Pfizer is slimming down its sales force in India to drive a digital transformation. But instead of voluntary retirement, some staffers have reportedly been unexpectedly fired.
Pfizer abruptly terminated over 200 of its Indian sales reps June 6, news network NewsClick reported. The layoffs come two months after Pfizer’s Indian operation rolled out a voluntary retirement scheme for the field staffers there.
A Pfizer spokesperson confirmed to Fierce Pharma that it has cut some jobs but didn’t clarify the number of employees affected nor whether they were forced actions.
“[T]here are some strategic changes to our workforce in India to ensure we have the expertise and resources in place to meet our customers’ changing needs,” the spokesperson said. The affected employees are receiving proper support including career transition services and extended medical insurance on top of severance pay, the spokesperson added.
Pfizer is changing its “go-to-market model,” the spokesperson explained, and, as such, the company has created new roles focusing on digital engagement. Some of these jobs are being taken up by existing staffers, while others are new hires.
But this makeup “unfortunately requires that some of our colleagues pursue their future career outside of Pfizer,” the spokesperson said.
Pfizer India unveiled the digital upgrade, along with a voluntary retirement scheme, in April. The Indian unit at the time laid out a three-pronged approach to its talent pool as the firm expands its digital capabilities to enhance its customer experiences. It’s hiring new employees with “futuristic skills and a growth mindset” and training existing workers, all the while cutting off others.
Pfizer’s digital push appears to be a groupwide effort. In January, Fierce Pharma reported that the New York pharma was eliminating a few hundred U.S. sales positions while adding about half that number of posts as the company evolves how it engages with healthcare professionals in an increasingly digital world.