| Martin Blake of Volt Life Sciences discusses how pharmaceutical employers must work harder than ever to meet the exacting demands of new recruits
It is no secret that the pharmaceutical industry is facing a definite challenge when it comes to recruitment. Despite the large number of jobs available, even the big-name pharmaceutical giants are finding it difficult to attract the right candidates. As a result, in what is essentially a candidate-driven marketplace, there is a skills shortage occurring with many pharmaceutical companies’ recruitment expectations exceeding what the market can currently sustain.
It may seem strange to many people that the pharmaceutical industry should be suffering recruitment difficulties, especially when considering that the industry still employs around 640,000 people across Europe alone. According to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the pharmaceutical industry accounts for approximately 17.5 per cent of total EU business R&D expenditure, and is one of the region’s major high-technology industrial employers. This trend is echoed at UK level. According to UK Trade and Investment, 2007 has seen a record 1,431 investment projects – a 17 per cent increase on last year – creating 36,000 new jobs and safeguarding 41,000. Clearly these are conditions that encourage growth, which in turn necessitates the recruitment of new talent. |
