As food safety professionals gathered at the GFSI conference in Vancouver last week and discussed, among other key topics, the future of food safety auditing, it is timely to consider the urgent need to strengthen and revitalize the auditing profession.
Building on our experience and research, auditors are vital for trust in supply chains and industry improvement. However, the profession struggles to attract and keep talent due to several issues, including dissatisfaction with pay, career stagnation, and lack of recognition.
In a time of complex global supply chains, attracting new generations to auditing is crucial. Here are seven strategies to boost interest in the profession.
1. Improve Compensation and Close the Gap with Consulting Roles
To attract more people to auditing, improve pay, and close the gap with consulting roles. Many auditors feel undervalued, comparing workload, responsibilities, and travel demands to consultants’ higher earnings. Our 2025 research shows third-party auditors often become disillusioned, realizing consulting roles offer better pay and fewer administrative burdens. This imbalance causes current auditors to consider other careers and discourages new entrants. Addressing this gap with competitive salaries and incentives would boost the profession’s appeal.
2. Strengthen Public Recognition and Internal Appreciation
A second approach is increasing public and internal appreciation. Auditors’ efforts, crucial for safety and compliance, often go unnoticed, hurting motivation. Highlighting their achievements and impact on metrics shows their work is valued. This support would help auditors feel appreciated and make auditing a respected career.
3. Create Clear Career Paths and Growth Opportunities
Creating clear career paths and growth opportunities boosts the profession’s appeal. Auditors often perceive limited advancement, influencing decisions to stay or leave. Internally, decisions are affected by access to professional development, visible promotions, and recognition. A clear progression from junior to senior roles, plus ongoing training in digital auditing, risk analytics, psychology, and culture, would foster upward mobility. When people see a future in auditing, they are more likely to join and remain.
4. Reduce Administrative Burden and Simplify Audit Processes
A fourth opportunity is to reduce administrative burdens and simplify audit processes. Complex standards, overlapping requirements, and heavy workloads frustrate auditors. Improving communication, streamlining standards, harmonizing criteria, clarifying changes, and adopting easier documentation tools would help auditors focus on evaluation rather than administrative tasks.
5. Invest in Digital Tools That Enhance (Not Replace) the Auditor Experience
The fifth way to attract professionals is by investing in digital tools that support and enhance auditors’ roles. Digital transformation helps modernize, simplify, and make auditing more appealing. Industry research shows digital tools can reduce fatigue, aid decision-making, and increase the strategic value of audits. Deploying remote technologies where and when relevant, adopting automated scoring and AI reviews are examples of how to improve efficiency and insights. Technology should empower auditors and expand their skills, not diminish their roles.
6. Elevate the Professional Identity of Auditors
The sixth pathway targets strengthening auditors’ professional identity, which keeps them engaged when they feel trusted, respected, and connected. Enhancing this involves building networks, encouraging sharing through publications or conferences, and offering cross-industry exposure. When the profession is seen as stimulating, purposeful, and vital for public health, it attracts those seeking meaningful careers.
7. Modernize the Narrative: Auditing as Strategic, Not Administrative
The final way to attract more people to auditing is to update the profession’s story. Although auditors play strategic roles in governance, improvement, and trust-building in supply chains, their public image remains outdated. Clearly communicating this modern reality can change perceptions among students, early-career professionals, and career changers. Emphasizing the strategic importance of audit findings, auditors’ role in protecting public health, and the profession’s mission-driven nature demonstrates that auditing is a dynamic, future-oriented career, not just paperwork.
Call to Action
The future of food safety relies on a strong auditing profession, which starts with all of us. Whether leading a team, shaping standards, training auditors, or influencing culture, now is the time to act. Let’s support fair pay, invest in people and technology, remove barriers, and elevate the profession’s image to attract talent.
To build a resilient, trustworthy global food system, we must make auditing a respected, rewarding, future-ready career. The next generation won’t appear by chance; they will come from the conditions we create to motivate them.
