Permanent vs Contract vs Executive Search: Choosing the Right Pharma Hiring Strategy

When pharma companies want to hire, choosing how to hire is just as important as who to hire. Permanent roles, contract hires, and executive search all have their place, but picking the wrong route can cost time, money, and momentum.

I see this all the time in my work at Zenopa. Because I talk with candidates and clients daily, I notice when hiring strategies don’t match the need, and what happens when they do.

What Each Strategy Brings

A permanent hire is someone you bring in full-time. They fit into your long-term structure. If you need stability, ongoing expertise, or someone to build teams or own a product line, permanent roles are often best.

Contract hires are useful when you have specific, shorter-term demands. Maybe you’re launching a project, need extra support through a regulatory submission, or have a tight deadline. Contractors give agility, you scale up fast, then scale down without the long-term commitment.

Then there’s executive search, which is for senior, high-impact roles, heads of regulatory affairs, medical affairs, market access leadership, etc. These are harder to fill, often require rare skills or proven track records; and the process needs precision, discretion, and time.

When to Use One vs The Other

Sometimes the urgency dictates the strategy. If you need someone yesterday to cover a regulatory gap, a contract person might be your best bet. But if you foresee growth or want someone to shape culture and strategy, permanent makes more sense.

Executive search comes into play when the role has a large scope: you’re changing direction, entering new markets, or need leadership who can influence across functions. For those roles, you often need someone who understands both the technical and commercial sides of pharma, that kind of experience doesn’t show up in every CV.

Risks of Picking Incorrectly

If you choose permanent when a contract was more appropriate, you might end up with someone who’s underutilised at points, but you’re still paying full cost. Meanwhile, dragging out an executive search can lead to missed opportunities, a competitor might snap up the person you were hoping for.

Another risk is mismatch in expectations. Contract roles may lack long-term incentives, meaning the contractor may not be as invested. Permanent roles that don’t offer clear progression or aligned benefits can lead to turnover. Executive hires, if rushed, may not get the right alignment with company strategy or culture.

How Zenopa Supports Your Decision

As a pharmaceutical recruiter, I work with clients to help assess which strategy fits best for their situation. We support permanent and contract roles, plus executive search, across marketing, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, market access, business intelligence and more.

What this gives you is expertise in all three strategies, plus data and feedback from candidate pools so you can decide quickly. We help you avoid wasting time guessing which route to take.

Final Thoughts

The best hiring strategy depends on your current needs: growth, depth, speed, or strategic direction. Choosing the right mix of permanent, contract, or executive recruitment can make or break timelines and outcomes.

If you’re planning to add new roles, considering changes in leadership, or need extra support for short-term projects, it’s worth talking through your options. Visit our Pharmaceutical Recruitment page or get in touch to see how we can support your hiring strategy, whichever route you take.