Cheat Sheet, a regular series, gives you first-hand accounts from real managers, hiring for top jobs, of their recruitment and screening process. This week: If you're fluent in FDA jargon, you might be a fit for Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.
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First Round:
10-20 candidates
Two 30-minute phone interviews, one with a recruiter and one with the hiring manager, to assess the candidate’s experience and communication skills. It’s a plus if this person has experience working in a large company.
Second Round:
4-5 candidates
A half-day of in-person interviews with four to five people who work in regulatory affairs, plus the hiring manager and some human resource folk. Interviewers ask such questions as, “Describe a time when you faced controversy and demonstrated leadership in getting the project to fruition.” The goal is to get to know applicant’s management style.
Third Round:
1-2 candidates
More in-person interviews with the heads of the regulatory affairs, legal, and marketing departments and another brief meeting with the hiring manager.
The Score:
Interviewers have a short discussion to share feedback. The hiring manager makes the final decision, based on how well the interview panel felt they could interact with the candidate. “If the marketing person tells me the candidate is a nice person but can’t give a straight answer, I weigh that in.”
Do ask informed questions. “There’s a difference between the person who asks: ‘How many diabetes products do you have?’ and the person who asks: ‘How do you think the FDA’s recent decision affects the product you’re working on?’ The second person is thinking and paying attention to the pharmaceutical industry and how it affects the company.”
Do know about specific products. “It’s helpful if you understand a disease and its treatments, and you’re following news out of the FDA. That person might get a second look.”
Do read up on the interviewers. “People should know our backgrounds. For example, my experience is pretty unique since I transitioned from the FDA to the pharmaceutical industry. I waited for an interviewee to ask me about that, but they never did. That was a lost opportunity.”
Don’t be fake. “We try to weed out the people who are just name-dropping. We want the people who have actually done the work.”
Don’t ignore the rest of the world. “This role is specific to working on the U.S. advertising piece, but it’s important not to forget this is a Danish company that’s affected by regulations from many countries.”
Don’t neglect your elevator pitch. “If the person can’t represent themselves well and provide me with a coherent picture of their background, I have concerns about their communication skills, especially in situations where there may be controversy.”
