Top 5 Engineering Recruitment Challenges and How to Address Them

With demands for quality engineers growing and the supply shrinking, engineering firms need to be savvy in how they recruit top talent. As part of our engineering recruitment service, TRS is able to match skilled engineers with organisations, ensuring that your company’s requirements are met.

From addressing skills shortages to how to appeal to young and up-and-coming engineers, we explore the top recruitment challenges faced by engineering firms and how TRS is well-positioned to tackle them.

What are the current recruitment challenges faced by engineering firms?

1. Attracting the right talent

For many organisations, finding qualified and experienced candidates is increasingly difficult, due to a competitive market. 

According to Engineering UK’s graduate outcomes research:

• Engineering and technology graduates are more likely to be in work than graduates from other subjects
• Two thirds of engineering graduates went to work in engineering jobs
• These graduates tend to earn more than in other sectors

With this in mind, it’s clear that engineering graduates are in high demand. Attracting talent can be competitive due to the options these graduates have available to them. To best attract these candidates, we recommend partnering with an engineering recruiter who has a wealth of industry expertise. That’’s where TRS comes in. 

2. Standing out as an innovative employer

Similar to our above point, when a quality potential candidate comes along, chances are that your firm is not the only one vying for their attention. 

With demand for engineers’ high, standing out as an innovative employer might be the difference between securing and losing a strong candidate. There are often many more elements that go into appealing to new recruits besides money, such as company culture, flexible working hours, and company benefits.

3. Skills shortages

In recent years, there has been a shortage of skilled candidates for specific roles. As a result, engineering firms are struggling to fill the growing number of roles available. 

According to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the engineering sector could face an “NHS-like workforce crisis” without a solid skills focus. The IMechE has warned that if skills and training are not prioritised, engineering could face a crisis, calling for the government to look into a fresh approach to provide the skills needed.

4. Establishing a connection with candidates

Another recruitment challenge that engineering firms are facing is not just identifying potential hires, but also connecting with them. 

Firms eager to attract top talent face an ongoing demand to leverage social channels to successfully engage not only active candidates, but passive ones too. There can often be a skewed perception of engineering, so organisations that don’t exploit social media to represent their company and challenge these perceptions are missing out on attracting potential new hires.

5. Appealing to a younger demographic

Engineering firms often focus their recruitment efforts on employing more experienced engineers and technicians, and as a result, miss out on a whole pool of young talent. 

Organisations that compete to secure experienced talent, raising salaries and offers in accordance with this, are narrowing the margin for young and upcoming hires. There are many benefits of widening recruitment efforts to include young engineers from universities or apprenticeships, including the opportunity to train and develop these individuals in the way organisations would like. Not to mention, young engineers often bring enthusiasm and a desire to prove themselves to the table.

How well-positioned is TRS well positioned to overcome these recruitment challenges?

Despite these growing challenges in the market, TRS’ unique position means we are able to source top talent for organisations. 

We understand that having the right personnel is crucial to a flourishing business. We can help you identify, attract and retain top talent, in order to grow the long-term aims of your organisation. We do this by pinpointing missing gaps in your teams, which we then fill with our engineering specialists, to ensure your business needs are met. 

TRS’ industry experience and knowledge means we are able to expertly select the right candidate to fit your corporate culture and working environment, who will be an asset to your team.

Recruiting for the ideal candidate can be time-consuming, but TRS’s proficiency in recruitment can cut this time down significantly. 

In addition, our research and development teams will make this entire process much more manageable by evaluating and placing relevant candidates with you, as part of our strategic and time-efficient staffing solution. 

Our global position means we are well placed to support you with your recruitment needs, whether this is in South Africa or South America. Wherever you may be, you will benefit from our global reach, local focus, and unrivalled knowledge in the engineering sector.

Connect with TRS Staffing Solutions today for your hiring needs

To find out more about how our engineering recruitment service can help your organisation secure talented engineers, visit our Direct Hire page. Alternatively, you can contact your regional branch to discuss your business requirements.

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3. How to effectively manage a global workforce
4. The five major benefits of hiring an Engineering Staffing Agency