Is Your Life Science Recruitment Strategy Still Working?

Is your current life science recruitment strategy delivering what it should?

It is a tough time to rely on outdated processes. Candidate expectations have shifted, timelines are tighter, and competition from other industries is increasing. What worked three years ago may no longer be effective, and many life science companies are only just starting to feel the impact.

If roles are taking longer to fill, offer rejections are rising, or the right candidates are not staying in post, it is time to reassess. Many life science recruitment agencies are seeing time-to-hire increase and cost-per hire go up. Yet few have made meaningful changes to how they recruit.

This blog looks at what has changed in life science recruitment, what candidates want now, and how hiring teams can adjust their strategy. Whether you are hiring for pharma development jobs, expanding biotech teams or looking to strengthen scientific staffing, staying ahead means rethinking how you approach recruitment.

How the Hiring Environment Has Shifted

Life science recruitment has evolved significantly over the past decade. Advances in technology, changes in candidate priorities and external pressures like the COVID-19 pandemic have reshaped hiring.

Digital skills are now in high demand. Candidates with experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation are highly sought after to support innovation across pharma and biotech recruitment. This has expanded the talent pool to include people from adjacent sectors, but it also means other industries are targeting the same talent and drawing candidates away from life sciences.

The pandemic drove rapid adoption of hybrid and remote work models, even in lab-based environments. Today, employers are more open to flexible arrangements, international talent and broader inclusion strategies. This brings new opportunities but also new challenges. A persistent skills gap, ageing population and growing demand for specialist roles have created pressure across the sector.

Despite investment in diagnostics, R&D and therapeutics, hiring has slowed post-pandemic. There are more jobs than qualified candidates. Recent estimates suggest that for every 100 roles, only 65 qualified people are willing to apply. [1]

Signs Your Hiring Process Needs to Change

As expectations rise and demand for digital fluency increases, recruitment strategies need to keep up. Here are common signs that your hiring approach is no longer working:

High Turnover

If new hires are leaving early, it may be due to unclear expectations, cultural mismatch or poor onboarding. This often points to issues with how roles are briefed or presented.

Slow Time-to-Hire

Drawn-out processes lose candidates. Top talent will move quickly if offers are delayed or interviews drag on. In pharma recruitment, slow timelines can leave critical roles empty for weeks.

Low Quality of Hires

If performance is consistently below expectations, it could be due to unstructured interviews, unclear criteria or too much reliance on experience over potential.

Frequent Offer Rejections

Candidates turning down offers at the final stage may suggest issues with the process, employer branding or the way benefits are positioned.

Over-Focus on Experience

Looking only at years in role can cause teams to overlook adaptability and long-term fit. In clinical development jobs and biotech recruitment, potential often matters more than tenure.

Other warning signs include poor candidate feedback, unclear job descriptions and disconnects between hiring managers and HR. Even one of these can slow progress and increase cost.

What a Modern Strategy Looks Like

Improving your life science recruitment strategy does not have to mean spending more. It means being more focused. This includes:

• Writing tailored job briefs based on actual candidate feedback
• Creating shorter, more confident interview processes
• Positioning roles with clear EVP, career progression and culture
• Aligning internally on what good candidates look like

Clients that perform well in today’s market are those that take recruitment seriously. That means having clear criteria, faster decision-making and better communication throughout the process.

How Orion Supports Modern Life Science Recruitment

At Orion Group, we apply these principles across our life science recruitment projects. Our strategy responds to the real issues our clients face - from sourcing technical skills to aligning candidate expectations with evolving workplace models.

Here is how we approach it:

Proactive Talent Pooling

We build and maintain engaged networks of qualified life science professionals, especially in high-demand areas like regulatory, CQV and quality. This gives clients faster access to the right people when roles go live.

Integrated Project Support

We combine recruitment with real-world delivery understanding. Our recruiters work closely with engineering and CQV teams to grasp the nuance behind each role. This helps us place better-matched candidates who can perform from day one.

Local and Global Reach

Since launching our life science division in 2018, we have expanded across our international footprint. This enables us to tap into global talent pools and deliver quickly across multiple markets.

Deep Sector Knowledge

From Agri Science to Medical Devices, our team includes people with technical backgrounds who understand the roles they recruit for. This ensures better screening, better matching and stronger candidate conversations. Making smart changes to your hiring process - even small ones - can unlock better results. The goal is not just to fill jobs, but to build a strategy that works in today’s life science landscape.

Final Thoughts: Time to Rethink Your Strategy

If hiring feels harder than it used to be, your recruitment strategy may be out of step. That is not unusual - the sector has moved on quickly. Candidate behaviour, job design and employer expectations have all changed.

High turnover, long vacancies, or slow hiring processes are all signs that your strategy needs work. But there are practical ways forward. Upskilling, clearer job design, stronger employer branding and more deliberate hiring can all help.

Candidates now expect more. They want meaningful work, flexibility, support and visible progression. If your hiring process does not reflect that, it may be costing you the people you want most.

Recruitment can be reworked. It can be made sharper, clearer and more effective - especially with the right support.

Need support with your life science recruitment?

At Orion Group, we help clients improve their approach to scientific staffing, clinical development jobs, biotech recruitment and more. We understand what candidates expect, what clients need and how to align both in a changing market.

From role design to offer management, we help life science businesses build strategies that work. Whether you are struggling to attract candidates or reduce offer dropouts, we provide real insight into what is driving today’s decisions.

Talk to Orion Group today to improve your life science recruitment.

References:

[1] https://www.pharmexec.com/view/three-ways-to-close-talent-gap