There’s an irony in today’s pharma hiring landscape. That is, pharma wants to attract the brightest minds, but our hiring habits might be driving them away.
Leaders are sounding the alarm about a shortage of qualified talent.
Yes, hiring teams are still under pressure to find “perfect fits” who tick every single box. Most roles come with long lists of requirements, dozens of “must-have” qualifications, and zero tolerance for even the smallest skill gap.
The result? We end up overlooking curious, capable professionals who could grow into the role simply because they don’t mirror the job description word for word.
Pharma says it needs innovation, agility, and diversity of thought. However, too often, we only hire people who have already done the exact same job before.
That’s not talent development. That’s talent recycling.
In an industry built on research, progress, and learning, shouldn’t we also be hiring for potential rather than perfection?
Because if a candidate is 80% there and eager to learn the rest, isn’t that the kind of mindset pharma actually needs right now?
If we keep demanding a 100% match every time, we’re not just limiting candidates. We’re also limiting the future.
Maybe the best candidates aren’t missing skills.
Maybe the system is missing perspective.
What do you think?
Is the “no skill gap” policy sustainable, or are we setting ourselves up for stagnation?