Career Development in Clinical Research with Chris Lewis

Starting a career in clinical research with little or no experience can be difficult. Equally challenging is for hiring managers to find candidates that are a cultural fit for the organization. In this interview, I invited my close friend and mentor Chris Lewis to talk about his process of attracting, hiring, and retaining talent in clinical research.  We talked about the future of the CRA role and what skills are needed to succeed in today’s marketplace.   Chris has over 20 years’ experience leading teams and managing clinical trials in the medical device, biotech, and pharma industry.   At IntersectENT, he serves as Vice President, Clinical and is responsible for developing and managing clinical programs.   Chris graduated from the University of Louisiana, where he received his Bachelor's degree in Biology and an M.S. degree from George Washington University. During his spare time, Chris enjoys vacationing in our national parks with his family, trail running, camping, and pretty much every other outdoor activity under the sun. Please join me in welcoming Chris Lewis on the Clinical Trial Podcast.  Chris Lewis on LinkedIn Trainual software for onboarding and SOP training How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins Show notes: 1:52 Chris unconventional path to clinical research career  2:38 Journey from research coordinator to vice president  3:18 Impact of rise in technology, remote monitoring and risk based monitoring on the CRA’s role 5:49 Who is responsible for proctoring clinical trial cases? CRA or Field Clinical Engineer (FCE) 6:49 Importance of relationship management, technical expertise, problem solving skills and staying calm in the operating room   8:05 Building interpersonal skills through partnership and collaboration 9:34 Consolidation of electronic systems and access to sites  12:25 Process of hiring, interviewing and finding right talent 14:31 Leveraging social media (LinkedIn) and internal human resources systems for hiring 16:12 Getting to know someone through their hobbies, mannerisms, eager to learn, work hard, and ability to getting along with the rest of the team 18:03 The importance and process for having difficult conversations   22:53 Getting the new job posted  Creating clear job description Making a request for requisition Getting it approved through HR and executive 23:29 Making an offer Confirm with HR is the requisition is still valid  Obtain executive approval stage Clean communication between the candidate and hiring manager throughout the process  25:58 Onboarding new employees needs to be planned  Create an onboarding plan Clearly articulate and set expectations Training Plan Assign a mentor/ buddy (not their manager) Weekly meetings  Access to systems 28:34 Providing ongoing leadership and management  32:33 Core skills i.e. soft skills needed for a  clinical research professionals How to get along with people and see their viewpoints  How to manage a challenging situation 36:30 You don’t need two years of experience to get a job in clinical research  38:03 Getting into clinical research career with no experience Getting a masters degree in clinical research  Making contacts and exploring LinkedIn 39:19 How does living on the farm impact Chris’s life at work ? 41:00 Take control of your career, have patience, get your manager to understand your career aspirations Resources Mentioned Abbott Trianual - software solution for onboarding and SOPs [Book] The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey [Book] Good to Great by Jim Collins The Clinical Research Administration Program at George Washington University