advantages of FSP is flexibility. The solution can be tailored to match the needs of a company, their projects and resources. And, even whilst benefitting from the outsourced expertise of specialist teams, control is always maintained by the company.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing specific functions and tasks enables companies to manage their project budgets more effectively and potentially result in a stronger return on investment. An FSP approach reduces costs compared to full-service outsourcing, as it allows for more efficient allocation of resources.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Expertise and Specialisation: Experts specialising in particular functions, such as those within the Synergy Scientific Functional Service Provision team, can provide more tailored, targeted and high-quality services. This specialisation ensures that each aspect of the project is handled by experts in specific fields, leading to better outcomes delivered with precision and accuracy.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Risk Mitigation: Outsourcing specific functions to scientific experts can help mitigate risks associated with particular tasks and projects, as they have the experience and knowledge to handle complex activities efficiently and effectively.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Evolution and Potential of FSP</h2>
The Functional Service Provision model has evolved in response to the changing needs of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Previously, companies would outsource entire projects to a single CRO, but the approach doesn&rsquo;t offer the required level of flexibility or specialisation.
The emergence of FSP has allowed for this, whilst also providing companies with the ability to maintain control over their projects, whilst benefiting from the knowledge, skills and experience of scientific specialists, as well as potential cost savings and risk mitigation.
What&rsquo;s more, by outsourcing specific functions to experts via an FSP, companies are potentially enabling the acceleration of developments and breakthroughs &ndash; benefits that could have impacts reaching far beyond the scientific community and STEM industries.
<h2>Find out more about Synergy Scientific Solutions</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy</a>&nbsp;is a scientific functional service provider who specialise in partnering with laboratories across the globe to help scientists &lsquo;break free&rsquo; from operational constraints to &lsquo;break through&rsquo; in science.&nbsp;
We work closely and collaboratively with our clients, creating tailored solutions before training and managing teams of integrated staff to complete protocol-driven tasks to enhance your business efficiency.&nbsp;
<a href="mailto:synergyqueries@srgtalent.com">Click here to get in touch</a>

Discover the benefits of Functional Service Provision and how outsourcing specific tasks and activities can power the efficiency, effectiveness and success of scientific projects. 

What is Functional Service Provision (FSP)?

The arrival of a new year symbolises the start of new beginnings too &ndash; a chance to identify, chase and achieve new aspirations, goals and objectives.
Within the recruitment landscape in particular, a new year presents an opportunity &ndash; for companies and candidates alike &ndash; to consider what they would like to achieve in the next 12 months, as well as what to expect in a job market that&rsquo;s constantly changing and evolving at pace, and how to prepare, react and adapt.
With this in mind, as we kickstart another year of potential change and progress, it is time to look ahead to what could be some of the top recruitment trends in 2025; trends that may have a vital role in shaping successful recruitment strategies and happy, prosperous and productive workforces for this year and beyond!
<h2>Actively Engaging Passive Candidates</h2>
The search for the right people, with the right skills, expertise and experience required, must go beyond the traditional routes in 2025. Simply posting a job listing and waiting for applications to roll in or reaching out to those with an &lsquo;Open to Work&rsquo; tag on LinkedIn might not cut it.
Actively engaging with passive candidates &ndash; i.e people who may already be in employment or are simply not actively seeking a new role &ndash; is set to be one of the most impactful ways of finding and hiring talent that has what it takes to make an impact.
Targeting such individuals may not be an easy task; it is likely that recruiters will have to devise and deliver creative strategies to appeal to these candidates, but the rewards &ndash; for both employer and employee &ndash; could be huge. Companies will access the very best talent out there, meanwhile said talent could be introduced to new, exciting opportunities that they had not even considered before. It&rsquo;s a potential &lsquo;win-win&rsquo; all round.
<h2>Salary Transparency</h2>
Competitive pay and benefits have of course always been a major reason for top talent to consider quitting their current role and finding another job in which they can make the earnings they feel they &ndash; and their skillset &ndash; deserve.
In 2025, perhaps unsurprisingly considering the global economic challenges and pressures we are facing, salary is likely to play an even more important role in a person&rsquo;s decision to consider new opportunities &ndash; especially for millennials and Gen Z, many of whom are likely to not even spend time on a job listing that doesn&rsquo;t display its potential salary.
Therefore, it is imperative that employers and recruiters adapt to the expectations of potential candidates where possible, divert away from the outdated approach of keeping salary offerings secret until at least interview stage, and simply be upfront and transparent about what is on offer.
This&rsquo;ll help companies find the talent that&rsquo;s right for them, their strategies and what they need, and candidates can make informed decisions about whether a role and organisation is suited to their needs and goals &ndash; all whilst trust is being built between organisations and job-hunters alike.
<h2>The Role of AI and Automation</h2>
This is a big one. Artificial Intelligence and automation are already having a huge influence on our day-to-day lives and shaping the way that many &ndash; if not all &ndash; industries operate, or will do in the not too distant future.
Recruitment and talent acquisition is already experiencing an AI-driven revolution; one that&rsquo;s only set to grow larger and become even more powerful in 2025.
For recruiters and candidates alike, Artificial Intelligence and automation tools have many benefits thanks to their abilities to process information quickly and help humans make informed, reliable and quicker decisions. They are used for a variety of tasks, from scheduling and shortlisting to predicting candidate fit for specific roles, and helping to craft that perfect CV and accompanying cover letter.
But whilst the power and usage of AI grows, it is important to be careful and not get carried away. Recruiters and candidates are already experiencing pushbacks on their potential use of Artificial Intelligence; some companies discount applications that have been overly automated, whilst <a href="https://www.tidio.com/blog/ai-recruitment/">job seekers are already seeking clarity from companies using AI to screen applications</a>. &nbsp;
Fair, effective and honest use of AI and automation will be key to making the most of it &ndash; and to helping build relationships between employers and employees in an increasingly less relationship-based world.
<h2>Flexible Working and Work-Life Balance</h2>
In recent years, and since the COVID pandemic in particular, flexible working models and work-life balance have become key factors for people looking to take the next step in their career; one that&rsquo;ll better suit their wants, needs and aspirations in and outside of work.
It is likely that this will remain one of the top recruitment trends in 2025.
Fully remote and hybrid working models &ndash; which offer a combination of office-based and remote working &ndash; are ideally suited to many people, allowing them flexibility to balance their working and personal lives in a way that suits them, and their employer. And in many cases, the offer of such models can be a deciding factor in whether someone will consider even applying for a role, nevermind accepting it.
As such, much like the importance of salary transparency, it may pay for companies and their recruiters to be open about the potential for this flexibility &ndash; whether it is available, could at least be discussed, or simply isn&rsquo;t on offer.
It won&rsquo;t work for all organisations and people of course, so careful planning is required, but by embracing hybrid and remote working, there is great potential for creating flexible, supportive and productive working environments.
<h2>Addressing Skill Gaps&hellip; with Skills!</h2>
Skill gaps remain across industries, companies and their workforces. As does the drive to try and narrow these skill gaps through various initiatives and strategies.
Qualifications and awards listed on a CV have long been a determining factor when deciding if a candidate is right for a role. However, it is the skills and traits a person has and displays that matter &ndash; these are what enable a person to thrive in their position, and what a company expects and needs from them.
Therefore, in 2025, taking a skill-based approach to finding, hiring and developing the talent required to fill skill gaps could prove to be the way forward. This approach promotes the idea of providing opportunities to candidates who may not have a degree or other qualifications but have the skills &ndash; or at least the potential to learn the skills &ndash; required.
And it&rsquo;s not all about hiring either; developing and promoting existing talent is vital to building a stronger workforce, creating new employment opportunities and narrowing skill gaps &ndash; whilst also showcasing an organisation as one that&rsquo;s a great place for people to work and grow too.

