Now that Novartis is hoping to grow its R&D division from 850 to 1,100 scientists, recruiting, which used to be a fall ritual, has become a year-round affair, with teams of scientists and human resources hitting more than a dozen universities around the world hunting for talented prospects.
Brian Flanagan, global head of staffing for Cambridge, Mass.-based Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, will look at where these candidates went to school, which labs they've worked at, and "clearly defined team and leadership behaviors."
Another major factor: can they work in the United States, and for how long?
These days, US companies searching for life scientists not only have to contend with finding the right person for the job, they must also figure out if sponsoring a foreign-born scientist for a work visa is worth the expense.
When hiring foreign-born scientists, US employers have always had to show that no US ...
