Welcome to Leadership Lab, a column dedicated to biopharma executives aiming to enhance their leadership skills and advance their careers. Every other month, Michael Pietrack, the practice lead for Kaye/Bassman’s pharma and biotech recruiting team and host of “The Pharmaverse Podcast,” shares a valuable leadership insight. 

In this column, we’ll discuss five ways leaders can help their team after a layoff. Those who follow these five imperatives are restoring trust with employees, which helps their companies retain talent.

The biopharmaceutical industry is undergoing a period of painful contraction. Clinical setbacks, shifting pipelines, economic headwinds and capital constraints have forced even the most promising companies to make difficult personnel decisions. While these decisions are often strategically sound, the impact on people is significant and long lasting.

For those who remain in leadership roles, the real challenge begins after the layoffs. Teams are now leaner, and team psychology is often fragile. What your employees need at this moment is not just a manager of tasks, but a true leader.

This is not leadership under normal conditions. This is leadership under pressure. And in these moments, five imperatives emerge for biopharma leaders committed to restoring trust and retaining talent.

Layoffs don’t just change head