As we kickstart another new year, join us as we take a look at 2025’s top recruitment trends and how to make the most of them – for companies and candidates alike. 

Top Recruitment Trends for 2025 

The Labour Government&rsquo;s 2024 Autumn Budget announcement, introduced significant policy changes, including increased taxation and costs.
These measures aim to reduce the UK&rsquo;s fiscal deficit, but their impact on industries, organisations, and employees is expected to be substantial.
The announced increase in employer National Insurance (NI) contributions is particularly concerning for companies and their people, as we look ahead to what&rsquo;s to come in 2025 and beyond, with potential implications for recruitment, growth, and talent retention.
<h2>National Insurance Changes in April 2025</h2>
The Autumn 2024 Budget included several announcements that have potential impacts on employers and employees, such as a minimum wage increase and tax rises across various sectors.
Of these announcements, one of the most significant &ndash; in terms of its potential long-term impact on companies and industries and the way they operate &ndash; is the upcoming National Insurance changes, set to come into effect in April 2025.
The changes to the NI tax, which only directly applies to employers, not employees, will see the rate of National Insurance contributions for employers rise from 13.8% to 15%. What&rsquo;s more, the threshold of the new rate is dropping &ndash; from &pound;9,100 to &pound;5,000 of an employee&rsquo;s salary (i.e an employer will pay National Insurance on &pound;4,100 more, per salary paid/employee).
This means that the many businesses across the UK will naturally pay more employer National Insurance than before. Additionally, many lower-income and part-time workers will now be included in the NI system &ndash; further increasing the amount of people &ndash; and tax &ndash; a company will have to account for.
Additionally, employer costs will be further increased due to a rise in the National Living Wage, to &pound;12.21 per hour, and an increased National Minimum Wage, which will see workers aged 18 to 20 earn at least &pound;10 per hour too.
Overall, there are plenty of potential increases in employer expenditure on the horizon; increases that will need to be factored into any plans, goals and expectations for 2025 and beyond.
<h2>Potential Impact on Recruitment and Talent Retention</h2>
The National Insurance increase could significantly affect organisations beyond their expenditure, profits, and overheads.
Economic changes impact talent recruitment and retention, and the employer NI rise is expected to alter how businesses approach hiring new talent and retaining existing workforces.
Companies may face various challenges, including:
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Changing recruitment plans:&nbsp;Higher costs may reduce budgets for new hires, particularly for higher-salaried, full-time roles, altering recruitment and growth plans.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Pay structure and promotion reviews:&nbsp;Planned pay reviews and increases may become unmanageable due to additional costs from employer contributions and tax, making staff promotions less likely.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Limited training and development budgets:&nbsp;Increased employer costs could lead to reduced training and development opportunities as part of cost-cutting measures.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Potential layoffs:&nbsp;Some businesses, especially SMEs, may struggle to retain their existing workforce, leading employees to seek growth opportunities and wage increases elsewhere.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Financial strategy reviews:&nbsp;Growing employment costs will impact overall company budgets, necessitating a reassessment of financial strategies and operations.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Higher costs for consumers/clients:&nbsp;Companies may need to raise prices for their products or services to offset higher costs, potentially driving consumers/clients to seek cheaper alternatives.</li>
</ul>
<h2>How Employers Can React to the National Insurance Change</h2>
Understanding the challenges of the employer National Insurance contributions and their implications are vital to understanding how a company can react to them with the growth of their business and their workforce in mind.
Planning and implementing effective strategies for talent recruitment and retention can help to minimise the potential impact of the NI increase and enable an organisation to continue the growth and development of their workforce and business, with a focus on the objective of finding, hiring and keeping the right people, with the right skills required.
This is where the expertise and experience of SRG can help. By investing in our talent solutions, a company benefits from our ability to create strategies and plans suited to their specific goals, and find, attract, hire and retain people &ndash; from a diverse, multi-skilled pool of talent &ndash; who&rsquo;ll help their business grow too.

With significant increases to employer’s National Insurance contributions announced in the Autumn 2024 Budget, companies have several potential challenges to face – including impacts on talent recruitment and retention. 

