Cell Signaling Technology case study

Introduction to Cell Signaling Technology

Cell Signaling Technology (CST) manufacture reagents and antibodies used by private companies, research institutes and academic organisations. Headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts, USA, CST has regional offices in the Netherlands and Japan. The company employs over 400 people worldwide and has experienced recent growth partly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Why did they
need Delve?

CST were seeking to appoint a new Key Account Manager to be based in Germany as a direct result of the growth they have experienced. Although CST have a successful HR and Talent Acquisition team in the US, they found that they needed some support when it came to hiring for this role in Europe. The European HR team had previously managed to recruit for some roles directly, but the recruiting process in this instance proved more complex.

CST were keen to engage Delve’s services from a time-saving perspective, given that the company received an increased number of orders during this period. CST wanted to work in proactive way to identify suitable candidates. They had previously worked on a long-term basis with a different recruiter based in Europe, but they experienced problems with communication and they weren’t happy with the overall result.

CST are well-known within specialist fields, but they found that they were lacking visibility in a broader sense. As a result they needed Delve to make sure candidates were aware of their value proposition and of the benefits they offer to employees. It was difficult to find suitable candidates due to the technical niche in which CST work. The role required a blend of technical knowledge with commercial awareness and acumen.

The Delve solution

Before beginning any search project, Delve will always arrange a kick-off meeting with the hiring manager and all decision makers involved in the process. We scheduled in time with the CST hiring managers in the first instance in order to understand the brief and exactly what they were looking for in terms of prior experience, autonomy in the role, and technical knowledge. In addition, we talked at length with the HR Director at CST to get a real understanding of the company’s people, environment and culture.

Regular contact was maintained with the decision makers and HR throughout the recruitment process and this helped to establish good relationships and clear communication.

Knowing our clients

We developed a candidate search campaign for the role, including details on where to search and what profiles could fit. We also worked with CST on the approach strategy to ensure that the candidate experience was positive and the opportunities with CST were sold to the candidates in a clear and constructive way.

Our search campaign focused on identifying and approaching passive candidates, candidates who are open to opportunities but not actively applying to jobs, with relevant technical skills and experience working with reagents and antibodies within a pharmaceutical, commercial or academic environment.

Identifying the candidate

Once we had mapped the German market and identified where potential candidates were, we proactively approached them either directly or via social media and referrals in order to engage as many as possible. We then interviewed and shortlisted candidates that met the agreed criteria and presented them to the hiring managers and to HR along with a detailed cover sheet outlining our interview findings including why they fit, potential concerns and salary requirements.

We discussed each candidate with regards to their motivations and aspirations to make sure the fit was right and that they were considering the position for the right reasons. This approach proactively prevents situations such as rejected offers and counteroffers.

We worked closely with the hiring managers to review the profiles and generate a shortlist. From here we consulted on interview strategy, feedback, offer process and salary negotiations in order to ensure all stages were successful, and that all parties were communicated with and satisfied.

Delve also supported the candidate through the resignation process and offered advice on best practice and how to communicate their desire to resign in the best possible way.

This led to a 100% success rate on offers with no rejections or counteroffers taken.

Simply bringing the right people together

Results and ongoing success

The ultimate measure of success can be said to be a process which results in a successful hire. Using our search solution we were able to provide a suitable candidate for the role within the agreed timeframe.

Client and candidate feedback

Customer feedback is imporant to us, we measure our success by:

Completion rate
Client feedback
Repeat business

As a direct result of the success of this project, Delve was engaged to recruit for other roles at CTS, including an Account Manager in the Netherlands and and ongoing search for a UK- based Account Manager.

Yvette Buchele – Director of HR, Cell Signaling Technology

“The working methods of Delve results in you providing us with good potential candidates and the selection you do also takes our company culture into account. Your knowledge, the open communication, honest feedback and management of agreed timelines are some of the key elements which set you apart from other recruitment vendors in the market.

Who are we?

Delve are a search-led international recruitment consultancy focused on supporting lifescience, semiconductor and engineering companies in finding niche technical, commercial and senior management talent. We are passionate about the detail, making every effort to understand the people behind the CVs and the companies behind the job profiles – this is our “Beyond the Paper” approach.

We combine traditional recruitment experience with modern headhunting techniques and technology. This approach allows us to work in partnership with our clients to provide a genuine consultancy service. Delve’s bespoke approach to understanding your business allows us to provide realistic and achievable solutions. Our experienced team have a long track record of completing niche talent searches for life science, semiconductor and engineering companies globally. Our solutions are bespoke – we offer the solution that we feel will give you the most value based on your requirements

What does this case study show?

This case study shows how Delve successfully completed on a search assignment with Cell Signaling Technology, a leading manufacturer of reagents and antibodies. This involved undertaking a mapping of the market and working to an agreed-upon timescale to meet milestones in the recruitment process.

Proud to partner with