How to Hire Engineers in “The New Normal”

In the increasingly competitive landscape of recruiting and hiring engineers, employers have to find new and innovative ways to make their engineering talent acquisition strategy competitive and thrive. But transitioning from an old-school model of hiring engineers hasn’t been easy for most organizations. So what can businesses do about it?

This article will walk you through ways organizations can refine their hiring practices, job offers, and benefits packages to attract the best engineering talent in a hiring landscape that is increasingly becoming known as “the new normal.”

Reconsider the typical interview process

Why is the market for hiring engineers becoming known as “the new normal?” Because the upheaval our economy experienced during the pandemic revealed some long-overdue changes to hiring. That’s a bell that cannot be un-rung. As a result, job seekers refuse to go back to the way things were.

But most companies today are still using an outdated interview process to hire engineers. Typically, this includes a meet-and-greet with the hiring manager, phone interviews with 3-5 people, and a technical test to gauge aptitude, followed by radio silence while (presumably) the candidate is considered for the role.

But to today’s engineers, this process is way off the mark. Instead, they’re looking for companies who are interviewing differently. In fact, in recent years, engineers have become even pickier about where they’ll work based on the experiences of their interviews.

The high level of competition between companies today means engineers should be getting rapid responses, face-to-face feedback, and much better communication throughout a significantly shorter interview process. 

Onboarding is a critical first step to successfully hiring engineers

Many companies have a three-week process for all new hires, but this doesn’t work when you’re competing in the market for engineers. 

Companies should consider enhancing the standard onboarding process and making it more agile, relevant, and informative to retain top talent. If the onboarding experience is not properly paired with an individual’s needs and pace of learning, you could be setting up the recruit for failure.

But when you put in the time to assess your current onboarding processes and how it can be improved, you could see a big shift in not just retention but also improving your employer brand.

Make sure the work environment is a good fit

Today, it’s critical to match candidates with the right team. Unfortunately, some companies focus too heavily on other benefits like compensation and insurance while ignoring the culture fit. A poor fit can lead to disgruntled employees and high turnover rates.

During the screening and interview process, you should ensure that everyone has a good feeling about the potential hire based on their values and what they care about. If someone isn’t a good cultural fit for your team, you should respond promptly and professionally, so they aren’t kept waiting while members of your recruiting team are considering other options.

Looking for a good cultural fit and providing more communication in a shorter interview process are all part of providing engineers with a better candidate experience. 

Offer competitive benefits and perks

Because engineers have become more selective about where they decide to work, companies compete aggressively for the top talent by offering perks such as flexible work schedules, remote work options, free daily breakfast, gym memberships, tuition reimbursement, and company retreats.

One key strategy seems to be offering a combination of benefits that emphasizes work/life balance and financial perks. Such a balance in benefits may be instrumental in attracting and retaining engineers who have families but are looking for flexibility in their professional lives.

This type of talent acquisition strategy is critical to getting top talent. In fact, several companies have seen their annual revenue increase simply by offering a better benefits package to the top engineers they want on their teams.

RHM Staffing Solutions

Time is everything when it comes to your projects. Using specialized engineer staffing agencies makes your life easier when you need to hire a new employee for your engineering firm. At RHM Staffing Solutions, we understand your industry inside and out, and we’ve worked with countless companies in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Contact us today to get started.