When looking for new engineers, most companies focus on formal qualifications and previous experience. While both are undoubtedly very important factors, neither is a good indicator of how well a new engineer will integrate into your team, how passionate he or she is about engineering, and whether he or she has the ability to think outside the box and find innovative solutions to common technical problems.
- Work with experienced, niche-focused recruiters for specialised insight
One of the first steps to recruiting engineers who will be of real benefit to your company, is to work with a specialist engineering recruiter that operates in the engineering and related sectors. The reason for this is simple, you’ll be working with a company and a recruiter who works exclusively with engineers.
Every conversation you have with candidates and clients will revolve around the engineering market, its trends and the talent it has to offer. An experienced engineering recruiter can use their knowledge to suggest transferable skills and compatibility – an insight you won’t get elsewhere.
2. Gain access to a wider network of top talent in your industry
Experienced engineering recruiters not only have access to a large internal database and job boards – their most important asset is their established personal network of engineering contacts. They have access to engineering talent that cannot be found elsewhere, and this is particularly important in a skills shortage when other recruiters may all be looking in the same place
3. It’s not just what you know but who you know
An established engineering placement company is recognisable to most engineers. Consequently, they are much more likely to engage with and trust a reputable recruiter known for their work in the engineering sector. To have the assistance of a reputable recruiter on your side when searching for the best engineers will make the hiring process faster and easier for your company.
4. Make use of recruitment techniques designed to identify outstanding candidates for the engineering profession
Seasoned specialist recruitment professionals have long utilised the following techniques that have all proven to be of great help in finding talented engineers with the potential to become valued members of a productive team:
- Screening potential candidates to save you time and resource using predetermined criteria in order to filter top performing individuals suitable for specific roles which your senior management team can then proceed in interviewing.
- Incorporating a real-life scenario or team work exercise into the interview, either by assessing applicants in pairs or by asking an existing member of your engineering team to participate in order to further assess interpersonal abilities.
- In addition to the above questions, it is worth asking applicants to talk about engineering projects they have worked on in their spare time. Those who are passionate about technology are likely to be involved with it in their spare time.
If you do not have time for detailed interviews of this nature or if you require access to wider networks and broader specialist industry experience, you can get help from KPR Specialist Recruitment. We provide recruitment services to numerous companies in the engineering sector and associated industries.
Contact us today to get started.
