There ’ s no doubt that 2020 was a year of change and crisis management for many in the talent acquisition community – and nowhere was that change felt more keenly than in pharmaceuticals and life sciences . With COVID-19 likely to cast a long shadow , Jim Sykes , AMS Managing Director for the sector , takes the temperature with clients and considers the likely trends for 2021 .
It would be heartening to think that our year of crisis is behind us ;
that 2021 will offer us the opportunity to consign the pandemic to history and for talent acquisition ( TA ) teams to return to those pre-pandemic strategic wish lists . The reality , of course , is quite different ; it ’ s clear that we ’ ll be unpicking the effects of an extraordinary 2020 for some time to come .
And what a year it was , when TA teams achieved so much in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles . For Beth Keeler , AVP Talent Acquisition at pharma giant Merck ( MSD outside the US and Canada ), TA ’ s performance in 2020 was “ almost miraculous ; if anything , we ’ re hiring faster and we ’ re hiring more ”.
In the circumstances , it ’ s unsurprising that 2021 is shaping up to be a year of transition as we dust ourselves off , take stock and consider how we build on a year when we ’ ve learned so much . Here are just some of the key trends likely to frame the year ahead .
We need to educate hiring managers to think ‘ talent first ’, and put talent ahead of geography Beth Keeler , AVP Talent Acquisition , Merck
Rethinking how and where we work
It seems inconceivable that the flexible-working genie will ever fit back in its bottle , which leaves firms with thinking to do about the level of prescription that will be right for them , in terms of how and where we work . Two things are apparent , though . It ’ s unlikely we ’ ll ever go back to five days in the office as the default for everyone ; hybrid solutions that offer more flexibility ( but need careful planning ) look much more likely . And it ’ s clear that we ’ ve never been better placed to take advantage of the opportunity to hire talent independent of location . For Keeler , too , it ’ s a question of educating hiring managers to think “ talent first ”, to put talent ahead of geography .
Recruiting outside the box
Merck ’ s experience of a spike in applications when it announced it was working on a vaccine last year is a story repeated across the industry : the sector ’ s role in saving lives has never been more prominent – nor more attractive . It has meant the ability to bring in talent from outside the sector in greater numbers than ever before , even in competitive areas such as digital . It ’ s a lesson for us all . For Alain Proietti , VP Talent Acquisition at Novo Nordisk , attracting talent from other sectors is just the start ; we also need to provide that talent “ with an environment to thrive ”. Time , then , to put aside our qualms about where talent comes from , and press home our advantage when it comes to widening the net to secure the best talent possible , all the while ensuring that our working environments , including for remote working , are optimised to make the most of it .
Breaking down brand
Pharma already understands the value of its brand and messaging ; making lives better is a compelling message for any potential candidate . The challenge now is to shift to a greater focus on candidates as individuals , approaching talent with tailored messages that take into account career stage and specific function or role . Used well , brand can be a significant market differentiator . Look out for it being used with more finesse to attract talent this year .
We need to provide talent with an environment to thrive
Alain Proietti , VP Talent Acquisition , Novo Nordisk
A focus on onboarding
Moving to largely virtual recruitment remains one of the lasting achievements of 2020 , with TA leaders reporting high levels of candidate and hiring manager satisfaction . The one area which has been more problematic is remote or virtual onboarding . For many years , onboarding has been the domain of HR operations teams rather than TA leaders but , with candidate experience now paramount , 2021 looks to be the year that TA functions may start to take accountability for the full candidate journey . With limited budgets to support solutions , we ’ re going to have to get creative , both in terms of process and looking for even more efficiencies elsewhere to free up funds for this trickiest of areas .
Action on inclusion and diversity
While organisations are at different stages when it comes to inclusion and diversity strategies and implementation , the need to take these seriously has never been clearer . TA teams are likely to be operating in a culture with high levels of across-the-board buy-in when it comes to a more diverse workforce . This year is set to be one when we really get stuck into action on inclusion and diversity , looking for well-planned , practical and local strategies rather than broad aspirational statements . It ’ s a key 2021 “ laser focus ” for Shilpa Shah , Director of Global Talent Acquisition at GE Healthcare , that needs to impact “ every stage of the talent life cycle , from branding to recruitment to development to succession to promotion ”. In this spirit , I also predict far greater collaboration between TA and talent management to ensure diverse talent is welcomed into cultures where everyone can feel they belong .
Corporate change as a fact of life
The economic fallout from COVID-19 will make itself felt everywhere , with corporate environments likely to experience continuing levels of fluidity and change . Companies will be divesting themselves of business areas where they ’ ve fared less well , and mergers and acquisitions look set to continue apace . The pace of innovation within the life-sciences sector also looks set to continue unabated . Markus Pflanz , Director of Talent Acquisition at Medtronic , believes that “ innovation is everything ”; companies will have to be “ nimbler to succeed , able to accept disruption ”. TA will also need to be at its agile best to react to environments where there ’ ll be a need to ramp recruitment up or down in short order , and to plot workforce needs against changing corporate needs and structures .
Many TA leaders would love 2021 to be the year when they can focus on positioning themselves as a more strategic function that adds strategic value . But the pandemic has a long tail . The challenge for us all is to navigate what ’ s more likely to be a year of transition while we lay the groundwork for the future . It ’ ll take plenty of energy to plan , prioritise and secure those efficiencies that will enable us to gear up for a more strategic 2022 .