December 15, 2014
By Angela Rose for BioSpace.com
Whether you’re a biotech startup searching for product development scientists, or a pharma company that needs to fill key upper management positions, changes in the industry’s employment landscape could have an impact on your success. Consider these trends that are likely to influence the life science workplace in 2015.
1. The rise of generation Z.
As more Baby Boomers retire in 2015, life science employers will need to replace staff—from lab technicians and clinical operations associates to microbiologists and principal scientists. While there has been a great deal of coverage on the recruitment of Generation Y to fill the holes left by the older generation, few have yet to pay attention to Generation Z. That’s likely to change in 2015. Born between 1995 and 2012, the oldest members of this generation will be seniors in college next year. They’ll be looking for internships as well as their first post-graduation jobs.
Many high school students from Gen Z are searching as well—and employers are receptive. According to a recent study by Millennial Branding, 50 percent of employers surveyed were currently accepting internship applications from high school students or plan to do so this year. Their reasons included supporting local high schools (46 percent), gaining new ideas (23 percent), and finding future college interns (18 percent). Not too surprisingly, given the media and mobile connectedness of Gen Z, 73 percent of high school internships included social media marketing projects.
2. The return of voluntary turnover.
The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLT) report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that U.S. workers are quitting their jobs at the fastest rate since 2008. In their monthly press release, the BLS estimated that 2.8 million individuals left their jobs in September, and the quits rate rose to 2 percent—the highest rate in six years. An increase in the quits rate often indicates strengthening in the labor market. As life science workers gain confidence in the economy, they become more willing to leave their jobs and pursue new employment opportunities with other biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations.
3. The continuous job search resumes.
Hand-in-hand with voluntary turnover is the continuous job search—and the employee retention issues that accompany this duo. According to one recent study, 86 percent of employees are already looking for work in other occupations. Yet another study found that 71 percent of U.S. workers are on the job market, whether they are unemployed and actively seeking work, employed and actively seeking work, or employed and open to a new job.
On average, 35 percent of workers change jobs at least every five years. High performers in particular—employees with the strongest work ethic and drive to succeed—are even more likely to accept a new job offer if it means they can advance their career. Life science employers who want to staunch the flow of top-notch staff exiting their organizations need to create environments conducive to retention. This may include greater schedule flexibility, more in-house advancement opportunities and better pay.
4. The explosion of mobile hiring.
According to a recent survey of job seekers, 64 percent of adults who change jobs every one to five years have used a mobile device to search for positions or connect with potential employers. Thirty-eight percent of these individuals were between the ages of 18 and 29. Thirty-four percent were 30 to 39, and 28 percent are 40 and older. The ability to job search on the go was important to most of them. In fact, 27 percent expected to be able to apply for a job from their mobile device. Twenty-three percent said it was “important” for employers to optimize their career sites for mobile. Life science employers who want to maximize their candidate draw—particularly among Generation Y and Generation Z—will increasingly need to rely on mobile optimization, mobile applications, and mobile-friendly career sites (such as BioSpace) that appeal to today’s job seekers.
5. The increasing focus on diversity.
This year, several major companies publically shared their workforce diversity numbers—from Facebook and Google to Amazon and Dropbox. Most revealed shortfalls in the hiring of minorities and women, and the backlash that ensued is likely to encourage employers in every industry—including biotech and pharma—to take more care to ensure diversity in their workforce from entry-level to the c-suite. Tactics life science employers may want to utilize in the recruitment of a more diverse pool of candidates in 2015 include working with local community organizations to advertise positions, enlisting the help of nonprofits, and encouraging current minority and female employees to refer potential job candidates.
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