Most countries are facing a common problem in R&D staff recruitment: utilizing native highly qualified research personnel. In other words, retaining local talent is becoming a challenge for universities, private companies, and governments in general. But what is driving local talent to leave their home countries? It is a question that cannot be answered in one way, the contributing factors include salary, the transition between university and company, government support, and quality of jobs.
Having identified this problem, FI Group ES and FI Group FR have carried out different studies that show the positive effect that the existence of government support schemes through incentives for R&D&i. On one hand, in Spain, and in collaboration with Manpowergroup, FI Group has promoted the first Report on the impact of R&D&i Incentives and the generation of qualified employment in Spain, and the conclusion was clear: 8 out of 10 Spanish companies would consider increasing the hiring of highly qualified personnel if they had more R&D&i incentives at their disposal.
These findings are expected, especially in a country like Spain, which have significant difficulties in finding local Spanish technical talent for R&D&I projects (44% of the companies surveyed). It seems clear that an improvement in the incentive scheme could provide a solution to one of the great challenges in attracting and retaining talent, one key factor was the lack of competitive salaries.
On the other hand, FI Group FR carried out an investigation on the hiring of young doctors and recent graduates by private companies in France. It is undeniable that academic environments continually generate talented professionals, but the evidence from the study reveals the “disconnection” between the educational system and the reality of the R&D requirements of private company job markets. Unfortunately, this misalignment means that the job opportunities for young talent from academic fields can find in private companies are unattractive, both at a salary level and at a functional level.
The testimony from “young doctors” within the study reveals that the effective use of public funding incentives for R&D&i by their employers had contributed effectively to them being hired, alongside additional factors such as adequate salary and high job profiles.
With different local approaches, initiatives promoted by FI Group ES & FR demonstrate that a relevant number of private companies involved in R&D activities consider that the R&D incentives help them to create better paid and high-quality technical jobs. Furthermore, the testimonials coming from the young Doctors in France showcases how the different measures to improve the R&D Funding in France have had a positive impact on the companies they work for. Finally, it’s important that the current governments keep these incentives so that young professionals and students excel in their work and studies, thanks to this promise of a brighter future.
FI Group is the global leading consultancy firm in terms of R&D funding; that’s why the firm has the responsibility to continue monitoring these studies, to understand the importance of the R&D funding schemes, and their impact on the improvement of the high-quality employment across the world.
