Most life sciences and healthcare professionals chose to enter the industry because of their passion for working to save and improve patients’ lives. Therefore, when they are considering career opportunities, they will assess how patient-centric an employer is and how that translates into job satisfaction and future career opportunities.
As recruiting experts specializing exclusively in the life sciences and healthcare industry, we have noticed that the industry is shifting as a direct result of the changing tide in healthcare. Patient-centricity is impacting talent acquisition across the entirety of the pharmaceutical sector, from research and development through commercial functions. Specifically, it is impacting how pharmaceutical professionals evaluate their career options.
Research & Development
Today’s research and development professionals are more eager than ever to make their mark with science and breakthrough drugs that are truly impacting patients’ lives. They are drawn to the cutting edge science and technology that is often required to develop these breakthrough drugs. They also receive great professional fulfillment from the difference that their work is making and the recognition that they get from their accomplishments with this work.
Therefore, patient-centric companies, which are often developing drugs for unmet or underserved needs provide an attractive opportunity for these professionals. In many cases, these drugs are for rare diseases or are orphan drugs, which may serve a somewhat limited population. But that limited reach is not mitigating the interest of scientists and clinicians like it may have in the past due to many changes with regulators and the economics of the business, which makes advancing this work more achievable than ever.
Scientists and clinicians in research and development are jumping at the chance to work on drugs that are making a difference. We have observed that scientific and clinical talent is especially drawn to drugs that aim to bring relief to people who have been long awaiting a new treatment for their disease or condition. Therefore, companies that are more patient-centric are often more attractive to them.
Commercial and Marketing
Pharmaceutical companies have marketed their products to patients for many years, but most of the marketing has been product-driven. After years of product-driven marketing, patients have come to see their relationship with pharmaceutical companies as transactional. To improve their relationships with patients, many pharmaceutical companies have begun to reframe their relationships to put more of the focus on the patients than the product. They are becoming more patient-centric, altering their commercial strategies and how they are marketing to patients.
Pharmaceutical companies have become more concerned with the entire patient journey, which results in improving patients’ experiences and in turn increasing demand, which of course is good for business. This patient centricity includes improving patient engagement and providing patients with the necessary information to empower them to help make the medical decisions that are best for them. It is also about delivering not just a product or products, but a basket of products and services, which offer a more complete solution to patients. This includes patient support, access and assistance programs, which are developed, implemented and managed by the commercial organization.
Patient-centricity is not just good for patients and business but is also good for attracting commercial professionals. Commercial professionals understand that patient-centricity helps to position companies for success, which translates into future career opportunities. In addition, they derive a lot of their professional fulfillment from how well the products and services they are marketing are meeting their patients’ needs and impacting their lives. Therefore, when they are considering career opportunities, they are increasingly assessing how patient-centric employers are.
Marcus & Associates Life Sciences and Healthcare Recruiting
Increasing patient-centricity is transforming health care and is thereby shifting the way that life science and healthcare professionals evaluate opportunities. If you are in need of life science talent, contact Marcus & Associates today.