HR IN SMALL BUSINESS Horizon Therapeutics Plans for Strong Future With roughly 1,200 employees on its payroll and 11 medi- cines in its product mix, Horizon Therapeutics goes up against stiff competition to meet its talent needs. Irina Konstantinovsky, the company's chief human resources offi- cer, aims to meet the challenge by emphasizing the advan- tages of a small employer and by stressing Horizon's core values, including transparency, accountability, and growth, as well as empathy for the patients served by its products. The company was founded in 2008 to sell primary-care drugs, but it has recently transitioned to a more focused approach that targets rare and rheumatic conditions. Horizon is based in Dublin, with a headquarters in Chicago. It has facilities in Illinois, California, the District of Columbia, and Mannheim, Germany. The most recently opened facility, in South San Francisco, puts the company near a center of biotech talent. This makes the location attractive to these workers, who can maintain connections to colleagues in their professions, but it also places Horizon squarely in the middle of stiff competition for these workers. This is more than a matter of hiring scientists. Konstanti novsky cites marketing as a particularly difficult skill area to recruit. For example, it recently launched a new drug for treat- ing eye inflammation associated with thyroid disease, and this required hiring for more than 40 positions at once. Most peo ple who go into marketing are interested in consumer goods. Selling pharmaceuticals requires scientific knowledge and the ability to discuss products with medical professionals. In the example of the drug for eye inflammation, salespeople need to call on thousands of physicians, including specialists in eye surgery. Horizon therefore combines recruiting with ongoing development, so employees can grow in their profession. Konstantinovsky's recruiting message is that Hori zon moves fast and grows fast, making it an exciting place to work. She notes that in a small company, employees can take on wider responsibility and move up faster in ple at Horizon actually know some of the patients who the organization. She also notes that many of the peo- benefit from the company's products, so the impact of treating conditions takes on a personal and significant meaning. It's a stiff challenge, but Konstantinovsky brings to the job years of experience at pharmaceutical firm Baxter Inter HR functions for more than 50,000 employees. As she now national, where she oversaw talent acquisition and other promises others. Horizon has provided her a fast-paced environment in which to make a difference. Questions 1. Would you say this case describes a situation of a labor surplus or a labor shortage? Why? 2. Horizon has grown rapidly since its founding, but what if the environment changes so that the company has to scale back some products? How would you recommend the company handle a drop in the need for marketing professionals? Explain your reasoning. Sources Horizon Therapeutics. "About Us" https://www.horizontherapeutics com, accessed April 2, 2020: Kyle Blankenship. "Horizon Looks to the Future with Massive San Francisco Manufacturing, R&D Facility," FiercePharma December 4, 2019, https://www.fiencepharma.com Angus Liu. "Horizon Balks Up Sales Force Ahead of $750M Inflammatory Eye Drug Launch FiercePe orma June 25, 2019, https://www.fiercepharma.com: Julian Upton, "True Grit Talent Management from the Ground Up" Pharmaceutical Executive, April 2019, pp. 20-21