How to Locate Hard to Find Pharma Talent Using Google

Finding the right talent within the Pharma Industry can be hard. Whilst there are a whole range of talent acquisition channels available for the pharma industry, one which is often overlooked is Google.

For something that we all use pretty much every day, this is surprising, but like a lot of everyday tools, we really only scratch the surface of what it can do.

Google X-Ray
Basically, using advanced Boolean search on Google (sometimes called Google X-ray) is a great way to dig deeper into Google’s vast dataset. Let’s take an example and assume you’re looking for a CRA in London. Try typing into Google:

site:linkedin.com/in/ (CRA LONDON)

This search will return a list of LinkedIn profiles that match that query. Of course you can use phrases:

site:linkedin.com/in/ ("clinical research associate" OR CRA) AND london

You can also use wildcards

site:linkedin.com/in/ "clinical research *" AND london

You can also use negatives

site:linkedin.com/in/ "project manager" -clinical AND pharmaceuticals AND london

Clearly, unlike a job board (like pharmiweb.jobs)  these searches are digging through all data that google has and will return anything that matches your query, not just CVs or Profiles, but you can refine these searches as you use them. Save your searches on your browser toolbar, so that you can return to them easily and regularly.

You can access Google’s advanced search under the settings link on the search page, and see the individual searching options on one page.

Whilst using advanced boolean Google search may not be the answer to all your recruiting needs, it is another tool in your chest, and one that you might find yourself using for those hard to find candidates.