The Evolving Pharma Marketing Skill Set: Understanding and Filling Skill Gaps

Introduction

A skills gap is the difference between an employee’s current abilities and the skill set best suited for their job. In the dynamic field of pharmaceutical marketing, this gap can significantly impact a company's performance. As the industry constantly evolves with new technologies, changing customer needs, and increasing regulations, the demand for specific skills continually shifts.?

Welcome to the first part of our series on the challenges of pharmaceutical marketing! In this installment, we'll explore how the gap between employees' skills and the demands of their jobs can affect companies. This blog is part one of a two-part series that will provide an overview of the pharma marketing skill gap and offer strategies to tackle this problem. Join me in uncovering the essentials of navigating the changing world of pharmaceutical marketing.

What Are Skill Gaps And Why Do They Occur?

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Companies have a desired set of skills required to perform a given role successfully. This list of skills is dynamic and changes depending on external market forces and internal organizational changes. Several factors can lead to skill gaps, including:

Lack of experience: Employees may lack the necessary practical knowledge or exposure to effectively perform their roles. This can occur with new hires or individuals transitioning to different departments or roles within the organisation.

Inadequate training: Without proper training programs, employees may not acquire the skills needed to excel in their roles. This could result from outdated training materials, insufficient resources, or a lack of focus on ongoing learning and development.

Poor recruitment: Ineffective recruitment practices may result in hiring individuals who do not possess the required skills or fit well within the organisation's culture. This mismatch between job requirements and candidate qualifications can lead to skill gaps from the outset.

Employee turnover: High turnover rates can disrupt continuity within teams and departments, resulting in a loss of institutional knowledge and skills. Frequent turnover may also indicate underlying issues such as dissatisfaction or lack of growth opportunities, further exacerbating skill gaps.

Change in roles or responsibilities: As organisational structures evolve or business priorities shift, employees may find themselves in roles that require new or additional skills. Without proper support or training to adapt to these changes, individuals may struggle to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

The Three Primary Types Of Skill Gaps

Skill gaps can occur not only at an individual level but also company-wide. There are three primary types of skill gaps:

Knowledge gap: A lack of knowledge related to the job. This could encompass specific technical knowledge required for tasks, an understanding of industry regulations, or familiarity with internal processes and systems.

Skills gap: The inability to apply the proper knowledge in a given situation. Even if employees possess the necessary theoretical knowledge, they may lack the practical skills or experience to effectively apply it in real-world scenarios. This could include technical skills, problem-solving abilities, or communication skills.

Behavioral gap: A lack of motivation or engagement leading to poor performance. This type of gap focuses on the attitudes and behaviors that impact job performance, such as procrastination, resistance to change, or low levels of initiative. Addressing behavioral gaps often requires a combination of coaching, mentoring, and fostering a positive work culture.

Identifying Skill Gap

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To effectively address skill gaps, it is crucial first to identify them. Here are some steps to follow:

1. Define Organisational Objectives: Aligning long and short-term goals with the necessary skills is paramount for success. By understanding the skills required to achieve these objectives, organisations can better focus their efforts on bridging skill gaps where they matter most.

2. Conduct Job Role Analysis: Examining every job role within the organisation provides insights into the specific requirements, responsibilities, and skills necessary for success. This analysis ensures that skill development initiatives are tailored to meet the unique demands of each role.

3. Survey Employees and Managers: Gathering direct feedback from teams through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms is essential for understanding their perspectives on skill gaps. Employees and managers can offer valuable insights into areas where skills may be lacking or opportunities for improvement.

4. Perform Skill Assessments: Utilising online tools, quizzes, and practical tests allows organisations to evaluate the current skills of employees objectively. These assessments provide valuable data on individual strengths and weaknesses, enabling targeted skill development initiatives.

5. Analyse Performance Metrics: Reviewing key performance indicators (KPIs) and spotting patterns using data visualisation tools helps identify areas where skills may be lacking. By analysing performance metrics, organisations can pinpoint specific areas for skill development and track progress over time.

By following these steps, organisations can systematically identify skill gaps and develop targeted interventions to address them effectively.?

Common Pharma Marketing Skill Gaps

Pharmaceutical marketing faces several unique challenges, leading to specific skill gaps that need addressing:

Technology and Developments in the Digital Landscape

With rapid technological advancements, the need for reskilling in technology-related areas is critical. Even before the pandemic, the World Economic Forum estimated that half of all employees worldwide needed reskilling to operate in a new tech-powered workplace. Marketers have identified data and analytics as the biggest skills gap in the marketing department. Within marketing departments, a significant skills gap exists in data analytics , identified as a key area for improvement. Despite this, many companies lag in the infusion of digital and analytic expertise throughout their operations. Less than half (44.4%) of respondents affirm that digital and analytic know-how is widespread in their company. Slightly more (48.6%) say that the ability to unlock data resides in specific business units. Interestingly, while execution skills are abundant in pharma organisations, the deficiency lies in the tools required for effective implementation, highlighting the need for external capabilities to develop internal resources.

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Channel Knowledge and Innovation

Marketers must be adept at identifying, leveraging, and evaluating the most relevant mediums to engage their audience. By staying attuned to emerging trends and innovations, marketers can ensure their strategies remain dynamic and resonant in an ever-changing landscape.

Budget Management

The ability to manage, analyse, and understand core financials is essential for effective budget management in businesses. This proficiency allows for agility and transparency in budget allocation, facilitating the development of innovative campaigns within allocated resources.

Cross-Functional Alignment

Ensuring that every individual across functions shares a common understanding of objectives, methods, and purposes is crucial. Operating in silos can lead to departments misunderstanding the broader impact of their actions on the company.

Conclusion

Skill gaps pose significant challenges in pharmaceutical marketing, impacting companies' growth and innovation potential. By identifying these gaps through comprehensive analysis and feedback, organisations can take proactive steps towards addressing them. Creating a culture of continuous learning is essential for navigating the pharma landscape and driving growth.?

Stay tuned for part two of this blog series, where we will explore strategies for addressing pharma marketing skill gaps.