How To Effectively Recruit Engineers In 2020

Finding experienced engineers is not going to be easy this year

In 2019 we clearly had an expanding economy fueled by high consumer and investor confidence. As a result money flowed from the sidelines and out onto the playing field, creating new jobs and a higher than normal demand for engineers. The result was low unemployment and high job satisfaction among engineers.
 

Finding experienced engineers wasn’t easy last year, and it’s not going to be easy this year either. The time and effort spent on looking for them, hiring the wrong ones, and then starting the process again is too costly for most small businesses. So, what should you do when you are in dire need of an experienced engineer?

The following tips are a culmination of years of recruiting experience for all types of engineers, including software, electrical, civil, structural, and many others, while adapting to the modern competitive labor market.

Don’t waste your time on job ads. They don’t work. If you assume all the good engineers are simply not looking at job postings, then why repeat the same costly and ineffective tactic over and over?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the unemployment rate among engineering professionals is very low, 1.9% for men and 2.8% for women. This doesn’t mean they wouldn’t consider working for you, though. According to the infographic below from a Clemson University survey, 12% of engineers are actively looking for work, and 45% are interested in speaking with a recruiter.
 

 

Have you noticed that every high caliber, capable, competent, and productive engineer are well kept and well compensated? They can be known by the ‘word on the street’, their public persona, their publications, patents, conference presentations, etc. Do you think they are looking for a new job right now? Nope.

Our experience from the last few years shows that all the good engineers are not actively looking for work. They all changed jobs a few years ago, and now have that cushy job they always wanted. If you assume they are not applying to your Indeed and LinkedIn job ads, well then you are probably right. So what do you do then?

We have found that going directly after the people you want to hire is the best way to fill your pipeline with qualified candidates. Yes, it is time consuming, but when you know exactly what you're seeking, this is the most effective tactic in a competitive labor market.

If you haven't already, start asking your current employees for referrals. Tell them to spread the word that you are hiring on their LinkedIn feeds. Even offer them a bonus if the referral gets hired.

When your employees post job openings in their LinkedIn feeds, ask them to include a picture that is related to the position - either of people working together, or a picture of one of your most recent projects. And always include a link to your online job description.

If you want all of your shared posts to be consistent, send your team the exact text, and picture you would like for them to share in their networks.

Don’t just consider this when you need to fill a position right away. Recruitment marketing is considered a “long play”, as it takes many months to build (or rebuild) your company brand. You should be engaging in recruitment marketing consistently to attract candidates to your company brand, so when you’re ready to hire, you have a pool of candidates to choose from. 

If you’re just learning about recruitment marketing, these are some of the strategies top companies use:
 

The above recruitment marketing strategies may seem overwhelming at first, but don’t worry. Once you get started, you’ll see that it’s not as difficult and time-consuming as it seems and they will practically deliver top engineers to your doorstep.

Your technical recruiting tactics should evolve and change with the available labor market. Knowledge of the engineering market and the most effective means of timely communication is key. Stay focused on proven, time-tested tactics, using referrals, passive recruiting, and recruitment marketing as needed, but also engage yourself in the newer tools of the trade. Consider also, the value of proven professional engineering recruiting services who are on the leading edge and most capable of delivering candidates to your hiring managers.

Chris Specht is the owner of Expect Technical Staffing. He helps companies of all sizes and industries find engineers, software developers, and many other technical professionals. Before becoming a technical recruiter, Chris spent over 20 years working as a mechanical engineer and then as a technical sales professional at Fortune 500 companies. He is known as the go-to guy when all attempts at recruiting engineers and developers has resulted in no new candidates.  Connect Chris Specht

Additional Resources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics