Authentic Intelligence: Finding Diverse Talent in the Age of AI

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A January 2025 report from Vector, a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) partner for pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and contract research organizations (CROs), defined five outsourcing trends for the bio/pharmaceutical industry (1). Skill specialization, regulatory complexities, the perpetuance of remote and hybrid work, artificial intelligence (AI), and talent retention all have a place in the pharma workforce of the future.

One of these factors—a continued reduction in in-office work—is an aftereffect of COVID-19. Erik Wiklund, CEO of Circio, called it the “COVID bubble,” a “nuclear winter” for smaller biotech companies that made capital difficult to access and caused massive layoffs in the United States and Europe (2).

However, Wiklund sees the winds of change shifting for Circio, and believes what his company has been through in the past five years mirrors countless industry peers.

A long road back, but widening

“Many companies launch great ambitions, large valuations,” Wiklund said (2). “People flow into the industry, and then the breaks set in, but then what happens is that the companies that survive, they then suddenly have access to a broad talent pool, and then the capital comes back."

Central to that broadening of talent, opined Sheryl Johnson, pharma application development manager at Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials, should be endeavoring to continue strides the industry has made toward diversity, equity, and inclusion—keeping in mind the pharmaceutical world encompasses far more than the US, where those buzzwords face political scrutiny (3).

Johnson said Orbia is taking proactive approaches to improve gender-diverse representations within their workforce, but that full diversity requires ongoing, industry-wide cooperation.

“Women, in particular, can bring unique perspectives, talents, [and] approaches that can drive innovation, particularly in the pharma industry,” Johnson said (3). “For instance, female leaders can often excel in collaborative and inclusive leadership styles, which I feel can help foster creativity and new ideas. I find women are very open to sharing of new ideas and provide supportive attitude to research management and development through considered and empathetic communication.”

STEM careers start with STEM in schools

In covering both International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 and International Women’s Day on March 8, BioPharm International® conducted interviews with leading women in the bio/pharma space, Johnson included, examining reasons for a gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) that has skewed the balance of skilled workers heavily to the male side, and offering ways the industry can foster female involvement (4).

While Sabine Gölden, eLearning & Training Lead at European consulting firm MAIN5, said educational STEM programs aim to provide equal access to all without being gender-specific, she added persistent stereotypes of what are traditionally seen as gendered career paths should be understood by young female—especially if programs exist that challenge them to break those norms (5).

“Scientific research shows that there are cognitive differences and varying talents between men and women,” she said (5). “As a result, some individuals may naturally have advantages in this or that topic or might suit better in a specific position. These talents follow a Gaussian (‘normal’) distribution, and men are more likely to have cognitive advantages for STEM-related work—but women are still underrepresented in these fields.”

Yet to return to another of the Vector report’s points, talent retention is a hurdle that may not always be, as Wiklund’s “COVID bubble” example proves, the sole burden of the industry or any company.

Gölden said the “work-motherhood challenge” is one that women are still fighting, even within themselves, in many workforces (5). She calls it a “leaky pipeline,” that may have an unconventional fix.

“Even today, it’s still uncommon for women to be the primary breadwinners and men to take on the role of caretakers,” Gölden said (5). “From my perspective, this is where the biggest challenge lies. It’s not just about providing opportunities and empowerment for women; it’s about breaking down the barriers for men, who often face potential career and reputation impacts when they take on caretaker roles."

‘Artificial' talent not yet a threat

Reputations of human workers of all backgrounds could figure to be at stake in the next several years as AI impacts more corners of the industry. Wiklund is in lockstep with the Vector report in theorizing that AI’s most likely usefulness in the near term will be in the earliest stages of the R&D process, like drug development (1,2). But as far as human decision-making, Wiklund thinks the technology’s intrusion is a long way off.

“Maybe the area which appears most obvious is in diagnostics and prognostics, where an artificial intelligence can start utilizing information and colliding information in a more systematic way, using radiology and other types of scans to give better and more reliable interpretations,” he said (2). “That probably is where artificial intelligence will make an impact first. But again, the business models are not really established yet. The regulatory frameworks are not there yet. So ... I think it’s going to take longer than 2025 for us to start really seeing [the] big impact of this when it comes to therapeutic development, or the real impact on treatment decisions.”

Doing the best to keep a step ahead of the latest AI innovations can only benefit human professionals, and gender diversity plays a distinct role in that as well. Programs such as Girls Who Code, which helps girls build coding and AI skills, are gateways for women in healthcare industries who now must compete against machine as well as man, according to Jean Redmond, chief operating officer at Biologit (4). But there’s a higher purpose here, too: preparing those women to be the decision-makers that Wiklund said AI is not yet ready to usurp.

“By increasing representation in STEM fields, these initiatives help drive diversity in leadership and innovation in pharma and biotech,” Redmond explained (4). “Additionally, mentorship, networking, and industry partnerships further support women in transitioning from education to impactful careers.”

Changing on a dime, or dollar

As the US rewrites its tariff policies early in the second Trump Administration, companies in Europe and the rest of the world may look elsewhere for development opportunities, said Wiklund. So even as access to talent is improving, where people are looking for new work and which companies will partner with them, and each other, are question marks.

“Increasing cost levels in the US in particular, [a] strong dollar, and increasing inflation [have] driven up prices,” he said. “It’s become cheaper by comparison to develop drugs in Europe, Asia, [and] Australia, and I think maybe if that trend continues with a strong US economy and increasing prices, then you may see that that kind of European, eastward-oriented trend continuing.”

Will the geopolitical climate, artificial intelligence, gender imbalances, or the flexibility of working environments prove to be headwinds or tailwinds for finding, developing, and retaining talent? A definitive answer that fits any of those factors is neither easy nor certain. Skilled workers are out there, but how bio/pharma companies treat them and encourage their career growth is a destination to which there are many different paths.

References

1. Kelly, N. The Future of Pharma Outsourcing: Trends Reshaping the Talent Landscape in 2025. VectorTA.com, Jan. 23, 2025.
2. Thomas, F. and Haigney, S. Industry Outlook 2025: Talent Up for Grabs. BioPharmInternational.com, April 16, 2025.
3. Thomas, F. International Women’s Day 2025: A Promising Future for Gender Diversity in Pharma. BioPharmInternational.com, March 8, 2025.
4. Haigney, S. Leaving STEM Skills on the Table. PharmTech.com, Feb. 13, 2025.
5. Haigney, S. International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025: Inspiring and Supporting Women in STEM. PharmTech.com, Feb. 17, 2025.

About the author

Patrick Lavery is an Editor for BioPharm International^®.

Article details

BioPharm International®
Vol. 38, No. 4
May 2025
Pages: 24–25

Citation

When referring to this article, please cite it as Lavery, P. Authentic Intelligence: Finding Diverse Talent in the Age of AI. BioPharm International 2025 38 (4).