Hire biotech candidates who can actually work in a lab.
Amino Labs verifies hands-on biotech skills before you hire.
Finalists complete practical lab tasks, we review their performance, and your team receives an evidence-backed competency report within 7 business days of final submission.
Built for lab technician, research associate, molecular biology, and other bench-skill roles.
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Traditional Biotech Hiring Misses Critical Skill Gaps
✗AI-polished resumes hide real gaps
Candidates use AI to perfect their applications. Distinguishing real competence from good writing is harder than ever.
✗Interviews don't predict lab performance
Talking about pipetting ≠ actually pipetting accurately. A confident interview is not evidence of bench readiness.
✗Credentials don't guarantee execution
Degrees and certificates rarely show whether someone can follow protocols accurately, consistently, and cleanly under real conditions.
✗Bad hires are expensive and slow
Recruiting fees, training time, contamination risk, and re-hiring costs add up fast. Your scientists have better things to do than troubleshoot basics.
See what your candidate can do - before you extend the offer.
Resumes, interviews, and credentials can tell you who sounds qualified. Amino Labs shows you who can execute.
We send your finalist a structured hands-on assessment. They complete practical lab work, supporting documentation, and selected integrity-controlled steps.
Our team reviews the evidence and delivers a clear competency report with strengths, gaps, and hiring-relevant interpretation; not what they say they can do, but what they actually did.
What your hiring team receives
Not just a pass/fail. You receive a report built for decision-making.
Executive summary
Overall readiness for the target role, with a concise recommendation your hiring team can review quickly.
Competency scorecard
Skill-by-skill ratings across the assessed techniques, so you can see where the candidate is strong and where risk remains.
Assessor observations
Clear notes on what the candidate did well, where they struggled, and what those patterns mean in practice.
Onboarding guidance
Practical guidance on where early coaching or oversight would likely be needed if you hire this candidate.
How verification works
Simple for your team. Structured for better hiring decisions.
Send finalists
After interviews, send the candidates you are seriously considering.
We run the assessment
We ship materials, administer the verification workflow, and collect the candidate’s practical work and supporting submissions.
We review and score performance
Our team evaluates execution, documentation, technique, and role-relevant judgment.
You receive a hiring-ready report
You get a concise summary, competency ratings, and evidence-backed observations your team can actually use.
Best used for finalist-stage hiring, not top-of-funnel screening.
Choose the right assessment level
Lab skills that matter for job performance
Level 1: Lab Technician Basics
- ✓Aseptic technique
- ✓Pipetting accuracy
- ✓Weighing & measuring
- ✓Essential math
- ✓Following SOPs
- ✓Lab safety knowledge
- ✓Lab notebook
Level 2: Molecular Biology Skills
- ✓Everything in Level 1, plus:
- ✓Agar preparation
- ✓Cell culture
- ✓Streaking cells
- ✓Colony isolation
- ✓Bacterial transformation
- ✓Troubleshooting ability
Covers the most common research associate skill requirements.
Level 3: Advanced Research Skills
- ✓Everything in Level 2, plus:
- ✓PCR
- ✓Electrophoresis
- ✓Experimental design
- ✓Protocol optimization
- ✓Data analysis
- ✓Technical writing
Custom Verification
Need to test specific techniques? We can design custom assessments for your role (including specialized add-ons like Python for lab automation).
Discuss custom verificationWhy hiring teams use Amino
Built to help biotech hiring teams make faster, lower-risk decisions.
Candidates are evaluated on real execution, not just how well they talk about lab work.
Your team gets structured evidence without spending internal bench time on basic technical screening.
See which finalists are ready now, which are trainable, and which may create early ramp risk.
Timed components, submission review, and video-reviewed steps where applicable help verify authenticity.
Use standard levels for common hiring needs or request custom verification for role-specific workflows.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
SHRM estimates the average cost of a bad hire at 50–200% of first-year salary. For a research associate or lab technician role at $55,000, that's $27,500 – $110,000 in recruiting, retraining, lost productivity, and re-hiring costs.
| Scenario | Estimated Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bad hire: re-recruiting + retraining | $27,500 – $110,000+ | 50–200% of first-year salary (SHRM) |
| Lost productivity during ramp | $10,000 – $30,000+ | Senior scientist time spent covering gaps |
| Amino Verify: Level 1–3 assessment | $2,500 – $7,500 | Per finalist, includes report |
| Net protection per role | Up to 14× the cost of verification | Before you extend the offer |
Bad-hire cost estimates from SHRM: The Real Costs of Recruitment. Salary benchmarks from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: biological technicians and medical scientists. Individual outcomes vary by role, salary, and organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does verification take?
Typically 1–2 weeks from when the candidate receives the kit, depending on assessment scope and shipping timelines.
How do you ensure assessment integrity?
We use a combination of identity checks, timed components, submission review, and video-reviewed critical steps where appropriate. The goal is simple: verify that the work reflects the candidate’s own execution.
What roles is this best for?
Amino is strongest for roles where bench execution matters: lab technicians, research associates, molecular biology support roles, and similar positions. We also offer custom verification for role-specific workflows.
Will candidates actually complete this?
This works best with finalists and priority hires, where both sides are already serious. The process is designed to be rigorous, but bounded and clearly explained.
Can you verify multiple finalists for the same role?
Yes. Many hiring teams use Amino to compare multiple finalists using the same structured assessment approach.
Can you support candidates outside Canada and the US?
Currently we assess candidates in Canada and the United States. International locations are evaluated case by case — email us and we'll let you know if we can accommodate your situation.
What if a candidate shows gaps?
That is still useful. The report shows where the person is ready, where they would need coaching, and where risk may be too high for the role.
Ready to verify your next finalist?
Book a 20-minute call and we'll walk you through the process, answer your questions, and confirm whether Amino is the right fit for your current role.
For hiring teams evaluating bench-ready biotech talent.
Prefer email? verify@amino.bio