Navigating the National Insurance Increase in 2025 

The recruitment industry has come a long way from the days of paper CVs and fax machines, as it continues to accelerate alongside expanding businesses in an increasingly global, and interconnected world.
Today,&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/gx-the-great-reimagination-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nearly three quarters of CEOs&nbsp;</a>say that labour, and skills shortages pose the greatest disruption to business strategy over the next 12 months. The &lsquo;Great Resignation&rsquo; of 2021 saw<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-24/almost-one-fifth-of-workers-set-to-leave-their-jobs-in-next-12-months" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;47.4 employees in the U.S alone&nbsp;</a>leave their organisations for new roles, while in the U.K 85% of senior leaders reported significant business disruption.&nbsp;
In the STEM sector specifically,<a href="../../../../../../insights/guides-and-reports/2022-global-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;our global survey</a>&nbsp;reveals that the after-effects of the great resignation continue to echo, as 35% of UK and US STEM employees, and 39% of Europe STEM employees say they plan to leave their organisations this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this article, I reflect back on the history and evolution of the recruitment market and look ahead to the priorities leaders should consider to futureproof their talent pipelines. Read on to explore:
<ul>
<li>Key drivers of change in the history of recruitment</li>
<li>How the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed tech in recruitment</li>
<li>What is next for the recruitment industry</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2>Key drivers of change in the history of recruitment</h2>
<h3>From recruiters working for candidates, to recruiters working for clients</h3>
The late 1970s saw a shift away from recruiters working directly for, and receiving payments from candidates, to working and receiving payments from the client.&nbsp;
From being approached by recruitment agencies to harnessing them for selective requirements, organisations were able to expand their workforces at pace and fuel economic growth.&nbsp; Recruitment organisations now had to approach candidates directly, and &lsquo;sell&rsquo; their client&rsquo;s roles. At this time, this was largely achieved by salary rate, as well as the company&rsquo;s general reputation. Roles were mainly advertised in newspapers, and recruitment consultants relied on telephone consultations and in-person interviews to filter candidates.&nbsp; 
<h3>The history of online recruitment</h3>
While the internet was initially invented in 1983, it wasn&rsquo;t until 1995 that it became well established in wider society, and business. Netscape Navigator, the most popular internet browser at the time, marked a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/short-history-internet#:~:text=Consequently%2C%20the%20number%20of%20websites,around%2010%20million%20global%20users." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 million global user base in 1995</a>, making it a rich source for an accessible network of talent.&nbsp;
The late 1990s consequently saw the first online jobs being posted, marking the beginnings of e-recruitment, which has since become essential to modern-day recruitment 
<h3>Evolution of diversity and inclusion</h3>
When considering the history of the UK, the essential role diverse groups have played over the course of the UK industrial history is irrefutable.
While the world wars notoriously accelerated the number of women in industry, factory, pastoral and agricultural work has always had a core reliance on female labour, and international trade and businesses have long been inherent to the British economy.&nbsp;
It wasn&rsquo;t until 1975 however that the sex discrimination act was passed, while ethnic groups had to wait another year; until 1976, before the race relations act was passed &ndash; both acts protected the groups from unfair treatment in the workplace.
Despite these advances, it wasn&rsquo;t until 1995 that the disability discrimination act was passed, and it was only recently, in 2010, that the equality act was passed, making it officially illegal to discriminate against employees in the workplace based on their:
<ul>
<li>Age</li>
<li>Disability</li>
<li>Gender reassignment</li>
<li>Marriage and civil partnership</li>
<li>Pregnancy and maternity</li>
<li>Race</li>
<li>Religion or belief</li>
<li>Sex/Gender</li>
<li>Sexual orientation. </li>
</ul>
<h3>The rise of employee value propositions</h3>
Employee value propositions or EVPs have been steadily growing in importance alongside expanding skills gaps.
Whereas in the past organisations could rely on the reputation of their brand name, or for newer companies, advertise confidential opportunities, rising competition in the talent market has increased&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/how-to-develop-a-successful-employer-branding-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the importance of a strong EVP</a>.&nbsp;
In a business climate where companies are now investing in their own people, and actively discussing payrises, career development and actualising their culture, people aren&rsquo;t always as open to leaving their current positions as they once were, clients face a growing need to focus on EVP to attract passive candidates.
According to our&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../insights/guides-and-reports/2022-global-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2022 Global Science Employment Report</a>, just under a third of STEM employees prioritise roles that offer a good work-life balance, while over half of respondents would also find employees appealing if they offered an attractive salary and benefits alongside stimulating and challenging work.&nbsp;
Key elements of a strong EVP include:
<ul>
<li>Work-life balance</li>
<li>Representative and actionable DE&amp;I strategies</li>
<li>Fair pay structures and reviews</li>
<li>Career development paths</li>
<li>A strong company culture and purpose</li>
</ul>
<h3>The convenience of recruitment platforms</h3>
While e-recruitment initially surged in the 1990s, it wasn&rsquo;t until the mid-2000s, 2008 to be precise, that the LinkedIn Recruiter tool was launched.&nbsp;
The convenience of the platform, in tandem with its accessibility to global candidate pools has led to a surge in stand-alone recruiters with little experience in the market.&nbsp;
While online recruitment platforms are often harnessed by organisations, and other stand-alone recruitment entrepreneurs in a more nuanced way, &lsquo;head-hunters&rsquo; who used LinkedIn to spam candidates and clients alike are a modern issue that can reduce people&rsquo;s confidence in the effectiveness of the modern recruitment market.
When used by a seasoned recruitment professional, e-recruitment platforms like LinkedIn Recruiter can activate access to diverse talent pools, and exceptional expertise across the world, while enhancing client reputation. 
<h2>How the COVID-19 pandemic catalysed tech in recruitment</h2>
The events of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of lock-down reverberated across the world of business, while some organisations shrank, others rapidly expanded, incentivising recruitment organisations to find new, more digitally enabled ways to access talent and connect them to the right organisations fast.
In the world of STEM, where COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics were key to unravelling the trials of the pandemic, digital recruitment was essential to hire the right candidates at volume. Today, in an increasingly candidate-led and fast-paced market, the digital recruitment trend seems here to stay.
At SRG, we&rsquo;ve harnessed digital recruitment with many of our global pharmaceutical and diagnostic clients, for whom we have utilised&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/the-3-key-principles-of-an-effective-hiring-strategy-in-stem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">digital tools like video-interview technology to effectively hire at pace&nbsp;</a>while preserving organisational culture and driving diversity.&nbsp;
The wider impact of the digitalisation trend in recruitment continues to shape the market today, and has resulted in the following fundamental shifts:
<ol>
<li>Improved access to diverse talent:&nbsp;Disabled, socio-economically disadvantaged, and other diverse groups are less likely to have the means to travel to multiple interviews. Digital interviews offer a way to connect with and hire diverse talent in a realistic, and effective way.</li>
<li>Location has no limits:&nbsp;Candidates can interview easily before they re-locate for positions requiring in-office or laboratory work. Meanwhile for remote, or global organisations seeking talent in a new country, scouting and hiring talent has become far easier.</li>
<li>The pace of recruitment has accelerated:&nbsp;Candidates can complete multiple interviews in one day, accelerating the pace at which companies must structure their own interview process, and react to ensure the best talent is hired.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What is next for the recruitment industry?</h2>
The recruitment industry has undergone several transformations over the last half century, evolving from what was once a manual and in-person led field, to a dynamic, digital and fast-paced industry.&nbsp;
Successfully building a talent strategy for tomorrow relies on ensuring that your recruitment partner can effectively engage with you as a client, and that candidates are effectively committed to your organisation throughout the recruitment process.
Today, and in the future of the recruitment, the onus will be on so much more than the job alone, people want to know about the benefits, the culture, career development, diversity and inclusion rather than just a job description and salary.
It&rsquo;s important to recognise that the shift towards a candidate led market has been largely unprecedented. Organisations need to move past the mind-set of merely increasing salaries, and broaden their perspective to actionably consider how they can create the right working environment for employees, and the right candidate process for their prospective new hires.
<h2>Looking for expert recruitment support?</h2>
SRG have over 30 years of experience in supporting recruitment in organisations across STEM. Our talented consultants are on hand to help you with any of your recruitment challenges.

Delve into the history of recruitment and look forward into what trends the sector can expect in the future

Recruitment: What's Changed and What's Next?

<div>
Advancements in technology within the neuroscience sector are forecasted to continue evolving rapidly each year, and in 2024 we have already witnessed a number of trends emerge.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
In this article, we will explore the major trends predicted to shape the neuroscience sector in over the coming years, including innovations in brain imaging technologies, neurostimulation therapies, the integration of artificial intelligence, brain-computer interface technology, the rise of telemedicine in neurology, and the growing collaboration between industry and academia through cross-disciplinary approaches.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Join us as we delve into these exciting trends and explore their potential impact on the future of neuroscience.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Generative AI&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has made a growing impact in the last few years, evolving into a useful tool for a variety of applications across almost every sector &ndash; from engineering and manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. Within the Medical Sector, AI has the power to not only develop, streamline and improve healthcare systems and processes, but also shape the way we diagnose, treat and provide aftercare for illness and medical conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
It is forecasted that AI within healthcare will make a large advancement over the coming years to reduce the strain and workload on services such as the NHS. AI tools will be integrated into healthcare systems to help reduce working hours and ensure clinics have an optimal amount of time to spend on patient care.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/health-secretary-announces-250-million-investment-in-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UK Government has afforded the NHS AI Lab with &pound;250m of funding</a> to integrate AI systems into the healthcare practice, trialling more than 40 projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Brain-Computer Interface Technology&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
BCI&rsquo;s (Brain-Computer Interface Technology) have the power to connect individuals with severe disabilities to their surrounding environment. This could not only have a large impact on the patient themselves, allowing them to do and experience more than ever before, but also, their friends and family.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
BCI&rsquo;s are a complex technology system that analyse brain signals and translate them on an electrical device, allowing the patient to connect through their thoughts. They can be both invasive and non-invasive, depending on which technology is used, but they can have a significant impact on a patient&rsquo;s quality of life.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Brain-Computer Interface Technology is already used to assist numerous patients with compromising disabilities. However, with ever evolving technological systems, BCI&rsquo;S are predicted to keep advancing and will soon, hopefully, be used widely as a communication device for many whose lives could be changed for the better.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">MRI Machines&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
MRI Machines are already in frequent use within medical research and routine. However, their digital technology and the way it is used is constantly evolving. MRI machines are becoming more powerful and adaptable, but also downsizing for convenience and becoming portable.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Their technology is ever evolving as the need for data storage, memory for analysis and updating medical systems, increases. Not only are these factors in high demand but MRI technology also needs prolonged transfer times between locations and to be supported by a sufficient computer source. Therefore, regular updates in technological systems are mandatory for the usage of these incredible machines.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
Additionally, MRI technologies are in high demand for daily clinical use. Therefore, companies have explored into the development of smaller, portable MRIs to suffice for the demand of patients in need of this advanced procedure.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">Psychedelics&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
Psychedelics are controlled drugs that have been seen to help treat neurological and mental health disorders. Certain Psychedelics can alter the way two parts of the brain communicate with each other, which in turn helps to ease the symptoms of such disorders.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
In the USA, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-first-draft-guidance-clinical-trials-psychedelic-drugs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychedelic Drug trials were started in 2023, moving away from developmental pilot research of the drugs.</a> Under the FDA&rsquo;s new regulations, MDMA was considered as a potential drug to help ease the symptoms for patients experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Eating Disorders. Additionally, Psilocybin has also been considered as an effective psychedelic drug for the treatment of symptoms for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety and Depression.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
As further developments continue throughout 2024 and in the coming years, it is hoped that MDMA and Psilocybin will become regulatory Psychedelic drugs advised by the FDA and can become widely used by patients in America and potentially around the glove too.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
<h2 role="heading" aria-level="2">PET Radiotracers&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
<div>
In 2024, the pursuit of PET Radiotracers has continued to be a focal point in neuroscience research.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
A significant milestone is expected with the conclusion of a trial evaluating the PET radiotracer 18F-MK6240. This radiotracer has shown promise in effectively measuring increases in brain tau protein, which is associated with autosomal dominant Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, even before symptoms appear.&nbsp;
</div>
<div>
There is a critical need for sensitive biomarkers like 18F-MK6240 that can quantify early pathological changes and closely correlate with disease progression and clinical outcomes. The introduction of this novel PET tracer is anticipated to play a pivotal role in guiding the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.&nbsp;
</div>

2024 has been another year of rapid change and development within the Neuroscience sector. Here are a few of the standout trends that have emerged.

