Profile - Journal profile article

8th January 2010

When someone says they’re in the business of selling the North East and the North East is getting easier to sell, you have to admire their confidence. You also have to appreciate their ability to say it, particularly when it’s a voice in a niche market.
“Five or six years ago it was a different story,” says Daniel Younger of CY Partners, the Gateshead-based recruitment specialist in science, technology and engineering. “Now we need very specialised personnel from all over the world.”
His sentiments echo the findings of Newcastle Gateshead development company1NG which has produced a £190m economic masterplan calling for jobs built around leading-edge technology, a low-carbon economy, a new “knowledge industry” and a fresh focus on Newcastle as Science City.
Daniel and business partner Probier Chatterjee operate nationwide and internationally with high-end technical personnel. They have monitored the development of new technology companies through the enterprise and leadership spearheaded at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and at NETPark, in fields such as printable electronics.
“Not so many people have the technical expertise in those areas,” says Daniel, “but it’s becoming a lot easier to get them to come to the region.
“There’s still a North East tradition in manufacturing, chemicals and polymers, but people are moving here from more recognised scientific bases in Oxford and Cambridge. Plus we’ve got five excellent universities where a lot of people are coming to study then staying on.”
But to gain the confidence of companies and individuals, you have to talk their language. In the recruitment process the right technical questions have to be asked to gauge expertise and background then probe, analyse, sift and study candidates and clients on their own level.
CY Partners have built a very successful business in little over a year around this model. Daniel Younger is a medical engineer who worked in prosthetics at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, while Probier Chatterjee graduated in chemistry with chemical engineering, an area which took him into research and development in oils, lubricants, petrochemicals and refrigerant gases for ICI, Exwold Technology and Uniqema.
They came together when both worked for a scientific recruitment company before Probier went off to head up the company’s Oxford office and Daniel took up the equivalent role in Newcastle.
“In our job you have to know what kind of question to ask,” says Probier. “As scientists ourselves, CY partners are able to probe and really get to find out a candidate’s knowledge or experience which is not apparent from a CV. We want to know the detail and it’s this additional information which often makes the difference between a candidate being successful in obtaining an interview or not. Likewise, a job description is not really enough.”
Job descriptions – tasks required plus details of activities, functions, responsibilities and reporting structure – are, for the most part, straightforward and easily digestible. But in the niche markets that CY Partners operates in, an in-depth knowledge is not only advantageous but of paramount importance.
Take, for example, the following job description from the firm’s website: “Immunohistochemist. The role will involve assay development and experience of cellular analysis techniques such as flow cytometry, intracellular cytokine staining and ELISPOT analysis would be advantageous. Prior experience in mammalian tissue culture techniques would also be of interest.”
To an immunohistochemist this will be self explanatory, but it demonstrates the specialist sphere that the company revolves around, one that demands exceptional awareness.
CY Partners’ interactive online database and job-board facility combines traditional recruitment models with ground-breaking job-board technology. Candidates can search online and apply for jobs; they can also upload their details on the job-board to create relevant, up-to-date information on a manageable and recordable database.
Clients range through evolving companies at NETPark and other science parks throughout the UK to specialist pharmaceutical and biotechnologycompanies.
Daniel and Probier are also members of the Recruitment Employment Confederation (REC) and have gained professional qualifications in recruitment practice.
Probier says:  “We combine REC practices with hands-on scientific and engineering experience across a broad base of pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology, chemical, FMCG, medical device, forensics, food science, electronics, software and related scientific and engineering sectors.
“We believe that building strong and lasting partnerships is the key to success. It’s a simple approach and it’s why our candidates and clients use us time and time again. We look at important aspects such as organisational culture, team fit, ability and niche, specific skill sets to give an honest, consultative and tailored approach.
“We’re finding the best scientists for the job and for the agency and, as I was once in a similar position, an insight into how it works for graduates is essential.”
Further information: www.cypartners.co.uk