Intangibles Often Lead to Game-Changing Hires

After more than two decades in pharmacy recruiting, I’ve reviewed thousands of résumés and helped place pharmacy professionals in clinical, retail, long-term care, and specialty roles across the country. And if there’s one lesson I’ve learned — especially in recent years — it’s this:
The best hires aren’t just the most qualified on paper. They’re the ones who fit.
That fit isn’t just about skill — it’s about communication, adaptability, and how someone meshes with your team and your pharmacy’s culture.
It’s about the intangibles or, as Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz famously put it, “Hiring is an art, not a science, and résumés can never tell the whole story.”
This rings especially true in pharmacy today. Below, I’ll share five key insights to help you refine your hiring process and start identifying candidates who are not only capable — but truly transformational for your team.

Don’t Just Look for Job Skills — Look for Work AgilityClick To Add Text

The pharmacy world is changing fast — automation, AI, new regulations, and expanding clinical roles. You need people who can pivot with the profession.
When I interview candidates, I always listen for signs of adaptability. Do they talk about learning from failure? Are they curious? Have they taken on responsibilities outside their job description?
Adaptability doesn’t show up in credentials — but it shows up every day on the job.

Communication Isn’t Soft — It’s Strategic

The best pharmacists and techs I’ve placed have one thing in common: they communicate with clarity, confidence, and empathy.
In today’s high-pressure pharmacy environments, communication isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a safety issue. Miscommunications can affect patient care, team morale, and even compliance. I recommend incorporating scenario-based interview questions that simulate real pharmacy challenges. It’s the best way to see how someone thinks — and speaks — on their feet.

Hire for Culture, Not Just for Coverage

I get it — when you're short-staffed, it’s tempting to fill the gap fast. But if the hire doesn’t align with your values or team dynamic, you’ll be back at square one (or worse). Culture fit doesn’t mean hiring people who are all the same. It means hiring people who understand and contribute to your mission — whether that’s efficiency, patient education, community impact, or innovation. Take time to define your pharmacy’s ethos. Then design your interviews to reflect it. I’ve seen too many hiring teams skip this step and pay the price later with high turnover or toxic team dynamics.

Let Your Team Weigh In

One of the most effective hiring strategies I recommend: involve your team in the process. Not only does this give candidates a better understanding of the work culture, it also provides you with valuable feedback from the people who will be working alongside them.
A brief peer interview or even a shadow shift can uncover how well a candidate fits into your workflow, communication rhythm, and workplace energy. These insights are gold — especially when hiring for long-term impact.

Create Space to Spot the Intangibles

You can’t assess adaptability, communication, or cultural fit with yes/no questions or a checklist. You need to create space in your interview process for storytelling, critical thinking, and self-reflection. Ask open-ended questions. Encourage candidates to describe challenges they’ve faced and how they navigated them. And most importantly, listen closely. Intangible qualities are often revealed between the lines.

Hire for Who They Are, Not Just What They Know

There’s no shortage of skilled pharmacy professionals out there — but finding the right one for your organization takes more than reviewing licenses and work history. It takes intention, patience, and a willingness to prioritize fit over speed. In my experience, the pharmacies that build strong, resilient teams are the ones that invest in the whole person — not just the résumé.

Let’s stop hiring just to fill a shift. Let’s start hiring to build the future of pharmacy.

Want help refining your interview process to uncover the right intangibles? I’m happy to share tools, questions, and insights — just reach out.