2024's Top Neuroscience Trends

The Chemical Industry, its processes and products play a crucial role in the global economy. Chemicals play a huge part in our day-to-day lives, impacting almost every sector and many of the things we create, use and rely on. Unfortunately, the impact of chemicals on the environment and on human life is just as vast. That&rsquo;s why, as we discuss here, now is the time to make chemicals more sustainable.
<h2>Why is sustainability so important in the Chemical Industry?</h2>
Chemicals are a vital part of almost every sector &ndash; from healthcare and pharmaceuticals to engineering and energy. They are at the heart of developing new technologies and materials; integral to many of the goods that people use and rely on; shape the ways industries and companies operate; and much more.
The impact of the Chemicals Industry isn&rsquo;t just felt in the way we live our lives though; it has huge implications on the natural environment where we live our lives too. Historically, the Chemicals Industry has always been an energy and CO2-intense sector. In 2019 for example, <a href="https://www.wbcsd.org/resources/towards-planet-positive-chemicals/">according to a report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)</a>, the industry&rsquo;s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions was 6.3%. So, whilst it powers positive development, it can also make a negative impact on the environment.
Therefore, it is not only imperative for the Chemicals Industry to make a change; it is vital that the change is soon, if not immediate. Making both chemicals and the industry processes more sustainable is key. Thankfully, organisations, industries and companies &ndash; <a href="https://www.echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability">such as the European Commission</a> &ndash; are already making tracks, introducing new strategies, goals and legislations that will drive a shift towards chemicals and production technologies that are not only safer, but more sustainable too.
<h2>Driving sustainability in the Chemical Industry</h2>
The time for change in the Chemical Industry is now. Thankfully, urgent plans are already being made and put in place; to shape the industry and the way we approach, create and use chemicals and ensure that the positive impact they make far outweighs the potential negative one &ndash; now and long into the future.
The United Nations (UN) have, as part of their Environment Programme (UNEP), have developed <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/toolkits-manuals-and-guides/green-and-sustainable-chemistry-framework-manual">a framework for developing green and sustainable chemistry</a>. This framework is designed to raise awareness, enhance knowledge and identify ways and opportunities for key industrial sectors to advance sustainable chemical consumption, production and product innovation. At the heart of their plans, they&rsquo;ve <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/37340/AOGCGSC.pdf?sequence=3&amp;isAllowed=y">outlined 10 objectives to drive action from stakeholders and organisations across the chemical industry</a>, from minimising chemical hazards and pollution to advancing sustainable resourcing and maximising social benefits.
Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.wbcsd.org/resources/towards-planet-positive-chemicals/">2024 Towards Planet Positive Chemicals: A Chemical Transformation Roadmap Enabled by the Circular Economy report</a>, created by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) further highlights the need for change in chemicals and a action pathway to make that change. Produced in collaboration with a leading consultation consultancy and nine of the world&rsquo;s largest chemical companies, it calls for a drive towards net-zero and nature-positive chemicals and a transition to solutions that prioritise equity and well-being for workers, chemical users and producers and the planet; and emphasises a focus on empowering circular economies, activating sustainable chemistry and tackling industry-wide pollution as the key enablers to do so.
There is a global effort to ensure all industries become more sustainable and less impactful on the environment, as we work towards net-zero emissions and environmental targets that are looming large. Making changes to chemicals &ndash; and the way we produce, use and dispose of them &ndash; is hugely important. And so are the plans already being made by organisations such the UN and WBCSD, as well as key figures and companies across the Chemical Industry.
<h2>Taking action for the future of sustainability in the Chemicals Industry</h2>
Without actions, however, the plans and objectives set out for a more sustainable future in the Chemicals Industry are simply words on a page. Having the foresight to understand the lasting, growing impact of chemicals and make plans and strategies for change must be supported &ndash; and acted upon &ndash; by the companies and organisations who have the power and means to make a difference.
So, what actions should stakeholders across the industry take? Once again, organisations are already putting in the work, leading by example for others to follow.
For example, as part of their Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the European Commission have taken <a href="https://www.echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability">a lead on advising on tangible and manageable actions to guide companies within the Chemicals Industry &ndash; in the EU and beyond &ndash; into a more sustainable future</a>. The key actions of their strategy include encouraging companies to ban the use of the most harmful chemicals; boost investment in chemicals that are safe and sustainable by design; establishing simpler risk and hazard processes; and promoting high chemical safety standards.
The <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/37340/AOGCGSC.pdf?sequence=3&amp;isAllowed=y">UNEP have highlighted a variety of actions</a> that, through utilising new technologies, techniques and materials, can make rapid, long-lasting and industry-changing impacts. They cite the use of advanced technologies to not only find alternative functional chemicals with minimised hazards, but create them too; promote the development of green and sustainable chemistry using alternative products and processes through biomimicry; highlight how there is potential for turning waste gas from the industry into sustainable fuels or chemicals; and encourage chemistry innovations that are safer and greener for all to use, within &ndash; and outside of &ndash; the industry.
And this is just scratching the surface. The Chemicals Industry is powered by the expertise of some of the very best, brightest and most talented people, and it is this expertise &ndash; driving the development of strategies and new processes &ndash; that will ensure the future of chemicals is sustainable for the benefit of us all.

Chemicals are crucial to the way we live. But whilst we rely on them to shape and improve our way of life, their manufacture and use comes at a cost. Therefore, we must find ways to make chemicals more sustainable.

