Dive Brief:
- One third of staff working within the life sciences industry are disengaged in their jobs and at risk of leaving in the next 12 months, according to a recent global survey.
- The survey, from international staffing agency ProClinical, of more than 1,000 employees in the life sciences industry (pharmaceutical, medical device, biotechnology and contract research organizations) across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific, found that those disengaged employees are twice as likely to leave. It takes more than a good salary to keep them motivated and loyal.
- The participants, who were asked a series of questions about commitment, caring, trust, recognition and job satisfaction, say only 67% are engaged at work. Medical device companies have the highest level of engagement (71%) whereas those working for contract research organizations are the least engaged (62%).
Dive Insight
Although 51% of life sciences workers feel that they are not paid fairly, compensation was ranked only 5th in importance for engagement. Instead, working in a role that is challenging and aligned with their skills motivates employees the most. Career development opportunities and receiving recognition were rated second and third, respectively.
When it comes to loyalty, staff with internal opportunities for professional growth are four times more likely to stay with their current employer. Overall, 6 out of 10 employees see themselves working at the same company in a year's time, with at least 17% having made plans to leave.
ProClinical Global Recruitment Director Richard Thomas said the findings support his company's belief that the importance of creating an inclusive company culture, internal opportunities for career growth and regular recognition can't be underestimated when planning strategies for the attraction and retention of leading life sciences talent.