Next-Gen Workforce For A Digital Era

The need for the right people in the right place has emerged as one of the principal drivers of success in the digital era, making it exigent for pharma companies to redraw their strategies for talent acquisition and retention

- Lakshmipriya Nair

The tectonic shift in the pharma industry, driven by digitalisation, demands newer operating models and capabilities for companies to remain relevant and competitive. A KPMG report, titled ‘Pharma outlook 2030: From evolution to revolution,’ clearly outlines, “The pharma sector is at a crossroads. In a heavily disrupted marketplace, characterised by shifting payer attitudes and patient empowerment, neither incremental adjustments nor steady evolution are likely to halt the decline of the traditional pharma business model….Catalysed by an exciting range of new, disruptive technologies, the pharma industry needs to reimagine its future.”

This, in turn, necessitates the creation of a workforce with fresh ideas, more agility and specialised skills which haven’t been optimally utilised heretofore. The need for the right people in the right place has emerged as one of the principal drivers of success, making it exigent for pharma companies to redraw their strategies for talent acquisition and retention to thrive in future which will comprise both unprecedented opportunities and challenges.

As Jeff Elton, Managing Director of Accenture Life Sciences puts it, “When companies experience disruption on the scale that we’re starting to see in pharma, traditional chemistry is no longer enough. We need a new kind of science – people chemistry.”

So, which skills will be pivotal for progress? Let’s examine.

Pharma worforce of tomorrow

‘Digital-first’ mindset: Digitalisation is bringing about a sweeping transformation in the pharma industry. As a result, the nature of work in the industry is undergoing a sea change and a tech-savvy, digitally enabled workforce will be crucial for sustained development of the sector.