However, there is one further prominent hurdle negatively weighing on businesses: talent scarcity. A 2025 employee turnover and retention survey by NectarHR found that 43% of employees in the US walked away from their jobs in the last year. Multiple industry reports, such as Mercer’s 2024 US and Canada Turnover Survey, find that turnover rates are widespread, extraordinarily high, and costly in the US and Canada.
Talent scarcity is not limited to just regions; it’s a global challenge. A 2024 report by ManpowerGroup found that 74% of employers worldwide are experiencing difficulties in filling roles, indicating a significant talent shortage in countries like Israel (85% of employers report difficulty), Germany, Japan, and Greece. In the US, 70% of employers face similar challenges.
Why are people leaving their jobs?
We’ve all seen promising employees leave for reasons unrelated to salary. In fact, multiple studies show that unsatisfactory pay ranked only sixth or seventh on the list of reasons for quitting. The most prominent reason, according to roughly 32%–36% of employees, is a negative work environment, followed by poor company leadership (30%) or dissatisfaction with one’s supervisor (27%).
As innovation cycles accelerate and skill demands shift, retention of high-performing and hidden talent is becoming not just a competitive advantage but a survival strategy. Sometimes organizations overlook “hidden stars”—employees who quietly drive innovation from behind the scenes. Consider the dedicated research associate who regularly troubleshoots complex assays or who mentors junior scientists without formal recognition. These contributors may not be top of mind in succession planning, yet they form the backbone of many successful teams.
According to a 2023 research paper by Younis and colleagues, Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) can pinpoint these under-the-radar influencers. By mapping real collaboration patterns, ONA reveals who is truly connecting departments, fueling knowledge sharing, and keeping projects on track. This is vital information for an industry in which each data point and every trial timeline can mean the difference between market success and costly delays.
Once these individuals are identified, retention efforts must be personalized and proactive. In a Harvard Business Review article, Roger L. Martin reports that the most effective way to retain top talent is not simply by offering incentives, but rather by regularly redesigning roles to keep pace with employees’ evolving goals and strengths. High performers—especially those with untapped leadership potential—need to feel that their career is on a growth trajectory, not stuck in a static job description. Continuous skill development is not just a way to keep promising employees for the long run; it’s also necessary to navigate the current global job market, which are elaborated in a World Economic Forum “Future of Jobs Report” report.
The “falling star” phenomenon
Recognition also plays a critical role, as employee frustration does not necessarily derive from the work itself but because their work goes unnoticed. Leaders must learn to spot, validate, and elevate hidden contributions—whether through targeted praise, mentorship, or visibility in high-impact projects. However, visibility without protection can backfire. Research by Oldroyd and Morris warns of the “falling star” phenomenon—where standout employees become overloaded, leading to burnout and eventual departure. To avoid this, pharma leaders must balance exposure with well-being, assigning high-value tasks while also ensuring employees are not stretched too thin.
Finally, the work environment must be designed not only for performance but also for a sense of belonging. People spend a high proportion of their lifetime at work; however, global studies show that roughly 20% of the world’s employees experience daily loneliness. This may derive from missing bonds at work or home life. But no matter the reason, companies can have a strong impact on that balance. By building inclusive structures and flexible role pathways, companies ameliorate life quality, retain their workforce, and are able to multiply the impact of the talent they already have. When employees were asked to identify the most important factor besides pay influencing their decision to stay with an employer, a positive work environment topped the list of responses (25.7%).
Retaining talent is essential. Why? Because in a sector where every product cycle depends on expertise, every innovation relies on continuity of well-executed qualitative processes that directly or indirectly impact patients’ lives. Furthermore, every delay in a project or a postponed product release due to lack of personnel resources costs millions of dollars. Nurturing and retaining both “hidden” and “visible” stars isn’t just an HR initiative—it’s a business necessity.
Companies that invest in identifying top talent, tailoring roles, recognition strategies, and fostering a strong sense of inclusion will be the ones that rise victoriously from the workforce crisis.
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