People may find it hard to get into the field of food safety auditing for a number of reasons:
- Lack of awareness: Many people may be unfamiliar with the food safety auditing profession, making it difficult to attract potential candidates. This lack of understanding may be due to limited information about the job and career opportunities.
- Lack of prestige: The food safety auditing profession may not be regarded as prestigious, especially when compared to other food-related careers such as food science or product development. This can make it difficult to attract talented individuals seeking career recognition.
- Some may perceive food safety auditing as a stagnant career with few opportunities for advancement. This perception could be due to a lack of knowledge about the various career paths available in the food safety auditing field and a scarcity of leadership positions in the industry.
- Lack of support: The food safety auditing profession may lack a robust support system, making it difficult for individuals to obtain the training, mentorship, and guidance they require to succeed in their careers.
- Long working hours: Food safety auditing frequently involves long hours, which can be a barrier for some people seeking a better work-life balance. This can make attracting people who value a more flexible work schedule challenging.
Despite these obstacles, attracting people to the food safety auditing profession is still possible by emphasizing auditors’ critical role in protecting public health, providing competitive salaries and benefits, and promoting professional development opportunities.
The following strategies can help:
- Emphasize the importance of food safety: Highlight the critical role that food safety auditors play in ensuring consumers’ health. Do share experiences and statistics about the impact of foodborne illnesses and the value of food safety audits in preventing them.
- Highlight professional development opportunities: Many talented people are looking for ways to grow and develop their skills. To attract and retain top talent, provide professional development programs and opportunities for advancement within the organization.
- Foster a positive and supportive work culture: A positive and supportive work culture can go a long way toward attracting and retaining top talent. Encourage open communication, offer opportunities for collaboration, and recognize your auditors’ accomplishments.
- Use social media and online platforms to promote the profession, your organization, and opportunities.
- Network with universities and attend industry events to reach out to potential candidates. Participating in career fairs and attending industry events can help you connect with talented people while promoting your organization as a great workplace.
- Provide opportunities for continuous personal development: Provide opportunities for training to assist individuals towards becoming more knowledgeable and qualified food safety auditors.
- Offer competitive salaries and benefits: Attracting talented individuals frequently begins with competitive wages and benefits. Offer comparable salaries to other food-related professions, and consider offering bonuses and other incentives to top performers.
By Marc Cwikowski
February 16, 2023
