People first: How Bioventus used LinkedIn to enhance its employer brand and attract outstanding talent

Putting people before profits

Bioventus worked alongside LinkedIn to develop a stronger employer brand on the platform.

Rachel commented: “Our Executive team has always said that the patients come first, employees are second and profits are third. The minute you put profits first, you lose good people and sight of the patients. That’s a powerful message and an important one to get across. It is messages such as these that need to be shared. They portray our business, our ethics and values and they resonate with the best talent.”

Rachel added: “That is why it has been paramount to increase our presence on LinkedIn and put a spotlight on our beliefs, to position ourselves as an employer of choice.”

Bioventus has enhanced its Career Page information, Life Pages reflect what it is like to work at Bioventus, Marketing Campaign Manager helps the company to target and attract the right people and Talent Insights helps the organisation to make informed decisions regarding its hiring strategy.

Rachel explained further: “We recently relocated and centralised three departments. Talent Insights showed me that moving some departments to our Memphis facility would not only be effective, but would have a strong ROI and access to a larger pool of talent. Some people were nervous about the move and questioned it but I was able to show them that I could source talent in the area and successfully staff the departments as needed.”

Making a difference to employees’ lives and patients

According to Rachel, people are at the heart of the Bioventus’ business. “We are a powerhouse,” continued Rachel. “We are comprised of strong individuals; we’re not put in a box. Often, when you join a big organisation, you are put in a box, told to stay there and deliver. At Bioventus, we have freedom and are allowed to be creative. We genuinely develop people. We want people to learn and be part of a team. Diversity, equality and inclusion is not verbiage. We want diversity and inclusion in every team across the company and that starts with a hiring manager and recruitment decisions.

LinkedIn is also helping us in our drive for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace for the top talent we attract. Since utilising LinkedIn recruiter to headhunt in the market place our female leadership is more than 50% of all new leadership functions and we have more than 60% diversity hires across the board. Of course, we always hire the best person for an open vacancy; but we can find the best with a strong slate of diverse candidates just as easily.”

She added: “We have worked hard to ensure that our brand is elevated and that all of the great things that we offer – such as Philanthropy Days, Charity Drives, company events etc – are shared on LinkedIn so that everyone can see what an amazing company we are and what makes us unique, whilst making a difference with the products we sell.

“We have industry-leading products that require outstanding talent to sell those products. By using LinkedIn, we have been able to create super-specialised campaigns that attract the right talent. We’re attracting the people who work for the big boys and that excites me, as it means we have something more special to offer.”

Reduced reliance on external agencies

Rachel and her team no longer rely on external agencies to recruit the best talent. Previously, 90% of Bioventus’ vacancies were filled by an external agency in the international corporate entity before 2017. That figure is now 2%, globally. 

“That’s the power of LinkedIn,” Rachel said. “It’s insightful and helps you to find the right people. It enables you to be consistent with your employer branding and encourages you to constantly up your game.”

She concluded: “Our products help more than 600,000 patients across the world to resume active lives. We want to help more people lead a better quality of life. To do that, we need the best talent and we need the best resources to develop their skills. For that, LinkedIn has been phenomenal.”