Clinical Research Coordinator Hiring Kit

Dear Reader,

Clinical Research Coordinators are the backbone of research when it comes to patient satisfaction, GCP, and compliance. While super-coordinators can make studies run smoothly, ineffective and unprepared clinical research coordinators can result in deviations or worse.

We work with hundreds of clinical research professionals every day and know that this position has a very high turnover rate. Staff management is often a huge pain point and can limit sites in their growth and ability to take on new studies.

It doesn’t have to be.

This Clinical Research Coordinator Hiring Kit is here to help you attract the best and brightest for your research site. Feel free to reach out at any time with questions.

Best,Marketing Team at CRIOmarketing@clinicalresearch.io

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1. Business “Soul Searching”

Before hiring, it is important to reflect on the state of affairs in your site. Good candidates will be interested in its business health and culture.

2. Coordinator Job Listing Template

A good job listing is what gets smart candidates in the door. Here’s a template & tips for editing.

3. Interview Questions PDF

A list of questions that will reveal your candidate’s true talents.

4. The Job Offer

Don’t lose your ideal candidate! We’ll help you craft the best way to approach the perfect match.

Table of ContentsHire smarter.

This kit will walk you through the steps to hire

a “super-coordinator.”

Let’s get started.4

1. Business “Soul Searching”

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Good candidates will be curious about the so called “State of the Union” at your site. Before jumping into the hiring game, gain insight into a coordinator’s day-to-day & be prepared to answer questions about the general business health (enrollment, studies, etc.) at your site.

Business “Soul Searching”

“Before jumping into the hiring game, gain insight into a coordinator’s day-to-day”

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What is your site’s culture? Culture usually stems from a combination of these three sources:

1. Leadership2. Employees3. Core Values

Take a look around. What sort of culture do you see? What sort of culture would you like to see?

Consider talking with some of your staff or putting out a suggestion box to take the pulse (Net Promoter Score, etc.) of your site. Here’s an employee satisfaction survey PDF.

Business “Soul Searching”

Ask yourself a few business-related questions:● How is the study pipeline?● What is your process for managing financials?● Do you have plans to manage your expanding business?

Additionally, ask yourself a few EQ questions about your site:● What is your process for training coordinators?● Do your coordinators seem motivated and happy?● If you are replacing a coordinator with this hire, why did they

leave?● What are your expectations for your coordinators? Do they

know them? Are they reaching them?

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Business “Soul Searching”

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What are my site’s core values?Identifying your site’s core values will not only help your team understand what they are striving for, but will also help you identify candidates that will fit your site’s culture. What are 3-5 traits you want all staff members to have? Try to go beyond simple answers like “kind” or “helpful.”

Here are a few words to get you thinking:

Punctual Community Respect Dependable

Dedication Quality Empathy Honesty

Integrity Teamwork Organized Authenticity

Once you have identified your site’s culture, it will be much easier to write up an authentic and accurate job description and source the best candidates.

Business “Soul Searching”

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The point of this question-asking exercise is to take a moment to reflect on the environment you are bringing this new coordinator into. As they are seeing your site with fresh eyes, you too should take a moment to view it with fresh eyes.

Can anything be improved upon? Also consider how this new hire will impact your team-- prepare them for the onboarding process and the learning curve the new hire will most likely experience.

This understanding is important because your clinical research site team should be an extension of the management. In an ideal world, you should be able to trust them to do their jobs in a way that will ultimately benefit the site. This sort of trust will only come along in an open environment where staff feel valued and encouraged.

Business “Soul Searching”

2. Coordinator Job Listing Template

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Coordinator Job Listing Template

Once you have established your site’s culture and are aware of any training or morale gaps, it is time to create an attractive job posting that speaks to the values you wish to embody in your site.

We have included a job listing template in this packet to help get you started.

Download the job

listing template here!

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Job TitleTo begin, you will need the job title and your site’s name.

Then, give a introductory summary of the job and your site.

Good Intro Summary:

Clinical Care Research is looking for a responsible, organized college graduate who is able to work independently in dynamic situations and feels comfortable working with both healthcare professionals and patients.

Bad Intro Summary:Clinical Care Research has an opening for a Clinical Research Coordinator.

About your siteKeep in mind that top candidates have a selection of clinical research sites or academic institutions to apply to. You need to make yours the place they want to work!

Clinical Care Research, founded in 2002, is dedicated to performing high quality research to innovate and better quality of life. We value patient empathy as well as a drive to pioneer. Clinical Care has successfully closed out dozens of studies, an accomplishment we attribute to our dedicated staff.

