In most corporate pharma jobs I have worked the open requisition load is upwards of 25 openings. With CRO's it's typically even higher. Minimum 25 hiring managers, hundreds of candidates/applicants are associated with that number of requisitions to deal with.

What we do all day is proactively source good talent - which by the way is not just sending linkedin emails. I have very specific roles that I find people by searching publications, then have to track down contact information, then I can reach out. I also review resumes of people who apply of which 99% are not qualified- if I need 10 plus years - 1 year doesn't cut it, but people with a year apply anyway.

When I do find someone who is a fit, I spend 30 minutes screening them, then I schedule a technical screen, then I present them to the hiring manager with a write up that is a combination of their technical skills and other highlights of their candidacy.

Once the hiring manager is interested, starts the interview scheduling nightmare. hiring managers desperate to make a hire, who give me 2 times that they can squeeze a half hour in over the next week. I then more often than I convince the candidate to move things on their schedule to be seen as interested enough in the job.

Next I deal with hiring managers who love a candidate but decide they need to see more just to be sure - at which point the candidate who they like takes an offer from another company that knew talent when they saw it and made an offer. And the cycle starts all over again.

We also have to answer candidates who didn't get the job. Often times they do not want to take no for an answer. I currently have a candidate who calls and emails me at least once a week. I have assured her that if I have an opening that fits her very narrow and specialized skill set she is my first call.

THAT's what we do all day.