Creating Sustainability in the Chemicals Industry

With the STEM industry constantly evolving, and the skills it needs to continue to evolve ever-changing too, STEM organisations are having to rethink the way they find, attract and retain the very best STEM talent available.
Contrary to what many think, simply paying well isn't enough. Instead, companies must improve their ability to ensure their people feel enabled, valued and have access to other attractive perks too, as highlighted by a group of industry experts in a recent SRG webinar &ndash; an event focused on the insights from <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/global-talent-trends-and-insights-2024">SRG &amp; New Scientist&rsquo;s Global Talent Trends &amp; Insights report</a>, which detailed the insights from 4,000 professionals in life sciences from the UK, US, and Europe.
Life sciences companies are in uncertain times. To continue to develop and thrive, they must become more agile and competitive. To enable this, according to the panellists, talent is the key. Achieving success, though, relies on companies&rsquo; abilities to enable skilled individuals to use their talent via efficient, impactful methods that lead to faster-to-develop, more reliable achievements, whether it's developing groundbreaking drugs, medical devices, or diagnostic tools.
&ldquo;There is pressure to do more with less, but there is a real focus on that speed of getting innovation to market as soon as possible. And I really do feel that now more than ever leaders&nbsp;<a name="_Int_k2LQIvDR"></a>must demonstrate a real level of adaptability and flexibility in everything that&nbsp;<a name="_Int_cgOn7FNf"></a>they're doing,&rdquo; according to Philippa Clark, Senior Client Manager with SRG in the UK.&nbsp;
Clark continued to discuss how, with UK life sciences investment remaining high, contingent talent was becoming increasingly important for enabling work to be done most efficiently and cost-effectively. This has resulted in an increasing focus on resources related to Statement of Work, the direct acquisition of adaptable talent, and various employment agreements to assist medical technology and pharmaceutical companies in achieving higher revenue growth.&nbsp;
<h2>A growing, unwavering demand for talent</h2>
With&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/pay-for-life-science-workers-rises-fastest-in-the-uk-but-still-lags-behind-north-america-and-europe">spending anticipated</a>&nbsp;in the near future, worldwide demand for STEM talent is likely to remain high. Justin Mullins, a panellist on the&nbsp;webinar and Consultant Editor at New Scientist, believes that the COVID pandemic and its ongoing implications have led to other projects being delayed or, in some cases, abandoned. Mullins discussed how, when the pandemic was over, many life sciences companies faced a huge project backlog, which has driven talent demands further.
According to Mullins, UK life sciences companies have since kick-started their research and development work, with more efficient innovations high on the agenda. The sector has started to turn the tide on its backlog, with Mullins stating that it has &ldquo;turned into a streamlined, forward-thinking agile agency, which is really accelerating the way in which Innovation can be brought to market.&rdquo; Meanwhile, thanks to the post-COVID &lsquo;bounce&rsquo;, and the recent UK election now over, companies have more stability to focus on growth and accelerate the industry&rsquo;s talent attraction needs.
This trend, however, will put additional pressure on talent scarcity. Last year, salaries in life sciences rose markedly, especially in the UK, where the average pay rose more than 11%, <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/global-talent-trends-and-insights-2024">according to the SRG and New Scientist report.</a> Above average wage growth was reported, with 3.4% growth in Europe and 3.9% in North America respectively. Additionally, a further challenge for employers looking to hire and attain high-level talent was highlighted in data that suggests around 60% of all workers surveyed planned to change jobs in the near future.
<h2>Addressing the challenges for Life Sciences employers</h2>
Patrick Stedman, webinar panellist and SRG US Senior Vice President, discussed the need for companies across life sciences to look at ways to hire, motivate and retain the best STEM talent beyond the usual offers of higher wage compensation, referencing insights from the <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/global-talent-trends-and-insights-2024">Talent Trends &amp; Insights report</a> that highlighted how 62%STEM professionals ranked wages lower than other employment benefits as the reason for joining a company.
In fact, more than monetary gain, many workers feel it is imperative that the organisation they work for is diverse and inclusive for all. According to Stedman, the values of an employer, its purpose, and how it treats its people is the most important, deciding factor for talent when considering whether to join, or stay at, a company.
&ldquo;If you look at the STEM portfolio, specifically within life sciences and clinical,&nbsp;<a name="_Int_kmMLLUOe"></a>we're&nbsp;<a name="_Int_Km8s5b2c"></a>a very diverse population so&nbsp;<a name="_Int_YmicE7sN"></a>it's extremely important that we are keeping at the forefront.&nbsp;<a name="_Int_hA7Gzz5A"></a>It's a catalyst in all these organizations to understand how important it is to promote inclusivity and diversity &mdash; promoting it in a way that&nbsp;<a name="_Int_WTl2CZN0"></a>it's openly discussed and that we're in a position where people are comfortable with understanding the mission, vision, and value of these organizations.&rdquo; said Stedman.&nbsp;
<h2>The power and impact of Artificial Intelligence in Life Sciences</h2>
Artificial intelligence is making its mark across all industries. In life sciences, the wide-scale abilities of AI are not only helping to drive innovation forward, but it is also requiring professionals to constantly adapt, evolve and look forward to, and undertake training and development to upskill and keep up-to-date with current trends and tech.
This goes beyond core, hard skills too. According to the Trends &amp; Insights research, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability are key skills that employees wish to develop further.
According to Tracy Monsour, Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Impellam&nbsp;<a name="_Int_mgUfE9mI"></a>Group and a member of the&nbsp;<a name="_Int_uN68FDUX"></a>webinar panel, the ability of people to adjust to the changing nature of work and the impact of AI, will be critical to the success of companies in life sciences.
&ldquo;The topic of upskilling and reskilling is going to be one that we're talking about for a very long time,&rdquo; Monsour said, especially as artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how medtech and pharma companies operate. &ldquo;AI is necessary for skill sets, in terms of advancing research, development production and manufacturing of the products that impact the greater life sciences industry.&rdquo;
Indeed, there is already a growing belief that AI is changing the nature of job roles completely, with many respondents to the insights survey <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/ai-impact-in-stem-industries">highlighting how the technology is making their work more efficient</a>. 
The full impact of AI on working environments remains to be seen. But what we can say for certain is that investing in people through upskilling and reskilling, raising engagement through purpose and value, enhancing human capabilities with technology, or a combination of all these initiatives, will always be key to the success of companies and their industries overall.&nbsp;
<hr>
For even more insights, request your copy of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/global-talent-trends-and-insights-2024">2024 Talent Trends &amp; Insights Report</a>&nbsp;by New Scientists Jobs and SRG.
And, to see the complete round-table discussion on how to unlock talent trends and insights,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/events/howtounlocktalenttrends-insight7235016626008473601/theater/">click here</a>.

In life sciences, recruiting the very best talent available is the key to success. However, in this highly competitive industry, the demand for not only finding the right talent, but attracting and retaining them too, is higher than ever before.  

Shaping the future of Life Sciences: Finding, hiring and retaining the best STEM talent 

