Back to face-to-face interviews in Milan and Pisa

On March the 30th and April the 5th 2022, after a two-year long halt imposed by the pandemic, managers and applicants for a job at Menarini were able to meet in person once again.

The first time was in Milan during the Bio Pharma Day that was held on March 30th 2022, and the second time was a few days later, on April 5th in Pisa, on the occasion of the University of Pisa’s Pharma Day, which was organized in collaboration with the Unione Industriale Pisana. This event was accompanied by a panel dedicated to “The development of  the Pharmaceutical Sector between research and new professionalism. A dialogue between universities and companies on graduate job opportunities.”
The meeting was attended by Patrizia Alma Pacini and Carlo Fighetto of the Unione Industriale Pisana; Carlo Frighetto, Rossano Massai of UNIPI; Lia Granato, People Development & HR Architecture Manager Menarini; Antonia Di Costanzo, senior HR – Recruiter Pharmanutra; Francesco Carugi, CEO of Grifols; Biagio D’Alessio, HR partner Takeda and Rachele Donati, HR Associate Director Eli Lilly.

During the two years of restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Menarini maintained its recruitment activities for new positions by using digital platforms. These platforms were able to keep the search for talent going and, above all, the search for people who know how to work as a team, with their uniqueness, authenticity and enthusiasm. Digital solutions have enabled recruiters to secure interviews with candidates and continue with employer branding activities. 

Face-to-face interviews, however, allow for a more direct and complete understanding between the Group’s HR managers and the aspiring employees. Today more than ever, this method still constitutes a value and an opportunity for both parties.

The emotion of being able to look into the eyes of those who wish to work at Menarini was more tangible than ever for the recruiters, just as it was for young candidates in Milan and Pisa. Finally, a fresh start for face-to-face interviews, which can now find a new, concrete way of coexisting with online activities.

In Milan, candidates arrived from all over Italy, even by plane, so as not to miss the opportunity of a direct exchange with the Group’s managers. In Pisa, Menarini was chosen by young graduates in scientific areas, such as Medicine, Pharmacy and more, as a company that represents values such as inclusiveness, equality between people, enhancement of personal attitudes and equal opportunities. One “example” above all? A candidate took part in an interview together with her child in a stroller in tow.

Therefore, the events in Milan and Pisa were a real new beginning: that of the in-person meeting, enriched by online opportunities that, although born out of a crisis, now represent an added value. 

An added value that was also embodied by the contribution of Dr. Francesca Maienza, Head of Corporate Quality Control at Menarini, who explained the main objectives of her work to students and graduates who attended the webinar. A degree in Chemistry at the University of Milan and a PhD in Zurich allowed Dr. Maienza, who joined Menarini a year ago, to strengthen her professional experience in some of the main Italian and international Pharma companies. Today, the Quality Control division is entirely under her direction.

“In 2001 I started working in the pharma sector, more precisely in a Research & Development center”, explained Dr. Maienza, “I then specialized in pharmaceutical development, which has been my area of expertise for many years. I was able to follow product development, with a focus on the pre-marketing phase of the drug. When I later moved to the reality of the production plant, I became head of the chemical laboratory and then Quality Control manager in different companies until I joined Menarini. I maintained a perfectly linear career in the Quality area, while still changing several companies.”

The Quality Control Division is mainly responsible for analyzing and verifying that all materials and products in and out of the company are up to standard.

“My job is to find the right balance between the compliance of quality control procedures and the effectiveness through which the drugs are analyzed and approved for sale. Holding this position within the Menarini Group Corporate means monitoring all production sites from a quality control point of view. I assist the inspections in their improvement process, in the achievement of the high quality standards required and, at the same time, I make sure that the workflows are efficient.”

Quality Control, together with Quality Assurance, Quality Validation and Quality System, is one of the four main areas that make up a Quality Unit: everything has to be certified to ensure the conformity of the finished product.

“Working in the Quality Department is a constant challenge and an honor, and it opens new ways for a person to constantly improve, learn new things and test themselves. It is an essential division for all production processes,” says Dr. Maienza, “but especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where it is crucial to ensure the reliability of the drug. Every time we, as patients, take a medication, we are actually performing an act of trust towards its manufacturer. This act of trust is backed up by a control system of pharmaceutical production sites with the highest standards among all industrial production sectors.”

Dr. Maienza’s story represents the perfect story of an encounter between a high level professional and a company that looks to the future like the Menarini Group.

“My career is marked by the switching of many companies,” concludes Dr. Maienza, “The ambition for professional growth and the search for new challenges guided my choices and gave me the opportunity to experience different, stimulating new contexts. My position at Menarini, a Group that invests in Italy and strongly believes in the potential of our country, is the perfect opportunity to share everything I’ve learned and to put it into practice in a company of great value.”

Find out more about open positions within the Menarini Group at this link.