Building a high performing pharmaceutical team

30 April 2025

A mid-sized multinational pharmaceutical company engaged Aspire Life Sciences to support a critical hiring initiative, identifying ten new hires to drive the expansion of a growing product line.

Following the successful placement of their Country Manager, and with a strong existing relationship, Aspire was well-positioned to deliver candidates aligned with the company’s business objectives and organisational culture.

The client’s specific requirements included:

A shortlist of experienced and qualified candidates.
Individuals who could integrate seamlessly and onboard quickly.
Candidates aligned with their diversity and inclusion strategy.
A focus on long-term retention of both new and existing employees.

Additionally, we were tasked with developing a post-placement retention plan, supporting each hire through onboarding and the initial 12 months, while also safeguarding the satisfaction and engagement of current staff.

The challenge

The client needed a talent acquisition strategy tailored to sourcing high-calibre, permanent candidates within the region—individuals who could deliver immediate impact and long-term value.

The brief demanded a dual focus:

Attracting a diverse talent pool that matched the company’s inclusion goals.
Minimising attrition by boosting engagement and ensuring cultural fit across all levels.

At the same time, preserving the satisfaction of the existing workforce was crucial to maintain continuity and internal morale during this period of change and growth.

Our approach

We designed and implemented a robust, bespoke recruitment strategy, combining proactive outreach and network-led headhunting.

Key actions included:

Prioritised access to active candidates within the Aspire Life Sciences pharmaceutical network.
Strategic headhunting of passive candidates aligned with the client’s values, objectives, and budget.
Early-stage communication around company culture to inspire candidates and drive engagement.
Ongoing post-placement communication to address onboarding concerns and foster retention.

Diversity remained a core focus throughout the search process, ensuring the client’s hiring strategy aligned with broader organisational values.

The results

Through a close and collaborative partnership, Aspire Life Sciences was able to:

Deliver a complete commercial team and support functions, from Country General Manager to Sales Representatives.
Provide the foundation for sustainable market growth.
Enable the launch of new RX and CHC product lines in the region.
Achieve a record-high employee retention rate for the client.

Conclusion

Our solution was carefully tailored to meet the client’s evolving needs, ensuring a consistent and rigorous search process for every role.

At Aspire Life Sciences, we believe that the benefits of executive search methodology should extend beyond the C-suite. As this case study demonstrates, our approach brings strategic value to hiring at all organisational levels—delivering talent that fuels growth, fosters innovation, and strengthens company culture.

Whether you’re looking to build a high-performing team or take your tech career to the next level, let us help you find the right solution. Contact our team.