Hiring Agenda

The biotechnology industry is on a sustained growth path. According to the latest biotech survey done by BioSpectrum, the biotech industry clocked $1.45 b revenue during 2005-06 and recorded 37.4 percent growth. With the BT industry expanding, human resources still remains a vital cornerstone of the industry. In our constant effort to create awareness about career opportunities, in this segment we have put together columns from scientists/managers of noted companies, who are actively involved in the recruitment process.

"We look for bright and energetic people"

Thomas Putti, head – HR, Advinus Therapeutics, Bangalore

Advinus, with its corporate headquarters in Bangalore, is an R&D driven company that is focused on the novel new drug discovery and development of pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. The company is co-promoted by Dr Rashmi Barbhaiya and the Tatas, one of India's largest and most respected business houses, with total revenues of more than $17 billion and a market capitalization of more than $31 billion.

HR vision

The HR vision of the company is to create an empowering space in which people can discover their abilities to produce consistent breakthrough results through growing relationship and ethical practices.

The HR mission at Advinus is to: Recruit good people, retain the better people and advance the best people; recognize and appropriately reward individual and team contribution; evolve appropriate system and polices to ensure a pervasive enabling culture in the organization for optimum development of individual and organization capacities; create an environment conducive to learning and teamwork; and develop leaders at all levels.

Talent acquisition

We actively recruit on the campuses of leading colleges and universities throughout India, hiring the best-qualified people with a wide variety of degrees for full-time assignments in our research divisions, as well as our corporate functions.

Fresh recruits are taken as assistant research scientists and are provided a steady growth prospect depending on performance. From the entry level, they move on as associate research scientist, senior research investigator, group leader, section head, assistant/associate director and move on to head level positions.

Skills

The skill sets required for our organization include a masters or PhD in areas like chemistry, biology, pharmacology, veterinary sciences, pharmaceutics and scientific business technology (IT).

The qualities that we look for in a budding scientist are: bright and energetic people with a good academic track record and lots of scientific curiosity and passion; an avaricious desire to learn and contribute in a scientific environment; honesty to stand for what is right, good communication skills; highest levels of integrity and ethical standards; and ability and willingness to contribute to team's success.

Talent development

The scientific leadership team at Advinus has tremendous passion and dedication to drug discovery and development and living the Advinus values. This means having the initiative to stretch, grow, and take advantage of the many development opportunities available to them. Advinus promotes this commitment by providing necessary formal training and education through technical, functional and company wide programs.

The training efforts are divided into three main groups:

• For new entrants, there is a structured orientation program which introduces him/her to the basics of drug discovery and development stages.

• The second part of the induction to new employees is imparted on the job. This training is carried out by senior level scientists who have proven scientific track record in pharmaceutical and agrochemical R&D, both in India and globally.

• Being part of the Tata group, ethics and integrity are the foundation of all our business and operational activities. All spheres of our business reflect this.

• Scientific learning and development

• We have the discovery school which provides on periodical basis opportunities to scientists to present in front of the others their expertise areas.We provide opportunities for continuous improvement and upgradation of skills and knowledge to keep themselves abreast with latest scientific developments.

Other initiatives

We provide training in safety, health and environment which is critical to the R&D organization. We impart training in the areas of personality improvement such as team work, lab etiquette including stringent norms for confidentiality and IP security. Advinus also encourages its high performing employees to pursue further education by providing them necessary facilities. The company sees professional relationships as integral part of growth. To encourage this, we are implementing systems like informal feedback and two-way communication. Advinus also has an objective, performance management system where employees are appraised both on job performance and values in action to ensure their growth.

Compensation

Advinus offers staff members competitive salary, excellent benefits, an outstanding work environment and career development opportunities. Through these comprehensive offerings, every individual has the chance to achieve significant growth both financially and professionally.

• We offer one of the best salary package to the freshers at all levels

• Our aim is to be in the 60 to 75 percentile of the compensation benchmark for the life science R&D industry.

• Being part of a welfare-oriented organization, we have very liberal benefits to employees such as hospitalization insurance for self and family, accident insurance and life insurance for the employees right from their date of joining.

• We have fun at work activities such as TGIF, quiz competitions, cricket matches and picnics to relieve employees from work-related routine.

With world class facilities, a culture which nurtures individual and team development with ethics and integrity as its foundation and a will to make this the leading global discovery R&D organization from India, Advinus has now positioned itself as the preferred employer destination for budding and seasoned life science R&D scientists.

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