Our Approach

The true measures of a professional are the principles he or she adheres to and his or her mastery of the fundamentals of the profession. At Blair, we conduct our work in a way that, we believe, sets us apart and works extraordinarily well for our clients.

Win-Win Approach — We represent the company viewpoint to candidates, and the candidate's interests and needs to the company. We do this to develop the best fit possible, because we recognize that in successful, long-lasting placements, both parties feel that they are winners.

Management Problem-Solving — We see our role as helping management to accomplish its goals. Before accepting an assignment, we seek to understand the situation in detail, with emphasis on what the client is trying to accomplish. We offer to assist clients in defining their needs, and we challenge them to refine their thinking.

Open Communication — Honest, straightforward, factual and clear communications are the foundation of our interactions with clients and candidates. We will not oversell or undersell an opportunity to a candidate or a candidate to a client. We keep clients and candidates well informed on the progress of each search, by phone, e-mail and other means.

Thorough Screening — We recognize that comprehensive screening of candidates by us saves time for clients. We emphasize assessment of each candidate's technical expertise and leadership capabilities, and we evaluate how they can be applied to meet the needs of the client. We bore in on potential barriers to a successful fit, and we strive to avoid late surprises.

Industry Knowledge — Knowing the industry and where it is headed is essential to both finding and screening potential candidates. We are students of the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. We take pride in spotting future trends and in assessing how they will impact the careers of R&D executives. On each search, we spend time with opinion leaders to understand the key issues that the successful candidate will have to address.

Interview Preparation — R&D executives often have little experience in conducting assessment interviews. We therefore place strong emphasis on preparing candidates and clients for their interviews. We provide extensive background information on both personalities and the company so that during the interview, participants can focus on substantive issues of opportunity and fit.

Closing — We develop a thorough understanding of the needs of both client and candidate. We typically play an active role in negotiations, and we stay involved until agreement is reached.

Follow-Up — A successful assignment does not end when the candidate accepts the new position. We stay in touch with both client and candidate, to monitor the ongoing success of the relationship.

Integrity — We follow the foregoing principles and practices in order that we may earn and retain a high level of trust and confidence from both clients and candidates.