FDA personnel retention
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Annual turnover rate of 8% among employees indicates that morale at the agency is improving, FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford tells AdvaMed attendees. "We believe that traditionally and historically about an 8% turnover of personnel on an annual basis is a helpful thing for FDA," he said, noting, "it would be very difficult to manage any material changes in the personnel profile at FDA if we had no turnover." However, if the agency experienced "20-30% turnover every year, that would also be virtually unmanageable," he pointed out. One way FDA is able to maintain key personnel is through a program that allows the agency to forgive student loans of up to $40,000 for medical officers and give them a signing bonus of up to 25% of their base salary, Crawford explained. In terms of recruiting, the agency is "very competitive in the Washington, [D.C.] area," he opined...