(Newswire.net — January 9, 2022) —
Good engineers solve problems by applying painstakingly learned principles of science, mathematics, and technology. Their work bridges the gaps between cutting-edge innovation and products and services that meet business, consumer, and societal needs. Not only that, but engineer often assist in project management, product and system design, construction, and testing. In other words, good engineers are crucial across a wide range of industries and sectors. They consistently innovate, collaborate, improve, and problem-solve to build better solutions.
When recruiting an engineer, you either need to be or need to find someone, a consultant, or an agency, who is adept at identifying the right skills for the role, writing a comprehensive and enticing job description, and interviewing candidates.
Hiring engineers in 2022 can be challenging. They are in high demand, which means the best of the bunch (and even the lesser) can often pick and choose which jobs to apply for and which firms to work for. This presents a real challenge. How to attract top engineering talent and persuade them to join your organisation.
As an umbrella term, ‘engineer’ regularly tops the charts as the fastest growing area of employment, and it is safe to say that there will be no shortage in demand for engineers over the coming years and decades.
A global skills shortage means that there are lots of opportunities out there for engineers to develop their career, chop, change, and choose from a range of jobs, making them even more difficult to pin down for a vacancy,
Throw into the mix a drop in interest in STEM careers in schools meaning fewer people get into engineering further and higher education courses, with the knock-on effect of fewer entering the market, and you have the perfect storm to thwart efforts the efforts of engineering recruiters.
Because great engineers are hard to find, those involved in engineering recruitment need to have efficient systems in place to get results.
To attract talented engineers, you need to either be, become, or at least appear to be the sort of organisation they want to work for. Yes, remuneration is important, but money has proven to be only a motivator in the short-term. The right people may, for instance, be drawn to roles where they can have a clear impact and see the results of their work out in the world, or they may be looking for learning, upskilling and development opportunities.
Workplace culture is also very important to business success. The recruiting process needs to begin with your brand. Demonstrate your company culture clearly on your website, social channels, and LinkedIn. For instance, if your company affords and encourages flexible working, make sure this USP stands out.
But you also need to write a killer job description. You need to go beyond simply describing the everyday ins and outs of the role. Look to strike a good balance between informing the candidate and persuading them.
As far as screening engineers prior to the interview process goes, it’s key to be thorough and take your time. Just because a candidate doesn’t tick all the boxes in the job description, it doesn’t mean they won’t be suitable – and vice versa. The last thing you want is to hastily hire someone with a dazzling set of skills who simply won’t gel with the rest of the team they will have to work with day in and day out. Arrange for an informal chat with applicants early one and get to know more about them, their motivations, and anything else that may be relevant to whether they’re going to be a good fit.
When interviewing prospective engineers, ask questions about the tasks they’ll be doing. You’ll want to ensure that candidates can demonstrate their prior experience, skills, and technical understanding within the context of this new role and new company.
Lastly, when you feel confident that you’ve found the right engineer for the job, move swiftly to secure them. Remember: there is a growing engineering skills shortage coupled with an ever-growing list of engineering roles to fill. There’s probably been at least two new types of engineering come into being since you started reading this article, and as new technologies continue to emerge at a furious pace, this supply and demand problem isn’t going anywhere soon.