The very nature of the science industry might well be the driving force behind a more strategic approach to workforce solutions in the sector. After all, increasing challenges in drug development are already influencing how companies do business and control costs every step of the way.

Science must continue to change to meet economic realities, and utilizing free agency, alternative and hybrid work groups, as well as the power of virtual networks may be some of the solutions going forward. A scientific company’s most important projects, it could be argued, are now often likely to be conducted on a micro, not macro, level.

Companies that adapt their workforce to meet these challenges will need to:

1. Identify strategic versus transactional processes: which tasks and processes—transactional, strategic, core or ancillary—can be done on a project basis? How might specifically-skilled free agents efficiently and effectively contribute to operations by applying their specialized knowledge?

2. Do a cultural and sociability audit: is your company on-board with the workplace reality of the future? Extreme competition for talent is dictating that companies must be able to meet workers’ expectations in radically different ways and be open to different types of hybrid work groups. Are you willing to nurture new ways of working in order to attract and retain the best employees?

3. Engage a strategic partner: building a better workforce strategy alone can be daunting. Look for partners that already have the expertise and experience to secure the right talent at the right time for the right processes.

This post is part of the new Ebook: 2020 - The New World of Work. You can download a free version here.