‘Biotech Beach’: An Insight into the West Coast’s Life Sciences Market

In our latest episode of The Affected podcast, our host Owen Beynon tracks down San Diego-based Matt Lowe-Lauri to chat about the Life Sciences market on the West Coast. 

From understanding the distinct culture to helping start-ups bring their drugs or devices to market, Matt lays out a comprehensive guide to pairing with a talent provider like us.  

To everyone who tuned into the podcast on our channel, we’d love to hear your thoughts. But to those of you who may have missed it – here’s a rundown of what was discussed between our industry experts.  

California's Life Sciences Ecosystem  

The West Coast – and San Diego in particular – is a super interesting space within the Life Sciences Industry. Comprised of more than 1,300 biotech companies (including a large proportion of start-ups), many businesses are scaling up for the first time. 

That being said, a recent report has shown California’s biotechnology growth to be down by 1.6% since 2023, which has posed new challenges within the community.  

According to Matt, “[The West Coast] is a great environment for companies to thrive and find talent. But it’s also an environment where companies might not have needed to use a recruitment agency before. 

“The best part is the leaders in the field communicating with those companies and understanding their challenges, their products and what they’re developing.” 

Tailoring talent solutions to these businesses in San Diego have been both challenging and intriguing, but as Matt put it, “very successful so far”. 

Start-up Culture and Hiring Processes 

It seems that within a culture of biotech start-ups, founders and leaders have created innovative medical devices and medications to help solve problems within the Life Sciences ecosystem. But – they may not know what they’re looking for when it comes to attracting and hiring new talent during expansion. 

Matt reported that “the culture’s very different here and can be unexpected. I remember meeting a client who actually turned up in, like, flip flops and everything. And you know, this is a PhD educated business leader. That kind of summed up my sort of transition to California here – it's definitely very different to London. 

“So, while these start-ups are brilliant at creating awesome medications that have huge impacts on the market, they’re maybe not as experienced when it comes to staffing those needs.” 

With a fairly uncertain market, it helps to partner with a talent solutions agency who can offer a tailored approach. That way, start-ups (who often have less cash to spend) can access the best talent while continuing to keep costs down in the long term. 

The Challenge Facing Biotech Companies  

When looking for a high caliber level of talent, there are always challenges – but even more so with recent industry shifts. With the San Diego regional area having 2.5% fewer Life Sciences jobs in 2023 than in 2022, there’s been more hesitancy around recruiting new talent which has led to longer hiring processes, often involving multiple stages.  

According to Matt, “the longer your hiring process is, the more likely you are to lose candidates – not just from a timeline point of view, but also from a buy-in point of view.” 

Ultimately, candidates are seeking quick, efficient processes. So, for many clients, obtaining the best talent has become difficult due to lengthier applications.  

The answer? A talent solutions agency. Whether you’re a start-up with limited funding, or a business looking to save on costs, the right agency will be there as your valued partner – there to make a difference.  

Reasons to Partner with a Talent Provider 

Owen rounded up his interview with Matt by getting his view on why it’s worth partnering with a talent provider.  

As mentioned by Owen, “it’s understandable that some companies feel a bit of trepidation when it comes to using recruitment services.” To those businesses who may be on the fence, Matt has a clear answer: 

“At the end of the day, talent providers like us spend all our time interacting with people. We only present our candidates and clients with brilliant experiences, making sure we really do provide a genuine service and solution. 

“Our business is set up so that every consultant has a genuine, solid foundation of knowledge within their vertical and you – we call it an inch wide, a mile deep. You know, we’re not generalists. We’re really specialists.” 

It’s understandable that businesses with internal acquisition teams would want to recruit new talent themselves – it will cost less. But when it comes to sourcing real specialists and top-tier talent within the Life Sciences market, talent solution providers like Meet can add real value and save on costs in the long run.  

Final Words of Advice  

To the companies creating incredible devices and medications up and down Biotech Beach, Matt had some final words of advice: 

“To the leaders and founders of start-ups, keep your focus on the life-changing products you’re developing. Leave your staffing needs to us, as the experts within your field. That would be my recommendation.” 

The right talent provider can be a real gamechanger. They've seen the same challenges time and time again and will ultimately know how to overcome obstacles that are unique to you.   

If you’re looking to streamline your biotech hiring processes and source the best talent for your organization, connect with our industry experts today.