Rebuilding Leadership Capability at Speed During Global CRO Transformation

Background

A global Contract Research Organisation (CRO) entered 2025 during a period of significant transformation. The business was rebuilding leadership capability, strengthening critical functions, and aligning processes across regions as it prepared for growth and new market entry.

This transformation required a recruitment approach that could operate at pace, reduce risk, and bring consistency across previously siloed business units, while supporting leaders through organisational change.

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The Challenge

As the organisation evolved its service offering and operating model, it faced several interconnected talent challenges:

• Rebuilding leadership and specialist capability across multiple departments and regions
• Inconsistent recruitment and interview processes across business units
• Pressure to hire quickly in competitive talent markets without increasing risk
• The need to protect employer brand and candidate experience during transformation
• Supporting hiring managers who required greater structure, clarity, and confidence in decision-making

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The Solution

The organisation partnered with Vector to deliver an embedded, globally aligned recruitment approach designed to support transformation at scale. Vector introduced a structured and repeatable hiring framework that evolved with the business, including:

• Clear and Accurate Role Scoping: Deep alignment with leaders on capability gaps, strategic context, and success criteria before each search
• Structured Interview Design: A consistent interview journey across departments, with clear evaluation criteria and decision points
• Candidate Management Excellence: Transparent communication, preparation, and expectation-setting to strengthen candidate commitment and reduce risk
• Rapid Delivery: Targeted market mapping and screening to deliver well-matched shortlists within days

This approach replaced fragmented regional processes with a unified and efficient hiring model.

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Key Outcomes

• Speed and Efficiency: First candidates presented within an average of five working days
• 100% First-Choice Acceptance: Every first-choice candidate offered accepted, reflecting strong alignment, preparation, and risk management
• Improved Decision Quality: Hiring managers gained clarity, confidence, and consistency across interviews and assessments
• Stronger Candidate Experience: Professional, transparent, and reliable engagement that supported the organisation’s employer brand
• Repeatable Hiring Model: A scalable recruitment framework to support ongoing growth and entry into new scientific markets

As the organisation continues to rebuild capability and expand globally, its partnership with Vector remains a cornerstone of its talent strategy: providing the structure, speed, and confidence required to support long-term growth and leadership development.