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Sourcing top engineering talent is tricky. Engineers are in high demand, and the most talented candidates often have their pick of the jobs. This means it is crucial to have an effective hiring strategy in place and make your opportunity an attractive prospect.

BMR Solutions have been recruiting for technical sectors for over 30 years. We know what makes a good engineer, and have helped connect leading companies with the best talent around. We find our candidates their dream jobs, and our clients their dream candidates!

In this blog, we provide tips for finding and selecting high quality engineering candidates for your role.

7 Tips for Hiring Engineers Successfully

Sell the Opportunity

Make the job on offer stand out from the crowd. Highlight the benefits and make sure to note opportunities for growth and development – engineers are an ambitious bunch! Explain how the role has the potential to engage and challenge the right person. It might also be worth touching on career progression too if you want to hold onto the candidate long-term.

When it comes to writing a job description, keep it clear and specific. This will ensure you don’t receive applications from unsuitable candidates who have misunderstood the role. It also means desirable candidates immediately recognise your opportunity as applicable to their skillset and don’t skip past it!

For more tips on writing an effective job description, check out our step by step guide.

Share Your Company’s Story and Culture

Engage prospective candidates in your company culture to make your role even more appealing. Top candidates will often look beyond salary when choosing an offer, and workplace culture is a key factor. Promoting the story of your brand and its specific identity and culture helps differentiate you in a crowded job market.

A work environment that is diverse and welcoming to candidates from a wide range of backgrounds will ensure there are no barriers preventing prospective engineers from applying. Engineering is notoriously male dominated; don’t put off talented female engineers from applying by adhering to this stereotype. Make it clear your role is open to anyone with the right skills.

See more: Reviewing the Need for More Females in Engineering >

Optimise Every Stage of Your Process

Treat candidates well with communications that reflect how much you value your people. If you invite someone for an interview, make sure your process is comprehensive and structured to test for a range of skills. As well as this, try and incorporate an assessment of personality as well as technical skills. It’s important for any successful engineer to be passionate about their field and keen to learn and develop, so try to get a sense of them as a person during the interview.

When you get to the point of making an offer, do so quickly. Leaving only a short window between interview and closing reduces the risk of your candidate becoming frustrated and looking elsewhere. No one wants their ideal employee to be tempted away by another company!

Read more: How to Find and Hire the Best Site Engineers >

Have a Long Term Strategy

Don’t only think about hiring when you have a vacancy. The availability of premium talent and your recruitment needs may not always align. However, developing a network of desirable candidates allows for outbound sourcing which is often more efficient as a strategy. Keep in touch with candidates you don’t hire the first time round if you rate their skills. A vacancy may arise in the future that suits them perfectly. In which case, you will already have an established relationship.

Use Your Network and Encourage Employee Referrals

Utilise your network of other engineers and ask for recommendations. A recommendation from someone who has worked with the candidate before guarantees their skills are up to scratch. Many employers prefer hiring based on referrals because they see it as less of a risk. Another option is to offer incentives for employee referrals, though in this case you may find personal loyalty comes before suitability for the role.

Ask the Right Questions

With plenty of interview advice out there, many candidates will spend time preparing and memorising perfect answers to common questions. To make sure you really test the skills, passion and commitment of your prospective engineer, formulate a set of unique questions that will make them think on their feet. However, do ensure the interview process is structured and transparent so that it is clear what skills you are looking for.

Not an employer? Check out our blog: Tips for Acing a Virtual Job Interview >

Partner with a Recruiter

Sourcing quality candidates can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. Working with a recruiter is a great way to minimise the time you have to spend searching whilst still hiring first-rate employees. Recruiters usually have established networks and a pool of eager, qualified applicants ready to go. This means any vacancies you have can be filled quickly and effectively, streamlining the whole process.

If you do choose to partner with a recruiter, look for a company with expertise and a background in engineering to ensure they know what skills to look for in a candidate. A company like BMR Solutions, for example! Take a look at what we offer our clients here.

See more: Skills Spotlight: CAD (computer aided design) Tips for Engineers >

Hire Only the Best with Bristol’s Leading Technical Employer

BMR Solutions provide technical and professional staff for a wide range of engineering and manufacturing firms on a contract and permanent basis. With an established portfolio of clients in Bristol and further afield, we’re the first port of call for many talented candidates. If you’re looking for an exceptional engineer, we can connect you with the right person.

To find out more about how we can help you refine your recruitment, get in touch with our experienced team.

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