Onetest Case Study: Baxter Healthcare

22 September 2006

Business Description:

Baxter Healthcare is a pioneer in blood, renal and intravenous products and technologies in Australia and worldwide.  Baxter is at the forefront of blood related research and medical breakthroughs.

Baxter Healthcare, Victoria division, runs a clean room compounding production unit, which makes sterile, made to order, intravenous feeding solutions, antibiotic treatments and chemotherapy for patients with cancer.

Barry Parsons, Pharmacy Services Manager, has been running the division for over 6 years.


Business Challenge/Problem:

Separated from head office, the unit manages its own recruitment.  The staff required must have specific qualities, due to the exacting and critical nature of the work, which can be difficult to find.

For these two reasons, the production unit decided to look at ways to improve the entire recruitment process that would help them find the right fit candidates for their organisation.

The unit recruits approximately 4 – 5 personnel a year.  There are two classifications of recruitment:

1. Entry level; no tertiary qualifications required but needs to be mathematically minded, a high level of attention to detail, accurate, and a good attitude toward safety
2. Tertiary qualified in science or pharmacy, accurate and a good attitude toward safety.

The unit faces three recruitment challenges:

1. It’s easy to find science graduates but it’s difficult to find the right fit
2. The best candidates will have more than one resume out in the field so a quick resume and assessment selection process is mandatory to ensure they can secure the top candidates before their competitors
3. Since the job entails dealing with potent and highly dangerous drugs it’s critical that the people selected are not complacent about safe work practices.

Barry, who screens and selects the candidates, faces the subjectivity syndrome.  Resumes cross his desk frequently yet he finds it difficult to review a resume with an objective eye.  He needed a more scientific solution to ensure an ethical selection process for all candidates at the same time as assisting him in making reliable predictions.


The Solution:

The unit uses four Onetest recruitment assessments to select candidates.  Collectively the tools cover each of the business and recruitment challenges:

• Cognitive ability test
• Work preference test
• Onetest values inventory
• Work safety assessment (long version)

The Result:

Baxter Healthcare, Victoria has assessed approximately 200 candidates and recruited 20 – 25 people using Onetest recruitment tests over the last four years.

In only one instant had Onetest’s assessments not been used to recruit a staff member and that employee didn’t end up completing the 3-month probation period.

The work safety assessment has also added a failsafe to the recruitment selection criteria.  In a recent recruitment drive for three positions, 12 people were short listed but only eight were interviewed because four didn’t meet the safety requirements of the unit.  This has minimised work place accidents by identifying candidates at risk of hurting themselves or others in the given role before they are hired.


Testimonial:

“Our results have been very good.  The model has been a great success.  We have an excellent team of people.  For the past 22 years I’ve been in management.  I’ve been responsible for filling numerous positions yet my recruitment today has never been better.”