Lucas Group Reports Positive Hiring Outlook in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Sales

Lucas Group, a respected company in professional recruiting, today reports pharmaceutical industry growth reflects positive hiring trends in marketing and sales.

According to IMS Health, the worldís leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, North Americaís pharmaceutical industry grew 5.2 percent in 2005 and accounts for 47 percent of global sales. IMS Health also predicts that the global pharmaceutical market will expand at a compound annual growth of five to eight percent to 2009.

Despite increased regulatory and stakeholder demands and industry challenges, aging populations and the need for new developments in pharmaceutical products ensure continued industry growth, which propel the need for qualified sales and marketing talent.

ìThere is increased competition in new product development and various blockbuster products potentially coming off the market,î said Ned Hansen, executive senior partner and pharmaceutical recruiter for Lucas Group. ìThe combination provides an imperative need for these companies to market effectively and efficiently, which calls for superior human capital needs in marketing and sales. Companies specifically expanding sales forces are those with new products in development that are reaching stage three in clinical trials with anticipated launches in 2006 and 2007.î

ìCompanies seeking top professionals generally look to hire candidates not actively searching for a new position but those who are open to a change for certain reasons, including geographic location and therapeutic specialties,î continued Hansen. ìMost companies want the best talent so they can focus on marketing efforts that maximize developments and minimize challenges. To attract these candidates and motivate a job transition, companies often rely on recruiting firms to secure this talent, but most importantly they need to provide good packages and incentives for the marketing and sales fields. Brand awareness for these companies is important, which is why sales and marketing show no indication of slowing down.î