Offices: The next frontier for attracting digital talent to pharmaceutical companies

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

Companies in the pharmaceutical sector start at a disadvantage compared to other industries, as they are located outside the urban centers where digital talent is concentrated.

The future of companies goes through digitalization. This phenomenon has already transformed the activity of all industrial sectors, but has hardly been implemented in pharmaceutical companies. Companies like Novartis or Pfizer have begun to strengthen their domes with managers with experience in the digital field and have found their best ally in the offices.

79% of the workforce believes that the quality of the work environment is a key factor when selecting a new company to work for, according to the report The challenge of digital talent in pharmaceutical companies, prepared by the consultant Cbre.

However, these companies have difficulties in offering attractive offices, since their models do not adapt to the lifestyle and urban work preferred by millennials and Generation X. For now, companies in the health sector have begun to propose programs aimed at Create the offices of the future. The question is, how should these spaces be?

One of the main features to consider is the location of the offices. "Companies with workspaces in the center of big cities offer added value to their employees," says Javier Bernades, Managing Partner at Cushman & Wakefield.

The "biopharmaceuticals start from a disadvantage" in this regard, since most of them are located outside the urban centers. Despite these data, only 6% of companies are relocating their operations to “approach the available talent bases”, located basically in large cities, according to the consultant's study.

Agility in the organization is another essential element for the implementation of digital transformations. In the offices, this characteristic translates into “more fluid work spaces, balancing collaboration spaces and interest in privacy, so that people can personalize their workday,” says the report.

The commitment to flexible and open spaces also allows teams to connect more easily and encourages employees to "change their way of interacting throughout the organization."

 Another trend in offices to attract talent is the introduction of new real estate formats designed to encourage the emergence of start ups. This is the case of J&J and Novartis, which JLabs and Biomes have created, independent incubators to promote scientific and digital innovation. As such, agility should predominate in these spaces, and distribution should facilitate entrepreneurship.

Ultimately, “understanding the needs, work styles and environments that digital talent prefers is only the beginning, but it is an absolutely basic aspect to take the right path,” concludes the report.

Beyond the pharmaceutical companies, the large office operators are trying to adapt the spaces to the new needs of the employees. Services are also key to attracting and retaining talent, which is why the new offices are committed to the incorporation of showers, gyms or even a beer shooter.

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

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