In today’s candidate-driven talent market—where employers are competing for top engineering talent—it’s more important than ever to differentiate your organization to attract quality candidates. In this blog, we explore the top three roles leaders plan to hire in 2022 and how to recruit top engineering talent.

Top 3 Engineering Roles

1. Industrial/manufacturing engineers
   Industrial engineers look for ways to reduce waste and improve production processes. To make a product—or provide a service—in the most efficient way possible, industrial engineers devise ways in which to use workers, machines, materials, information, and energy. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a large role in empowering manufacturing engineers’ workflow to derive increased efficiency through the automation of certain tasks and processes to make them more productive. Average job growth outlook from 2020-2030: 14 percent
2. Electrical engineers
   Electrical engineering is divided into a multitude of fields including computer, systems, and power engineering. From solar-energy systems to cell phones, electrical engineers are responsible for improving the devices and systems we use each day. The work they do is very important to keep the world running and surrounds all areas of our lives. Average job growth outlook from 2020-2030: 7 percent
3. Mechanical & design engineers
   Mechanical engineers are responsible for anything with moving parts—including components, machines, and the human body. They design, develop, build, and test machines and products and look for a way to improve them. The ability to think outside the box to develop solutions to everyday problems is important in mechanical engineering. Average job growth outlook from 2020-2030: 7 percent

Soft Skills to Access

Soft skills are the non-technical skills that help engineering professionals interact and maintain good interpersonal relationships with their clients, co-workers, and managers. To ensure engineering candidates can perform effectively, be sure to look for these important soft skills during the hiring process.

Teamwork: Effective teamwork is the core of engineering operations. Large engineering projects can’t be completed alone, therefore teamwork is important for engineers when working on product development or a project or manufacturing team. Indeed has compiled interview questions to ask to access for teamwork skills.    

Communication: Engineers must possess the ability to communicate complex technical problems, ideas, and solutions to clients clearly and logically—which requires strong communication skills. Here are ways to uncover a candidate’s communications skills in an interview.

Creativity: It takes creativity to make quick decisions when things don’t go as planned. Signs of creativity include analytical thinking skills, open-mindedness, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate how to solve a problem.

What Engineer Candidates are Seeking

What will it take to attract and retain top engineering talent in today’s labor market? Below are a few examples of what job seekers are looking for in a potential employer.

• Reputation: Candidates want to know that your company is stable and has a positive reputation. Showcasing engineering excellence awards your organization has won is a great way to demonstrate both of these attributes.
• Corporate values: Highlight details of what makes your organization unique and share your corporate values with engineering candidates. This will help job applicants determine if they’ll be a good fit.
• Creative and challenging work environment: Engineers need a work environment conducive to creativity and they relish the opportunity to work on exciting, technical challenges.
• Flexible benefits and work environment: Does your organization offer hybrid work options and/or a 10 hour/4-day work week? Engineers are looking for an environment that fosters work-life balance.
• Opportunities for growth and development: Employees want to know they bring value to the work they do. Engineers seek continuous skill development and meaningful growth opportunities.

Summary

Although it’s never been easy to hire engineers, it’s become much more competitive in recent months. It’s important to understand what motivates engineers and how to differentiate your organization from your competitors. By being aware of what candidates are seeking and taking the time to connect with them during the interview process, you will be in a much better position to attract and retain top engineering talent in 2022.