Bad Intro Summary:

Clinical Care Research, founded in 2002, is located in Boston, MA.

Good Intro Summary:

Coordinator Job Listing Template

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Job DescriptionWhat will your coordinator be doing? Because CRCs wear so many hats, even experienced coordinators may not be clear on their roles for your site.

Good Description:

● Assist with implementation of study procedures● Conduct subject interviews and/or visits including

administering questionnaires and collecting samples and/or data

● Assist in screening, scheduling, and enrolling subjects and with recruitment and community outreach efforts

● Serve as study resource for patients and family● Maintain records and databases● Performs some study procedures ● Assists with regulatory binders and QA/QC

procedures

Bad description: ● Provide support for day-to-day operations of

clinical study

Qualifications Make sure the right candidates are applying to your site.

Good Qualifications:

● Bachelor’s degree (required)● 1-2 years in related research● Careful attention to detail● Good organization skills● Ability to work independently and in a team● Ability to demonstrate respect and professionalism

for subject’s rights and individual needs

Bad Qualifications:● Bachelor’s degree● 1-2 years in related research

Coordinator Job Listing Template

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Where to post your job listing

Unless you have a very large site, you shouldn’t post your job options on your website and see a flood of responses. In addition to your website, check out some of these job listing sites.

● Indeed.com● Glassdoor.com● Monster.com● Linkedin.com● Careerbuilder.com● Ziprecruiter.com

In addition to these general job sites, try posting on undergraduate or graduate job boards in your area for recent grads.

● Joinhandshake.com● Higheredjobs.com● Local universities may have job boards too!

Coordinator Job Listing Template

3. Interview Questions

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Interview Questions

The interview is just as important to your site as it is to the candidate.

Obviously if they fail to impress you they won’t get the job. However, keep in mind that even if you love them, they may not accept the position if they do not feel a connection to your site.

Make sure you have a clean and welcoming interview space. Consider having it in a place like their potential future office, so they can see where they will spend the majority of their time. You want the candidate to feel comfortable.

Once you establish the setting, it is time to choose the right questions. Check out the downloadable question template!

Download the 10

Coordinator Interview Questions you need!

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When conducting the interview keep a couple things in mind:

● Is this candidate qualified?● Do they seem like they are serious about the position?● What will they bring to your site?● What sort of impact will they have on your team?

Remember, you are looking for someone who can do the work, but also someone you and your team will want to work with!

Check out this article for a more in-depth look at all of the questions in the template and good answers to expect.

Regardless of how well the interview went, always be sure to follow up with the candidate’s references!

Interview Questions

4. The Job Offer

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The Job Offer

Now that you have found the perfect candidate for your clinical research site, it is time to extend the job offer!

When you officially decide on who to hire, follow up with that candidate either with an email or phone call. Congratulate them formally and cover the following:

● PayTell your new hire how much they will be making. There is a chance there will be some negotiation, so be prepared with a range. Do not feel as if you have to come to a conclusion in this phone call or immediately after you receive the email. Tell the hire you will revisit the offer and come back to them with an updated salary if you can justify it. Consider what you are able to pay at this time as well as what sort of monetary payoff they might bring to your site.

● InterestAssuming you and your new hire are on the same page for salary, make sure the candidate accepts the position.

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The Job Offer

● QuestionsAsk if they have any questions they would like to have answered before they formally accept or decline the offer.

● Next StepsTell the new hire what they can expect for next steps should they choose to move forward with the offer. Typical immediate next steps are paperwork and the signing the written job offer.

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The Job Offer

If everything goes well in the phone call or email exchange, deliver the offer letter either in person, by mail, or via email.

Here are a few points to hit in the formally written job offer:

● Pay● Benefits ● Expectations● Employment is at-will (allowing you to

terminate employee if you see fit)● Acceptance due date/next steps● Welcoming note

Check out the downloadable job offer template to get you started!

Download the job

offer template here!

Conclusion

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Running a clinical research site can be hard. Without a team you can trust to follow guidelines and collect quality data it becomes even tougher. You can control who you bring into your site, avoiding subpar candidates and hires, through a well-thought-out and well-executed hiring process.

After you hire the perfect research coordinator, you will need to train and manage them well. Check out these resources to help you make your staff, and your site, super!

Conclusion

Thank you for reading.Clinical Research IO is your powerful, modern, easy to use eSource, CTMS, and Stipend software solution. Request a demo to see why our clients love us and how we have been able to grow their businesses.