Skip to content

Recruitment Consulting: How Pfizer’s Global Talent Acquisition Transformed

Introduction

In 2019, Pfizer, one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies, engaged Korn Ferry to completely redesign their global talent acquisition function. Following major restructuring and the spin-off of several business units, Pfizer needed to realign talent strategies with their refocused mission on innovative medicines and vaccines—a transformation that would prove prescient as the COVID-19 pandemic soon tested their capabilities.

Client Situation

Pfizer was facing several critical talent challenges:

  • Fragmented recruitment processes across 90+ countries
  • 27 different applicant tracking systems globally
  • Average time-to-hire of 97 days for scientific roles (industry benchmark: 70 days)
  • Declining offer acceptance rates (68% vs. industry average of 78%)
  • Critical skill gaps in emerging areas (mRNA technology, digital health, AI/ML)
  • Employer brand inconsistency following multiple restructurings
  • Inability to forecast talent needs aligned with R&D pipeline requirements

Consulting Approach

Korn Ferry deployed a multi-disciplinary team of 32 consultants spanning organisational design, assessment science, talent intelligence, employer branding, and technology implementation. The 18-month engagement followed a four-phase approach:

  1. Discovery & Diagnostic (3 months)
    • Comprehensive talent acquisition audit across all markets
    • Competitor talent benchmarking and capability mapping
    • Executive interviews with 45 senior leaders
    • Current state process mapping and technology assessment
    • Talent analytics maturity evaluation
    • Candidate experience journey mapping
  2. Strategy & Design (4 months)
    • Future-state talent function design
    • Global competency framework development
    • Talent intelligence framework creation
    • Technology architecture blueprint
    • Employer value proposition refresh
    • Workforce planning methodology design
  3. Implementation (9 months)
    • Global centre of excellence establishment
    • Technology consolidation and implementation
    • Assessment and selection methodology deployment
    • Talent acquisition team upskilling (450+ professionals)
    • Process standardisation and optimisation
    • Analytics and reporting framework deployment
  4. Optimisation (2+ months)
    • Performance measurement framework
    • Continuous improvement methodology
    • Ongoing advisory and coaching
    • Quarterly strategy recalibration

Methodologies Applied

  • Korn Ferry Success Profiles™ for role definitions
  • Four-Dimensional Executive Assessment for leadership selection
  • Talent Intelligence Maturity Model
  • Employer Value Proposition Canvas
  • Strategic Workforce Planning Framework
  • Talent Acquisition Maturity Model
  • Recruitment Process Optimisation Methodology
  • Candidate Experience Journey Optimisation

Outcomes and Value Delivered

  • Consolidated 27 ATSs into a single global Workday Recruiting platform
  • Reduced time-to-hire by 31 days (32% improvement)
  • Increased offer acceptance rate from 68% to 86%
  • Achieved $45 million annual savings through process optimisation
  • Improved hiring manager satisfaction from 61% to 88%
  • Enhanced diversity hiring with 52% of management hires from underrepresented groups
  • Established predictive modelling for 18-month talent forecasting
  • Created a talent intelligence function, generating quarterly insights reports
  • Reduced agency usage by 65%, saving $28 million annually
  • Critical role pipelines strengthened with 85% fulfillment within 45 days
  • 94% retention rate of strategic new hires at 18-month mark

Client Testimonial

“Korn Ferry’s partnership transformed not just how we recruit but fundamentally changed how we think about talent as a strategic driver of innovation. Their data-driven approach and deep scientific expertise were particularly valuable as we rapidly scaled during the pandemic. The frameworks they established have become core to how we operate and a competitive advantage in the intensifying battle for specialised scientific talent.” — Dr. Yvonne Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer, Pfizer (HR Excellence Awards, 2023)

Key Success Factors

Global with local relevance: Created adaptable frameworks for market-specific implementation

Executive alignment: Secured CEO and C-suite commitment through clear impact modelling

Science-based approach: Applied validation studies for assessment methodologies

Change integration: Embedded change management throughout, not as an afterthought

Business integration: Connected talent strategy directly to R&D pipeline milestones

Technology enablement: Used technology as an enabler, not a driver, of transformation