Attracting and retaining talent in any industry is a challenge but attracting and retaining talent in the pharmaceuticals industry demands an innovative and smart approach.
With concern around employee turnover and retention levels in pharmaceutical companies, organisations are competing to keep their own highly qualified staff. We’ll look at recruitment and how you can prevent current employees from leaving for greener pastures.
Pharmaceutical Recruitment
During Covid, many pharmaceuticals have adopted virtual interviewing and it’s likely that these virtual tools will remain in some form. Both face-to-face and virtual interviews have their roles with virtual interactions early on in the hiring process, and person to person interviews for the final decision-making process.
Top Ranking Factors That Attract Talent
Whilst the factors that attract talent will always vary from person to person, here are some top ranking reasons that influence future employees’ decisions to accept a new job: –
- Work Environment
- Salary and Benefits
- Location
- Organisation’s Mission
- Advancement Opportunities
Introducing a New Workforce
Enter Gen Z! They are the next frontline of any organisation, but it’s important to understand they work in different ways to the current and previous generations. What Generation Z do have is clear career expectations and they value job security. A career in science and pharma will let them be the innovative individuals they are, in meaningful jobs while learning new skills.
Retaining Pharmaceutical Talent
In addition to dedicating resources to hiring and recruitment, pharmaceuticals also need to develop and retain the talent they already have. Top ranking factors why employees stay with an employer are: –
- Nature of Work
- Salary and Benefits
- Work Environment
- Professional Development and Career Opportunities
- Co-workers
Recognise to Retain
Recognition is a major point to retaining staff, employees feel valued when recognised and rewarded for their hard work. The key here is feeling valued, recognized and respected and is an aspect that pharmaceutical organisations can take full advantage of.
In addition, to feeling recognised and appreciated, learning and development is an important factor amongst talented pharma employees. Career development should be promoted and documented, to let workers know what their future could hold.
A Positive Workplace
Across all industries, a positive, likeable work culture equals happier employees, and the pharma industry is no different. What do happier employees equal? A more productive workforce, longer-lasting employees and a much better employee retention record.
What Role Does Social Media Play?
Is your pharmaceutical organisation taking advantage of the digital world? Social media channels and blogs are a good way to both create awareness about the company and promote the opportunities that are on offer.
That doesn’t mean using social media platforms purely as a job board. If you build relationships with your audience, one of the benefits is the opportunity to start selling your job candidates on your company culture.
If this isn’t already an intentional part of your pharmaceutical company’s hiring strategy, it’s time to change things up.
The pharmaceutical industry is indeed a crucial sector for the UK economy. Acquiring and retaining superior talent is key to running a strong pharma, whether that’s a blue-chip Pharma, Biotech firm or a specialist consultancy.
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