Dedication to Continuous Improvement (CI), driven by in depth understanding of processes, identifying and implementing improvement opportunities, and continually developing people, and their skills, can make high-impact, long-lasting positive changes to the way a lab functions and produces its work.
As an on-site scientific services provider, <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Scientific Solutions</a> employs teams of experts based in our customers&rsquo; own labs. By interacting with customer staff and processes daily, our teams are ideally placed to contribute to the CI activities of the laboratories in which they work. With a dedicated Head of Quality and CI, and dynamic Learning and Development programme, Synergy ensures that our teams are skilled and ready to play an active role in the CI culture of their workplaces.
In this blog, we dive into how - through utilising lean six sigma methodology - Synergy achieves effective Continuous Improvement solutions and results, establishing high performing lab support functions and improvement processes.
<h2>What is Continuous Improvement and lean methodology?</h2>
Continuous Improvement describes the ongoing process of analysing and optimising processes and their outputs. Often a CI pipeline is put in place, to help prioritise and action the changes required for optimisation over time.
There are many effective Continuous Improvement approaches and techniques, affording several options and routes to success. However, this variety can also make it difficult to identify and implement the methodology that will be most effective to a specific process.
One approach that <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Laboratory Services</a> implements and has found to be highly effective in a lab setting, is lean methodology. Initially developed for manufacturing environments, the processes and principles of lean methodology are suitable for a wide range of applications, settings and industries, particularly in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environments.
By utilising the lean methodology and CI in a laboratory setting, efficiency can be improved through the optimisation of flow, cost control, and efficient resource allocation. Overall, the goal behind CI is to eliminate time deficits, limit waste, and maximise workforce potential, therefore achieving a higher level of laboratory efficiency.
<h2>Synergy&rsquo;s Approach to Continuous Improvement</h2>
Synergy focuses on the lean six sigma methodology, embedding Continuous Improvement with people, not imposing it on people. Working from an awareness level with our CI Mindset training sessions for new team members, we then provide Yellow and Green Belt training to our on-site teams of scientists. The training challenges our people to make their tomorrow better than today by looking at their own role and workplaces, identifying and delivering improvements incrementally at first, then through larger projects and cross functional initiatives at Yellow Belt and Green Belt level respectively.
To drive innovation and encourage critical thinking and problem solving, <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Lab Solutions</a> empower and train our staff with lean six sigma tools and techniques, so that they can thrive in any situation and promote success at any client they&rsquo;re embedded and integrated within.
This progressive approach not only develops Synergy&rsquo;s experts and their competencies, making them Continuous Improvement experts, but also ensures we can actively support any client&rsquo;s process improvement activities, making Synergy&rsquo;s services unique in the field.
Outcomes include:
<ul>
<li>Improving labour capacity</li>
<li>Helping minimise risk</li>
<li>Eliminating bottlenecks</li>
<li>Lowering costs whilst improving lab KPIs</li>
</ul>
<h2>Synergy Continuous Improvement in Action</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy&rsquo;s </a>ability and commitment to driving improvement through expert, experience-led lab solutions are showcased in several successful projects. Here we focus on our work with a large pharmaceutical industry customer to deliver process efficiencies within a QC environment: an example of how Synergy scientific services can increase laboratory effectiveness and productivity.
Working within our customer&rsquo;s laboratories and following their processes and procedures, Synergy scientists identified an opportunity to optimise workflows and drive efficiency across the site through the introduction of a Lab Support function within our established team. This Synergy-led group would take ownership of key support activities within overall lab workflows, optimising those activities while freeing up analyst time to generate further productivity gains.
<h3>Example 1: Sample Information Management</h3>
Process flows in Quality Control can be complex and highly varied, depending on sample types, the suite of analytical methodologies involved, and production cycles. Samples may pass through multiple teams and stakeholders, with risk of delay or error at each transfer point.
The Synergy team took ownership of the sample booking-in process - from warehouse to archiving / disposal - across multiple labs, identifying best practice, standardising procedures, and implementing improvements to increase accuracy to 96% right first time and throughput by 100%.
One specific process change - to capture Inspection End Dates at the earliest opportunity and include the information on sampling reports by default &ndash; removed significant and repeated time wastage from the administrative workflow, and:
<ul>
<li>Removed a potential source of error</li>
<li>Enabled the Lab Support team to prioritise more effectively</li>
<li>Reduced the risk of backlogs forming, which would impact on downstream analysis</li>
</ul>
<h3>Example 2: Documentation Archiving</h3>
Timely and accurate archiving of laboratory documentation is critical to regulatory compliance, including adherence to defined retention schedules for different classes of hard-copy information.
A3 problem solving is a structured approach to the definition and root cause analysis of issues within a process, and the application of improvement measures. Through an A3 project undertaken during Yellow Belt training, the Synergy team performed 5S optimization to declutter documentation workstations, improve communication between analysts and archivists, and streamline the documentation flow:
<ul>
<li>Archiving turn-around time reduced by 50%</li>
<li>Improving KPIs by eliminating backlog</li>
<li>Removing identified compliance risk</li>
</ul>
<h2>Summary</h2>
Synergy&rsquo;s approach to Continuous Improvement and lean methodology contributes to our customers&rsquo; success by targeting improvements that are meaningful to the labs in which we work.
In the examples discussed here, <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy&rsquo;s solution </a>goes beyond this initial implementation: our teams continue to work closely with our customer&rsquo;s own scientists and lab owners and are actively engaged in the organisation&rsquo;s process improvement activities. To date, over fifteen A3 problem solves have been completed by Synergy scientists working hand in hand with our customers, and five Green Belt specialists are deployed within our on-site scientific teams.
Our commitment to learning and development ensures our own ongoing improvement, with in-house capability to upskill our teams with recognised CI expertise and make a positive impact through our work.
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: 'Aptos',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Aptos; mso-ligatures: standardcontextual; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">With thanks to Amer Gerges, Rabia Nadeem, and Govind Barhey of a UK-based Global Pharma company, whose CI work forms the basis of this article.
<hr>
<h2>Looking for a scientific services partner?</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The team from Synergy Scientific Management Solutions</a>&nbsp;work with laboratories across the world, equipping laboratories with expert talent that catalyse laboratory success, from within.&nbsp;
At Synergy, we help laboratories embrace adaptability with flexible teams who we source, manage and develop ourselves.
Interested in hearing more?
You can talk to our friendly team about your resourcing requirements at:<a href="mailto:synergyqueries@srgtalent.com">&nbsp;synergyqueries@srgtalent.com&nbsp;</a>

Continuous Improvement is a vital component of making high-impact, long-lasting changes to a laboratory and the way it functions, as these insights from Neil Jones highlight.

Synergy Scientific Services: Showcasing the Power of Continuous Improvement

80% of open studies on the NIHR clinical research network are set to be delivered on time following&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-uk-clinical-research-delivery-2022-to-2025-implementation-plan/the-future-of-clinical-research-delivery-2022-to-2025-implementation-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a new government initiative</a>&nbsp;to fund clinical research in the UK. This incentive has come at a critical point in the UK&rsquo;s clinical research timeline.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.abpi.org.uk/r-d-manufacturing/clinical-research/an-opportunity-for-growth-clinical-research-in-the-uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Over 40%</a>&nbsp;of non-COVID 19 related research was paused during 2020, driving critical delays that have yet to bridged. In the years following the pandemic, as organisations begin to pick up delayed research, trial portfolios have become inflated, resulting in heightened pressure on research teams and a growing need for skilled personnel to deliver these trials. <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o2540" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The ABPI report</a>&nbsp;that a lack of NHS research capacity in terms of staffing and turnover, alongside slow set up times are the two key challenges facing UK clinical trial research today. This article outlines three essential keys to managing capacity and accelerating timeframes in today&rsquo;s clinical laboratory. Read on to find out more about:
<ul>
<li>Minimising risk when increasing capacity</li>
<li>Adapting at speed to meet variable business demands</li>
<li>Harnessing digitalisation in clinical research</li>
</ul>
<h2>Minimising risk when increasing capacity</h2>
When research projects are navigating funding rounds, increasing staff capacity by hiring employees poses both a challenge and opportunity.&nbsp; Despite additional personnel playing a key role to ensure that the team has the staffing capacity to complete projects successfully, if the funding round is unsuccessful, or finances are generally under projected estimations or for a time limited period, taking on permanent employees under your own headcount can lead to redundancies, and subsequent gaps in research knowledge.&nbsp; This can delay research as time is taken away from the project towards recruitment, and recouping gaps in the team.&nbsp; To minimise this risk while still supplementing the workforce, insourced laboratory services like<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Synergy Scientific Management Solutions</a>, support scientific teams with insourced trained scientific and clinical laboratory staff.&nbsp; The insourcing model means that your projects can be delivered using our flexible resource of scientists, enabling laboratories to expand without the same budget concerns or risks. Our service also offers improved financial flexibility as our teams can fall under OPEX budgets rather than FTE expenditure.
<h2>Adapting at speed to meet variable business demands</h2>
The scientific skills gap continues to challenge laboratories across the UK and beyond with limited access to talent -<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/talent-in-clinical-trial-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;36% of drug developers</a>&nbsp;say that staff shortages are limiting the progress of clinical trials today.&nbsp; Meanwhile, innovation is rife in research, with<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/pharma-innovation-and-talent-trends" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;new modalities&nbsp;</a>like cell, gene, immune and mRNA therapies rapidly gaining momentum over the small molecule market.&nbsp; These ongoing innovations are heightening the skills divide between the current clinical workforce, and prospective employees, making it all the more time consuming for clinical research laboratories to successfully find, and hire the experts they need to fuel progress.&nbsp; This challenge is made all the more complex by the fact that many aspects of research are variable depending on the evolving scope of the project, particularly in early clinical research phases. Adapting laboratory recruitment to suit variable business requirements means establishing access to an agile, and flexible staffing solution. <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Scientific Services </a>support with this by providing trained teams of expert scientists on-site, while providing the leadership and management support to ensure development, to meet evolving project demands. This bespoke model means you can flex the scale of production according to variable business requirements without the additional add on time needed for permanent resourcing.&nbsp;
<h2>Harnessing digitalisation in clinical research</h2>
The ways in which clinical research is conducted has irrevocably evolved post-COVID.
In 2021,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhs-galleri.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the NHS-Galleri trial</a>&nbsp;paved the way for the industry&rsquo;s use of healthcare data in rapid, large scale patient recruitment.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.clinicalleader.com/doc/clinical-research-site-survey-findings-a-year-in-flux-0001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In the same year</a>, clinical research sites approached about new clinical trials using a decentralised model overwhelmingly chose to participate citing previous experience, benefits to patient populations and opportunities to modernise as the primary drivers behind their decision.
In the lab, robotics like those used in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/lab-automation-opportunities-and-challenges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Novo Nordisk&rsquo;s Research Centre Oxford</a>, demonstrate the potential for automation in streamlining work in the lab.&nbsp;
However,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2022/january/report-pharmaceutical-industry-needs-more-digital-talent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recent industry analyses led by the ABPI</a>&nbsp;reveal that skills shortages in informatics, computation, mathematical and statistical skills are significant across the UK clinical workforce &ndash; and competition for qualified professionals is rising.
The global pharmaceutical industry experienced a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/downloads/whitepapers/events-and-publications/whos-hiring-who-artificial-intelligence-in-pharmaceutical-hiring-activity-in-q3-2022/?utm_source=lgp4&amp;utm_medium=22-169055&amp;utm_campaign=clicks-against-the-whitepaper-hyperlink#globaldata-pharma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">63% increase</a>&nbsp;in the number of new job postings related to artificial intelligence in Q3 of 2022, compared to Q2 of 2021.
Harnessing digitalisation effectively without immediate or easy access to talent can be challenging without the right staffing support.
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Synergy Scientific Services Management team</a>&nbsp;empower scientific organisations to overcome digital skills shortages with our trained and managed insourced laboratory staff. For every client project, we put together a team of expert staff with the right abilities and skills to achieve target deliverables, while supporting and upskilling professionals without adding to your internal workload.
<h2>Find out more about Synergy Scientific Solutions</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy</a> is a scientific service provider who specialise in partnering with laboratories across the globe to help scientists &lsquo;break free&rsquo; from operational constraints to &lsquo;break through&rsquo; in science.&nbsp;
We work closely and collaboratively with our clients, creating tailored solutions before training and managing teams of integrated staff to complete protocol-driven tasks to enhance your business efficiency.&nbsp;
<a class="button" href="mailto:synergyqueries@srgtalent.com">Click here to get in touch</a>

