How to attract and retain talent in the engineering sector in 2023

Demand for engineering talent continues to rise, following shifts in working patterns, changing consumer preferences, and the heightened need for digital transformation brought on by COVID-19.

The UK faced skills shortages even before COVID-19, with Brexit and the fall in sterling driving talent to move back to their home countries or seek better-paid employment elsewhere. In 2021 alone, the IET Skills Survey revealed that two-thirds of employers were suffering from engineering and tech skills gaps. And The Open University’s Business Barometer report found in June last year over two-thirds of small and medium-sized businesses, and almost 90% of large businesses, experienced skills shortages.

With engineering talent crucial for organisations to succeed in today’s ever-changing digital world, employers must rethink how they attract, hire, and retain them to ensure future success.

Identify the talent your business needs

To hire the right engineering talent, you need to understand where your talent gaps lie - then form a strategy to find that specific talent.

• Be proactive in your search for the right talent

Building relationships with universities, participating in job fairs, and attending industry-specific events are all great ways to connect with the exact engineering talent you need.

• Make sure you assess whether the candidates will fit into your company culture

Once you’ve found people with the right hard skills to suit your needs, it’s important to assess whether they’ll fit into your company culture. Using a combination of online tests, behavioural assessments, and tailored interview questions will ensure you hire people who will thrive within your company.

Create a compelling employer brand

Candidates are assessing your organisation just as much as you’re assessing them. Consider why the very best engineers want to work for you. Competitive pay is important, but a McKinsey study found that top tech talent is also driven by opportunities to build skills, work with emerging technologies, have a meaningful purpose in their role, and solve inspiring problems. You need to ensure you have a strong employer brand in order to attract top talent.

• Demonstrate what makes your company unique

Keep your online presence up-to-date, consistent, and dynamic by posting well-researched insights, stories from existing employees, as well as your stance and action taken on social issues. This makes your brand relatable and enables candidates to envision a positive experience working in your company.

• Highlight what makes you the right choice for promising candidates

Any opportunities for professional development should be clearly visible on your company’s website, told in employee testimonials on social media, and outlined in job posts. Do the same with partnerships you have and projects you collaborate on.

Offer competitive compensation and benefits

A good salary is important, but competition for engineering skills is fierce and you need to go beyond basic benefits to stand out.

• Remote work and flexible schedules

Offering remote working and flexibility is no longer an exception, but rather an expectation. Engineers regularly work on complex projects and offering them flexibility and remote or hybrid working options has become an important factor in attracting and retaining talent.

• Career development, training, and mentoring opportunities

Offering learning and development opportunities is an important benefit that can drive talent to your company and support engineers to keep pace with new technologies. And once they’re on board, they’re more likely to stay long-term. Access to industry-specific events, collaborating with engineering institutions and universities, and providing opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects are some of the perks that will catch the eye of ambitious candidates looking to progress in their careers within your organisation.

Attracting and retaining engineering talent requires a multi-faceted approach. Identifying the candidates you need and understanding their skills and goals is an essential starting point. Your employer brand needs to be strong, and both benefits and salary must be competitive.

Get in touch with our engineering team to discuss how we can help you attract top talent in 2023...

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