Mix on talent
Why should organizations moving into Phase 2 have a talent strategy, not just a hiring plan?
Why should organizations moving into Phase 2 have a talent strategy, not just a hiring plan?
A hiring plan is a list of roles you need to fill. A talent strategy asks the tougher questions – what you build internally versus through CROs or contract talent, what your team needs to look like by the next funding event, and where an open gap could create delays and risk in your program. In this Mix on Talent clip, Tori Schaefer, PhD and May Li, PhD, CPC discuss why the move into Phase 2 is the moment that distinction starts to matter.
Moving a program into Phase 2 is an exciting time, and that excitement makes it easy to start filling seats in whatever order they come up. A talent strategy slows that down just enough to get the right people in at the right time and in the right sequence – which protects more than your org chart. It protects the quality and execution of the program itself.
Insights
Key takeaways for your talent strategy:
The Questions a Hiring Plan Doesn’t Ask
Which roles you need is the easy part. A talent strategy works backward from the program – what the team has to look like by your next funding event, and which gaps create real risk if they stay open too long.
Sequence Shapes Execution
Hiring in the order roles come up is different from hiring in the order the program needs them. Sequencing deliberately keeps your team aligned to milestones instead of trailing behind them.
Build, Contract, or Both
Not every capability belongs on your payroll at this stage. Deciding early what you build internally versus what runs through CROs or contract talent gives you the flexibility to scale as data comes in – and to avoid over-hiring ahead of it.
At Mix, we partner with clinical-stage organizations across R&D, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and more – combining executive search, project-based RPO, and contract talent with workforce planning and behavioral assessment. The result is a talent strategy built around your program’s milestones.