The Synergy Scientific Services team explore the fundamentals behind managing capacity in today’s laboratory landscape.

3 Keys to Managing Capacity in the Laboratory

A laboratory workflow outlines procedural rules for tasks across every phase of testing, from pre-analytical through to reporting.&nbsp;
<a href="../../../../../../blog/leadership-in-the-laboratory---5-key-strategies-for-lab-management-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leaders in the laboratory</a>&nbsp;face the intricate task of managing turnaround times, while also ensuring work at every phase meets required quality standards and regulatory requirements.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Laboratory workflows help leaders by outlining processes that reduce complexity and promote quality. They are often modelled after standard operating procedures (SOPs) and support regulatory compliance.
In this article,&nbsp;we explore:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>How laboratory workflows can overcome clinical challenges</li>
<li>Steps to improve a workflow</li>
<li>How to overcome a lack of time to enforce lab workflow improvements</li>
</ul>
<h2>Challenges in clinical laboratory management</h2>
Clinical laboratories are playing an increasingly critical role in the quality of patient care, and now provide over&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/life-sciences-and-healthcare/articles/winning-strategies-molecular-diagnostics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">80% of the healthcare data used by physicians&nbsp;</a>in their practice.
While the demand for diagnostics surged across the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratories have faced technician shortages on top of surmounting financial pressures for some time. Meanwhile, breakthrough research in areas like oncology, immunology and genetics continue to open up new business opportunities, provided laboratories can meet the regulatory requirements and quality standards.&nbsp;
In today&rsquo;s environment, successfully balancing competing operational and financial priorities requires both resource flexibility to&nbsp;<a href="../../../../../../blog/business-continuity-solutions-and-challenges-in-clinical-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">adapt to changing business goals</a>, as well as a strong workflow arrangement to ensure unnecessary complexities are avoided, and that regulations are met.
<h2>How do scientific services support workflow management?</h2>
Unlike CRO&rsquo;s an onsite scientific services business offers laboratories the opportunity to supplement their workforce with professionals that integrate and work alongside teams. Doing so enables the insourced professionals to identify and flag opportunities to reduce complexity across routine processes, and enhance workflow management.
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientific Management services</a> offer laboratories&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/the-benefits-of-outsourcing-laboratory-services" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a range of benefits</a>, including scalability. As a flexible arrangement, professionals can be brought onboard temporarily to meet a new workflow plan for a strategic project, without affecting headcount. Alternatively, scientific services can provide long-term teams that continuously support and bolster the wider team.
What are the benefits of workflow optimisation? We&rsquo;ve listed them below:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Improved space allocation</li>
<li>Increased adaptability</li>
<li>Reduced turnaround time</li>
<li>Improved laboratory throughput</li>
<li>Maximised potential of laboratory staff and resources</li>
<li>Reinforced adherence to quality standards and regulatory compliance</li>
</ul>
<h2>3 steps to manage resource constraints with laboratory workflow management</h2>
<h3>1. Prioritise the right workflow</h3>
It&rsquo;s important to ensure that you strategically choose which workflow to optimise.
Start by listing the processes that have the most value for lab output, and the most impact on staff. This might be a common set of procedures that has a big impact on customers, or a specific work area that researchers have found challenging.
Once you&rsquo;ve created a list of the most critical workflows to optimise, communicate it with your wider team and get their input on which workflow would improve and optimise productivity the most.
<h3>2. Identify current workflow challenges and obstacles&nbsp;</h3>
Reducing complexity is at the centre of workflow optimisation.
This stage is about understanding where your key obstacles are before you bring in any resources to overcome the issue.
One way to identify these key obstacles is by monitoring changes in turnaround time to understand where delays are happening the most across the testing process.&nbsp;
<h3>3. Assess capacity to implement optimisation</h3>
Laboratory capacity to realise a new workflow will often rely on renegotiated resources, or redeployment of personnel to more critical areas.
Resource planning can help contextualise your workflow, and help managers understand how they can realistically realise their plan.
Strategically re-allocating personnel, and supplementing resources where necessary, can help improve productivity and reduce operating costs, helping you strike that critical balance between financial and operational pressures.
<h2>Looking for a scientific services partner?</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The team from Synergy Scientific Management Solutions</a>&nbsp;work with laboratories across the world, equipping laboratories with expert talent that catalyse laboratory success, from within.&nbsp;
At Synergy, we help laboratories embrace adaptability with flexible teams who we source, manage and develop ourselves.
Interested in hearing more?
You can talk to our friendly team about your resourcing requirements at:<a href="mailto:synergyqueries@srgtalent.com">&nbsp;synergyqueries@srgtalent.com&nbsp;</a>
<div>&nbsp;</div>

Overcome resource constraints by optimising your laboratory workflows. Read on to find out how...

