Case Study: Hiring a Senior Biomarker Specialist for Oncology Biotech Start-Up

We recently worked with an oncology-focused biotech start-up who are dedicated to developing transformative cancer therapies. The Hiring Manager sought a Senior Biomarker Specialist for their growing team in Oxfordshire.

As a small yet innovative company, finding the right talent was critical to supporting their mission and growth trajectory.

Biomarker specialist working in a laboratory

Challenges


The client faced three main challenges:

  • Role Definition: The job specification needed refining to attract candidates aligned with the company’s goals and culture.
  • Quality Over Quantity: They preferred a small focused list of candidates, avoiding an overwhelming number of profiles.
  • Navigating Process Changes: Unexpected changes in candidate availability and internal decisions required flexible and professional handling.

Solution

The client partnered with Naynesh, a Client Partner at CK Group, whose consultative approach helped clarify the role requirements. Through honest feedback and insightful questions, Naynesh refined the job specification to ensure alignment with the ideal candidate profile.

He presented a carefully curated of list high-quality relevant candidates and welcomed collaboration by including suggestions from the client

Professionalism in Handling Challenges

The hiring process encountered unexpected changes, including a candidate withdrawal and a last-minute decision shift from the client. Naynesh managed these situations with transparency and professionalism, keeping the client informed and managing expectations throughout.

Outcome

Thanks to Naynesh’s proactive approach and clear communication, the client moved quickly through the hiring stages, successfully onboarding their chosen candidate within just a few weeks – a critical and impressive timeline for the start-up.

Client Feedback

Reflecting on the experience, the client stated, “I appreciated your honest appraisal of our spec and help to get that right ahead of the contract; by asking the right questions and making us think. It gave me confidence that you knew the market and understood what we were trying to achieve in the hire and profile we wanted.”


The client commended Naynesh’s market expertise, candid feedback, and consultative approach, which provided them with confidence in both the process and the final hire.