Teleflex (NYSE:TFX), ConMed (NSDQ:CNMD) and orthopedic fixation company Acumed top the list of best places to work in medtech sales in the coming year, according to a MedReps.com survey of medical sales representatives.
The 10th annual MedReps survey polled more than 2,000 medical sales professionals in October 2020 to get a better understanding of what employees look for in employers and how satisfied they are with their jobs.
A record-breaking 79% voted for their current employer, up from 70% last year. A whopping 95% of respondents said they are either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. The percentage of respondents who said they were actively looking for work rose slightly to 15%, compared with 11% last year and 24% the year before.
In a year plagued with uncertainties — a presidential election, a pandemic, wildfires, protests and more — medical sales professionals reported higher job satisfaction and an abundance of appreciation for their employers. Nearly every vote cast was accompanied by a comment praising the support they felt from their employer this year.
They also reported that they value work-life balance (80%), a focus on team-building and collaboration (56%) and a commitment to diversity and inclusion (26%).
This year, MedReps asked respondents to rate how their employer handled the pandemic and also to evaluate their employer’s efforts on diversity and inclusion in light of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
Respondents gave employers a score of 8.7 on the way they handled the pandemic, sharing stories of employers offering childcare resources to sending monthly treats to employees’ homes to supplementing the incomes of commissioned reps.
On diversity and inclusion, respondents gave employers an average rating of 8.2, with many mentioning new programs and initiatives in 2020, likely in response to the nationwide protests over the summer. While most respondents praised their employers’ efforts, several expressed frustration, saying the focus on diversity is overdone or unnecessary and that companies should focus on hiring the best person for the job.
The top things respondents said they love about their job include the ability to make an impact (32%) and an opportunity for growth (21%). Administrative work remained the No. 1 job complaint. However, in a year in which COVID regulations made face time with customers next to impossible, complaints about “gaining access to customers” increased to 31%, followed by stress (21%), regulations (20%) and money or commission structure (15%).
Here are the three medtech companies, in order of size, that received special mention in the report, along with Glassdoor quotations from past and present sales reps and other employees — and quotations from some MedReps respondents.