Tips to Hire AutoCad Architectural Drafting Students and Grads

Architectural Job Interview

Companies that need to hire specialized engineers, such as architectural drafters, have a unique challenge ahead of them. While these highly skilled positions are sought-after, the candidates seeking them are relatively rare. It can be challenging to find them, especially if your hiring process involves tossing a job listing on Indeed and calling it a day, or worse: posting it on your careers page without advertising it anywhere.

Luckily, you can improve your hiring process in a few notable ways by implementing these simple tips.

Advertise Where Candidates Look

Specialized engineers, architects, drafters, AutoCad pros, and other skilled students and new grads are looking for jobs, but they’re looking in specific places. So, to attract them, you need to advertise where they’re looking. Where is that?

  • University Career Resources. Many universities that offer engineering and architectural degrees maintain resources and job portals for their students. By reaching out and partnering with these universities, you can develop a direct pipeline of new potential hires.
  • Specialized Job Portals. Everyone knows of the big names in job sites, like Indeed, Monster, or CareerBuilder. Did you know that most industries have specialized job boards as well? For drafters and architectural engineers, you can also advertise on sites like Archinect, Coroflot, and AIAS Career Center. You can also look on new graduate career portals such as CollegeGrad.
  • Staffing Agencies. Agencies like RHM Staffing provide dedicated staffing services, connecting businesses looking to hire skilled talent with the new grads, students, and experienced drafters seeking work in their field.
  • Social Media. LinkedIn remains one of the best resources for companies and job seekers to connect. Facebook can also be valuable if your company maintains an active profile. You can also try sites such as Reddit, looking directly in architectural drafting and AutoCad-related subs.

The key is to put your job listing in front of the people who are most receptive to it. By narrowing your target audience and focusing more on skilled graduates, you can attract the best in rising talent.

Know What Your Candidates Want

The inexorable progress of technology, combined with the younger generation’s reliance on mobile technology and flexibility, as well as the pandemic shifting jobs around and bringing focus on lifetime priorities, have all combined, resulting in a change to the face of hiring as we know it.

Now, more than ever before, potential hires are concerned about three things:

  • Work/Life Balance. Living in – and for many, growing up in – a world where life can be disrupted at any moment has brought a keen focus on appreciation for life as it is. New hires don’t want to put in 14 hour days; they want an acceptable work-life balance with plenty of time to enjoy their youth, start families, and develop skills outside of work.
  • Flexible and Remote Work. Remote work, in particular, has become the norm in many fields. While some employers are leading the charge to return to offices, many who have gained a taste for it are no longer willing to do without the flexibility it offers.
  • Adequate Compensation. Greater awareness of income inequality and underpayment across the board is pushing pay rates for nearly every industry upwards, with the minimum wage to follow. Compensation will always be significant, but for students looking to build savings, buy homes, and survive in high cost of living areas, it’s critical.

Offering what your prospective hires want – rather than simply offering experience and the reputation of working for your firm – is the way to attract fresh, new talent.

Reach Out Today

Luckily, one of the best resources available to you is a dedicated staffing agency like ours. We combine professional experience in both the architecture field and in hiring to produce the best possible process to link firms with the talent they need. We’ll hire staff for you the same way we would for ourselves: with high standards and a focus on long-term value. Contact us today to experience the difference first-hand.