From First Interview to Onboarding: Building the Confidence That Keeps Talent

Talent is the lifeblood of life sciences innovation. Whether it is data scientists driving AI-led discovery, regulatory specialists steering compliance, or engineers scaling MedTech devices, progress hinges on people.

Yet, across the industry:

• 1 in 3 new hires leave within 90 days when expectations don’t match reality.
• Nearly 60% of candidates abandon processes because of poor communication or delays.
• A failed hire in specialised roles can cost 30–200% of annual salary, plus the knock-on effect of stalled projects and trial delays.

But here’s the opportunity: companies that design this stretch deliberately see dramatic gains. Structured onboarding programmes improve retention by over 80% and raise new hire productivity by 70%. That means every thoughtful step taken between “yes” and day one directly fuels innovation.

Candidates quickly notice when one interviewer emphasises growth while another describes a role as tactical. Mixed messages erode confidence.

Best practice:

• Create an interview playbook with shared role narratives, company mission points, and cultural values.
• Train interviewers to communicate both the technical expectations and the purpose of the role (e.g. “This position will be pivotal in scaling our gene therapy trial for rare diseases”).
• Use structured interviews to ensure fairness and consistency.

Insight: In life sciences, where candidates often interview with scientists, HR, and leadership, alignment signals organisational maturity. Candidates equate consistency with reliability.

Top talent often holds multiple offers. What makes the difference is not just salary, but clarity and inspiration.

Best practice:

• Present the total value proposition: mission, learning, flexibility, and impact.
• Be transparent about project pipelines, funding security, and growth pathways - life sciences professionals want stability and purpose.
• Personalise the offer: show candidates why they specifically are key to the mission.

Insight: Research shows that 78% of candidates view the recruitment experience as a preview of their employment at your organisation. A transparent, well-articulated offer builds lasting confidence.

This is the most overlooked lever - and the one with the greatest impact. Many drop-offs happen simply because candidates feel forgotten.

Best practice:

• Manager check-ins: Have hiring managers call or message within the first week after acceptance.
• Peer connections: Introduce the candidate to future colleagues before day one, ideally through informal coffee chats or virtual meetups.
• Pre-onboarding portal: Share company news, project updates, or optional learning modules to make them feel part of the team early.

Case example: A MedTech scale-up reduced drop-off from 40% to under 10% by creating a digital welcome hub and scheduling weekly touchpoints. Within a year, retention rose by 25%.

Day one sets the tone - and the following 90 days decide retention. Yet too many programmes focus on compliance checklists instead of integration.

Best practice:

• Make day one about connection, not just forms. Start with a welcome session with the team and a clear explanation of how their work matters.
• Assign a buddy or mentor to help navigate technical and cultural nuances.
• Structure the journey over 30, 60, 90 days with regular check-ins to reinforce support and purpose.

Insight: Companies with structured 90-day onboarding see retention rates improve by up to 50%. In life sciences, this continuity ensures projects stay on track and knowledge transfer is secured.

Candidates make decisions not just on salary or projects, but on whether they believe in the leadership. In life sciences, trust in leaders often determines whether a candidate joins and stays.

Best practice:

• Bring leaders into late-stage interviews or pre-onboarding to reinforce mission and stability.
• Share the company’s strategy, funding outlook, and upcoming milestones openly.
• Record a short welcome video from a senior leader to send after offer acceptance.

Insight: Meeting leadership reassures candidates that the organisation values people at the highest level. It signals long-term stability and vision, two things top life sciences talent prioritise.

Life sciences companies hire across multiple countries in NL, CH, DE, UK, and candidates compare experiences globally. Consistency matters, but so does cultural nuance.

Best practice:

• Define a unified global employer value proposition that can flex locally.
• Train hiring managers in cultural expectations: e.g. Swiss candidates expect structure, Dutch candidates value transparency.
• Standardise onboarding frameworks, but allow room for local benefits or communication styles.

Insight: Candidates expect the same organisational values whether they are in Basel, Amsterdam, or Cambridge. Consistency in message builds global credibility, while localisation makes the experience authentic.

Top candidates expect digital fluency. Technology can turn waiting periods into engagement opportunities and make onboarding seamless.

Best practice:

• Create a digital welcome hub where new hires can access schedules, meet the team, and explore optional resources.
• Use Slack/Teams channels to connect hires with peers before day one.
• Offer virtual lab or office tours so candidates can visualise their future environment.
• Run short pulse surveys during onboarding to spot and address concerns early.

Insight: Digital tools don’t replace human connection - they amplify it. Used well, they sustain excitement and reassure candidates that the organisation is innovative and people-centred.

When organisations treat the stretch from interview to onboarding as a connected journey of trust, they don’t just reduce drop-offs. They build loyalty, engagement, and momentum. Each candidate who transitions smoothly into a thriving employee strengthens the organisation’s capacity to innovate.

Where do you see talent slipping away in your hiring journey? And what practices have made the difference for you?
If you need support to strengthen this stage in your own hiring process, drop our team a line here. We would love to explore how the team at Panda can help.