The difficulty in finding candidates with the right profile or skills has become the main obstacle for the pharmaceutical sector when hiring new professionals. This is reflected in a report prepared by Pluxee, where 84 percent of the companies surveyed acknowledge being harmed by this situation.
The study "Keys to the New Labor Balance: Trends and Challenges 2026" details that 95 percent of pharmaceutical companies tried to add staff during 2025 and all encountered obstacles in filling their vacant positions, although the causes differ from those that prevail in other sectors.
While 51 percent of the Spanish business fabric declares having conflicts regarding salary, in the pharmaceutical field this problem only appears in one out of four companies, the lowest level among the analyzed activities. Instead, the lack of suitable profiles and, secondly, disagreements over schedules or work modality are the factors that most hinder hiring.
Pluxee emphasizes that the pharmaceutical industry continues to be the one that best compensates in payroll for the impact of inflation. One in three companies has completely neutralized the price increase, 65 percent has done so partially, and only five percent has not applied any type of adjustment.
Regarding benefit plans for the workforce, 80 percent of pharmaceutical companies already offer this type of flexible or complementary compensation, placing them ahead of the overall market, where the average stands at 64.5 percent. Additionally, 50 percent of companies in the sector expect to expand or incorporate new benefits in 2026, compared to the 42 percent average in other activities.
LOYALTY STRATEGY
This compensation policy is also reflected in the talent loyalty strategy. The sector dedicates 74 percent of the efforts of human resources (HR) teams to retaining its professionals, compared to the 26 percent that is oriented towards attracting new profiles, again leading over other industries. It is the same level presented by the technology sector and is nearly eight points above the general average (66.25%).
Training gains weight as a key piece of total compensation, as evidenced by the fact that 82 percent of pharmaceutical companies are driving training programs. Looking ahead to next year, seven out of ten companies plan to launch new initiatives, focused mainly on technological skills and artificial intelligence, and secondly on leadership and team management.
The report also highlights that the pharmaceutical sector is the one that best manages generational diversity in its teams. Only 25 percent of companies consider that the combination of different ages poses a relevant challenge, compared to the average of 34 percent, and 15 percent do not even perceive it as a problem, the highest percentage among all sectors.
Ninety percent of companies apply "reverse" or traditional mentoring, the highest percentage in the market; specific benefits plans by generation reach 80 percent, and onboarding programs for new hires and intergenerational working groups are present in 70 percent of companies. These elements explain that coexistence among different generations is managed more naturally in this industry.
"The pharmaceutical sector demonstrates that good talent management is a real competitive advantage. Its strength in compensation is so solid that the lack of salary agreement barely hinders one in four companies when it comes to recruiting, far below the rest of the sectors. The challenge now is not only to maintain that leadership but also to continue investing in the levers that have made it possible in an increasingly demanding labor market," pointed out the marketing director of Pluxee Spain, Miriam Martín.