Here at Delta Medical, a top pharmaceutical distribution and sales company in Ukraine and Eurasia, we know that hiring strategically leads to growth no matter the hurdles in the region.
With the backdrop of domestic unrest and supply chain disruptions, Delta Medical remains steadfast in recruiting and nurturing driven marketing and sales experts. Our commitment to ensuring healthcare access across provinces is more vital than ever.
Recent Expansion at Delta Medical
Over the last 25 years, we’ve expanded internationally, widened our product range — including both specialty pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare products — and launched operations reaching new markets. However, navigating this challenging environment necessitated a change in our approach to evaluating both potential hires and existing team members. The goal is to identify individuals who demonstrate resilient leadership, keen analytical abilities, effective communication, and a readiness for change.
How Delta Medical’s Interview Process Reveals High Impact Talent
Here’s how our CEO, HR team and executives crafted a reliable system to identify top-level talent able to steer through regional uncertainty:
Promoting an Open Discussion
We’re upfront that while interviews commonly cause anxiety, our goal is an open dialogue without prior opinions. We frame the talk as the initial step in a cross-department review process to find the best expertise-to-role match.
This approach to interviewing involves clearly outlining expectations to candidates, enabling them to present their experiences and qualifications transparently. The process begins with an overview of a 60-90 minute question-and-answer session. During this session, interviewers take detailed notes, which are later evaluated using a structured methodology.
The purpose of providing candidates with a heads-up about the interview process is not to intimidate them, but rather to encourage them to share comprehensive and meaningful narratives about their achievements, demonstrating their actual skills.
Candidates are reassured that responses are not strictly right or wrong; instead, emphasis is placed on their ability to reason logically based on the information they had at the time. This strategy aims to create a dynamic and engaging atmosphere, allowing for a deeper understanding of the candidates’ career progressions and leadership qualities.
Examining Market Insights
Considering the regional instability and the vital necessity of pharmaceutical supply, it is imperative to recruit leaders who have substantial practical experience and specialized knowledge in relevant field conditions. From the outset, we focus on assessing candidates’ understanding of the market by asking specific questions aimed at evaluating their insight into the factors and trends that are significantly influencing our pharmaceutical industry:
- Please provide an analysis of a recently targeted Eurasian market. Discuss challenges faced by patients in purchasing products, an overview of competitor products and pricing, profit margin frameworks, and the regulatory environment in that region.
- Describe your strategy for setting optimal prices in Uzbekistan, taking into account factors like what drives demand, various copayment models, the effect of channel margins, and how your brand’s value compares to both local and international competitors.
We monitor candidate responses to distinguish those demonstrating strategic thinking from mere tactical comments. We look for depth of local market knowledge, the application of analytical pricing models, and evidence of adequate readiness in their examples.
The most promising candidates will discuss targeting strategies, channel management, and the factors they consider in forecasting, showcasing their commercial skills and ability to navigate investments amidst uncertainty.
Evaluating Analytical Talent
In pharmaceutical distribution, handling currency fluctuations, maximizing economies of scale in purchasing, and efficiently managing working capital are fundamental requirements. To assess analytical skills, we ask questions that delve into candidates’ experience with creating pricing models, planning for demand, managing expenses, and their methods for conducting due diligence when entering new markets:
- Describe your approach for analyzing profitability when thinking about increasing the range and variety of suppliers in your portfolio. Specify the metrics, scenarios, and assumptions that you rigorously evaluate in this process?
- Share an international market entry business case you created including country selection rationale, risk-return forecasts, resource requirements and executive presentation specifics.
We monitor whether the examples provided by candidates show a well-defined methodology, in-depth analysis of projections, and strategies for mitigating risks. Considering the significant investment involved, we anticipate that experienced professionals will display advanced financial analysis capabilities that guide decision-making in uncertain situations.
Testing Communication and Leadership Skills
Influencing teams across functions represents a pivotal capability driving results despite hurdles. We evaluate persuasive, culturally adaptive and clarity skills via questions gauging alignment building across levels, departments and countries:
- Tell me about an urgent case requiring directing regional brand managers to re-allocate inventory country-by-country amid a supply crunch. How did you secure alignment to priority markets while keeping other teams motivated?
- Share an example where you had to rally and incentivize country heads to launch, market and enable a new drug portfolio in a short timeframe across the Caucasus.
We pay close attention to how clearly candidates communicate, their ability to adapt their communication style, and proof of their capacity to facilitate teamwork and execute tasks effectively under pressure.
The most outstanding candidates demonstrate natural communication skills, along with deep regional understanding, enabling them to effectively influence and lead diverse teams in expanding our operations.
Assessing Critical & Creative Thinking
In global companies, creative problem solving represents a vital strength enabling growth despite uncertainty. We encourage leaders to provide specific examples that demonstrate their decision-making abilities, problem-solving mindset, and readiness to embrace and adapt to change:
- Could you describe a recent decision-making process where you assessed the value of investing in significant redundancy within the supply chain across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to counteract geopolitical risks? Please explain how you balanced the benefits of potential risk mitigation against the probability and necessity of actually needing such diversification.
- Please provide details about a challenging business scenario in Belarus, where the market was undergoing unclear or unpredictable changes, and there was a strong internal reluctance to change operating methods that have been historically successful but might now be outdated.
We pay attention to how clearly candidates articulate complex issues, the justifications they provide for their decisions based on the data available at the time, and their ability to solve problems creatively.
The best candidates demonstrate the ability to discern significant change signals amidst distractions, thoughtfully question established practices, and effectively unite stakeholders around transformative initiatives to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Recognizing and Promoting the Best at Delta Medical
Our recruitment strategy is constantly evolving to pinpoint experienced leaders who are adept at navigating international terrains and uncertain scenarios. By assessing candidates on their analytical abilities, communication skills, motivational strengths, and innovation, we achieve a thorough, well-rounded evaluation of both external candidates and rising internal talent.
This systematic approach equips Delta Medical to strategically place the right leaders in the right roles, thereby avoiding premature promotions that could jeopardize operational stability. It also highlights the capabilities of both applicants and current team members in their mission to increase access to quality, affordable medicines throughout Eurasia, despite any challenges.
Ready to make an impact and bring vital medicines to Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus? If you’ve got the skills and the drive, Delta Medical wants to hear from you. Reach out now and let’s explore the possibilities together!