How To Manage Resource Constraints In Laboratory Workflow Management

Business continuity solutions provide a sustainable route to strengthening resilience and agility across clinical research and the wider pharmaceutical industry.
In a research landscape where ongoing challenges including critical skills gaps, talent shortages and digitalisation hurdles continue to disrupt timelines, actionable business continuity solutions are in high demand. Read on to discover:
<ul>
<li>Top business continuity challenges in clinical research</li>
<li>How to assess risk to your clinical programme</li>
<li>Why upskilling strengthens business continuity</li>
</ul>
<h2>Top business continuity challenges in clinical research</h2>
<h3>1.&nbsp;Talent acquisition and retention</h3>
Global research organisations continue to face growing laboratory technician shortages, with the UK alone requiring&nbsp;<a href="https://healthcare-in-europe.com/en/news/addressing-the-critical-lack-of-skilled-lab-workers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an additional 700,000 technicians by 2030</a>.&nbsp; For those organisations that do attract talent, retention poses an additional hurdle.&nbsp;<a href="https://healthcare-in-europe.com/en/news/addressing-the-critical-lack-of-skilled-lab-workers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Technical Development Centre Director, Natalie Kennerly,&nbsp;</a>suggests that graduates are not always &lsquo;work-ready&rsquo; or equipped for the practical processes, and fast-paced problem-solving laboratory environments demand. Meanwhile, insufficient job classifications and an absence of clear career progression are exacerbating difficulties in retaining laboratory technicians. Few organisations are stepping up to combat these issues -&nbsp;<a href="https://ascls.org/addressing-the-clinical-laboratory-workforce-shortage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">merely 39.6% of employers equip lab techs with continued education options</a>.&nbsp;
<h3>2.&nbsp;Skills shortages</h3>
As the wider pharmaceutical industry seeks to digitalise, drug discovery and development research is becoming increasingly high-tech, driving a need for digital skills in the laboratory,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/blog/insights-into-stem-skills-shortages-in-the-uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">alongside existing skills shortages.&nbsp;</a> While recent<a href="https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2022/january/report-pharmaceutical-industry-needs-more-digital-talent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;industry analyses led by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry</a>&nbsp;indicate some progress in repairing more general skills gaps across biological and chemical science, there are persisting areas of concern.&nbsp; Priority skill shortages include informatics, computational, mathematical, and statistical skills &ndash; all crucial competencies for a holistic digital strategy.&nbsp;
<h3>3.&nbsp;Increased cybersecurity risks</h3>
Cybersecurity risks are emerging alongside increases in digitalisation and pose the greatest risk of supply chain disruption across pharma. For laboratory leaders, mitigating the risk of cyberattack disruption will involve prioritising both risk and cost when building supply chain networks. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com.br/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/pharma-operations-the-path-to-recovery-and-the-next-normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">McKinsey&rsquo;s post-covid sector analysis</a>&nbsp;includes the following recommendations: &bull;&nbsp;Consider excess capacity in the global network to enable flexibility &bull;&nbsp;Increase the extent of dual sourcing &bull;&nbsp;Diversify partner portfolios &bull; Adopt near-shore or local strategies
<h3>4.&nbsp;Headcount restraints</h3>
Alongside the complexities of expanding and adapting the workforce to repair skill gaps and strengthen business continuity, headcount restraints often mean increasing workloads, and minimal staff on-site &ndash; a combination that can work against employee retention strategies. Alternatively you can collaborate with a scientific services business, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Scientific Solutions</a>, where the costs of trained scientific and clinical technicians work at your site and fall under OPEX budgets, and not FTE expenditure, enabling laboratories to expand their personnel and maximise the potential of their laboratory&rsquo;s space and equipment without the same budget concerns, or restrictions.
<h2>How to assess risk to your clinical programme</h2>
Agile and resilient business continuity plans start with holistic risk assessments that activate transparency across both research, and supply chains.&nbsp; These risk assessments provide a nuanced view of where vulnerabilities, and opportunities lie, enabling leaders to both protect, and strengthen resource allocation and management where most relevant.&nbsp;
<h3>Step 1. Identify disruptors</h3>
Identify and list the key disruptors most likely to be faced by your organisation across your critical functions and operations. These could include:
<ul>
<li>Cyber-attacks &ndash; Is there a clear strategy in place to protect data?</li>
<li>Supply chain issues &ndash; Are there single sourcing vulnerabilities?</li>
<li>Research participant safety &ndash; Can you ensure uninterrupted care of research participants or clinical trial patients at investigator sites?</li>
<li>Ability to work remotely &ndash; Are back-up personnel cross-trained to conduct critical tasks?</li>
<li>Monitoring if workers are offsite &ndash; Are employees sufficiently trained to conduct offsite monitoring?</li>
<li>Data integrity -&nbsp; Can you assure that any unplanned reactions (e.g, medicinal transfer from clinical trial sites to patients) will be documented, scheduled and performed to standard?</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step 2.&nbsp; Estimate the probability of occurrence, and the level of impact</h3>
Use risk assessment planning tools, such as a probability matrix, to reliably assess how likely disruptors are to occur, and how severe their impact would be on business continuity. Key risks likely to affect clinical laboratories include:
<ul>
<li>Geopolitical risks</li>
<li>Human capital and employment risks</li>
<li>Economic risks</li>
<li>Legal risks</li>
<li>Infrastructure risks</li>
</ul>
<h3>Step 3. Develop strategies for prevention</h3>
Using your findings, develop personalised strategies for prevention based on your company&rsquo;s resources, and the potential impact level of occurrence on business continuity.&nbsp; For those incidents that may be unavoidable, develop a resource of key mitigating measures to minimise consequences and severity of occurrence. These could include seeking additional expertise to supplement existing functions, and bolster resilience, or investing in building them internally. <a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy Lab Services</a> support clinical laboratories to expand their teams internally while avoiding employment risks and headcount limitations. This is achieved through our insourced teams receiving payment via OPEX budgets rather than FTE expenditure.
<h2>Why upskilling strengthens business continuity&nbsp;</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/2022-global-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SRG&rsquo;s 2022 Global Science Employment Report</a> revealed that the skills gap is pertinent for STEM business across the world. 64% of UK STEM workers, 67% of European STEM workers, and 71% of US STEM workers are currently experiencing a skills deficit in their workplace.&nbsp; To be truly successful, business continuity plans should strengthen operating models, and their workforce in tandem, carving new avenues for professional development that align with strategic goals and secure continuity even across times of change. Shifting priorities post-pandemic are driving an increase in hybrid work even in laboratory environments.<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/insights/guides-and-reports/2022-global-science-employment-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;SRG&rsquo;s research</a>&nbsp;shows that most STEM employees cite a good work life balance as the most important factor for them at work. However, without appropriate frameworks in place, hybrid models of work can be challenging to accommodate in research contexts. Upskilling and cross-training teams can offer laboratory leaders a reliable way to activate more hybrid opportunities, while preserving research continuity and agility. Meanwhile, as digitalisation and automation become more commonplace in research, laboratory leaders should seek to accommodate improved professional development options for workers to both prepare for emerging skills gaps, and repair existing ones. Doing so will enable your research organisation to keep pace with competitors, and preserve continuity through new technological efficiencies, rather than being hindered by them.&nbsp;
<h2>Synergy Scientific Solutions: providing business continuity solutions for clinical research</h2>
<a href="https://www.srgtalent.com/synergy-scientific-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synergy </a>employ teams of trained scientific professionals who work alongside your staff on-site, providing flexible and agile resource support to repair skills gaps, and power business continuity.&nbsp; Our business model empowers research organisations to package routine high value scientific activities into their scope of work with pre-agreed deliverables, and costs. Our technical teams are equipped with continuous lean training and additional managerial training and development, that enables them to complete routine scientific activities with little error. This frees permanent staff within your clinical business to redirect their attention to ROI generating activities including strategy, and complex scientific analysis, while improving their workload and likelihood for retention.

Looking for business continuity solutions? Get actionable advice to the most critical talent challenges in clinical research today.

Blog

Featured Blog

All Blog

How can we help you?

Job Seekers

Business Solutions

Contractors

Insights

About Us

Blog

Featured Blog

All Blog

How can we help you?