Top tips for pharma recruitment in 2023

The current hiring market is fluid and unpredictable. Many industries, including pharma, are doing their best to navigate these talent acquisition (TA) dynamics by looking for innovative approaches to find and retain top talent.

In his latest contribution to European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer, Josh Needle, Managing Director – Life Sciences, shares his perspective on the top TA trends in the pharmaceutical industry, providing guidance for TA leaders on staying ahead of the talent curve.

From the article:

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) remains a business priority for pharma companies. But the emphasis is now on more clearly defining DEI goals and scoping out how to reach those goals.

Talent acquisition should support your company’s overall diversity strategy. What unconscious biases affect recruiters, hiring managers, and other TA professionals in your organization? Around one-third (34%) of TA leaders say they hold these stakeholders accountable for reaching DEI targets. Try implementing leadership bonuses to reach your DEI goals.

The pharma companies I work with that are adopting skills-based recruitment are seeing better results. Hiring for long-to-develop “soft” skills – like leadership and teamwork – allows you to tap into a wider talent pool, reduces the time to hire, and supports DEI objectives.

Many minimum requirements need a four-year degree or more which misses a strong and diverse talent pool that have the desired skills. A capable individual will be able to pick up most “hard” skills rather quickly on the job anyway. This makes it helpful in filling specific technical roles.