If you are considering hiring a new regulatory affairs team member for your medical device or IVD company, it’s important that you consider how COVID-19 has affected how regulatory affairs professionals (and professionals from other disciplines across MedTech) now approach work. After two years of working remotely, it appears the work from home approach is here to stay. As a medical device and IVD recruitment business, we’re also seeing a real trend in our candidates’ priorities. ‘Live to work’ has been replaced across the board with ‘work to live, and this shift means that candidates are now looking for more flexibility, support and empathy from their employers. 

Regulatory affairs is a profession that lends itself well to remote working. Regulatory professionals often work with teams and partners across multiple countries/regions, across different time zones. The use of technology means that remote regulatory affairs workers can work virtually alongside their international colleagues at the click of a button. Remote working technology also means that teams that do face the challenge of different time zones can better accommodate working together, as it is easier to work from a home office an unusual hours that it is from a managed office space. 

Offering regulatory affairs remote jobs isn’t just beneficial for employees though, it is also highly beneficial for employers. Companies that embrace remote working can now access talent pools in locations that were never possible before. They are able to take advantage of hidden gem talent pools, where there are a high concentration of qualified candidates and low supply of jobs. They are able to hire at more competitive rates, and get out of the ‘fishing in the same pool’ approach which inflates salaries and decreases retention. Employers can access a whole blue ocean of untapped regulatory affairs talent. Supporting remote working as a business can also help to decrease office and operational costs, freeing up budget to invest elsewhere in the business. Employers who champion flexible working, mental health support and a healthy work-life balance will ultimately secure the best candidates on the market. 

The rise of remote working in regulatory affairs

Since the start of the pandemic, we as recruiters have witnessed first hand the shift in what regulatory affairs professionals are looking for from their next job. The pandemic has shown employers and employees alike that productivity and progress can be achieved working from home, and regulatory affairs professionals are now keen to maintain this work-life balance. We are also seeing more and more jobs coming in from medical device and IVD employers that are fully remote or hybrid working, highlighting that employers are hearing what their candidates are saying and are responding positively!

Seeking employers who are supportive and kind

Empathy at work is another big trend that we’ve seen emerge from the pandemic.  COVID-19 has threatened our freedom, our health and even our lives – and the lives of the people we love. It has reminded us how precious life is, and that a more equal blend between work and life is needed to stay happy and engaged with our jobs. The impact of lockdowns, self-isolation and protecting our loved ones has taken its toll on everyone’s mental health, and employers who are stepping up to support their teams with kindness and empathy are winning employee loyalty and increased motivation as a result. 

Prioritising companies who live by their values

The values you stand for as a business, and how you translate them into actions for your customers and employees, has risen to the top of candidates’ agendas. Joining an employer with a strong sense of purpose and a clear ‘why’ helps employees to feel connected to something meaningful and something that is bigger than themselves. Employers should use employer branding to communicate these values in order to attract and retain the best regulatory affairs talent.

As the regulatory affairs landscape in medical device and IVD companies shifts, and as candidate expectations change to better fit the stresses of the pandemic and the priorities it has revealed, companies need to work hard to win over the best professionals in the market. We are here to help businesses understand these changes and how to meet candidates in the middle, to offer them competitive packages that mean something more than salary and standard benefits. Get in touch with our team today to discuss your regulatory affairs opportunities, the best way to attract the talent you’re looking for, and who in our network could be a perfect fit for your team!

You can also learn more about regulatory affairs professionals around the world and their perspectives towards current issues such as the impact of COVID-19 and the level of diversity, equity and inclusion in regulatory affairs in our first-of-its-kind report (created in partnership with RAPS!). Download the report here.