In 2015 CK Group undertook a UK wide survey of those currently working in the sector to build an accurate picture of the recruitment landscape within QA. We took this decision as overt the past several years we have found the recruitment of Quality professionals more challenging in an ever changing market. This investigation returned some unexpected results which have given us an accurate and focussed view of the sector as a whole and what those working in it require to change position moving into 2017.

Our investigation found that most people working within QA fall into either the 10 years+ experience or below 2 years of experience which has created a gulf of experience in the mid to senior level bracket. We have hypothesised that this is due to the market slump during the recession where those that were in mid to senior level roles have now progressed in to senior roles but as there were fewer candidates entering the industry we are now faced with this anomaly.

As expected, we found that most QA people are currently working within the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. However we also found a marked increase of positions within the biotech sector. Biotech has grown substantially over the past few years and as it moves into more of a commercial phase the requirement for QA professionals will continue to grow. We believe there will be an increase of QA roles in this area in the coming years and it should be a real area of interest for QA professionals.

In regards to the type of contract that QA people prefer there is a 76/24 split of permanent / temporary workers in the market currently. Interestingly, 83% of people stated that they will be looking for a new job within the next two years with most preferring a permanent contract. We found this proportion of people to be looking for a new role quite surprising considering the lack of movement at the moment. This could be a result of those in more junior positions currently, looking to move in to mid/senior level positions. Even with the uncertainty we now face from the pending Brexit move we are confident that the permanent market will become stronger as we move forwards but as the rest of our findings will show, there are a number of key factors that the QA professional is looking at before they will consider making a move.

One of these key factors is location. Only 24% of people would definitely consider relocating for a role with 29% of people saying they may consider relocation. This means 47% of QA people are not willing to consider relocating under any circumstances. The good news is that there is a relatively even spread of QA people across the UK but with a noticeable higher number of people based in the South East, North West and North East. Therefore finding the very best candidate could be more difficult depending on location.

The other key factors are remuneration, status and security:

• Nearly 44% of people said they would require a higher salary and a better benefits package to consider a move. This group also said they would only move to what they would perceive to be a “better company”.
• Job security and progression/development opportunities scored very highly on key requirements, which wasn’t surprising but what was a surprise was the large number of people that stated flexible hours to be a key factor when looking at a new position.

In summary, the market is currently made up of highly experienced and relatively inexperienced people leaving a gap of hard to find mid-level candidates. Most people are only looking at positions based locally to them with a slight preference for roles based in London, the South East and the Midlands. This why recruiting for people with the QA field has become such a challenge and from our findings is why companies have to seriously look at what they are offering to secure the best QA people at any level but especially in the hard to find mid level sector. They are going to have to offer a stronger overall package than their competitors including salary, benefits, progression/development opportunities, job security and working hours. We know that there will be more people in the market in the coming years but for now if you want the very best available it will come at a premium.

To take a look at the infographic we produced here

For more information on the recruitment of QA professionals, or if you are considering a new role but would like further advice on the market, contact our QA recruitment professionals on:

Clinical QA: 01438 743 047

Science QA: 01438 723 500

A recent report published by the Social Market Foundation and EDF highlights the fact that 640,000 vacancies are predicted within the STEM sector over the next 6 years. This mirrors reports published in 2016 by the Wakeham Review of STEM Degree Provision and the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries which both highlight the current and future need to focus on increasing the number of STEM professionals within the life science and pharmaceutical industries.

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