According to experts, finding a professional engineer can be a lot harder than expectedwithin the hiring process; the reason being that there are just not enough qualified engineers available to fill open positions. Securing professional engineers can be a near impossible task, therefore, tosecurea good candidate for your company, you need to understand the best practices of how to conduct both yourself and your business.

Engineers are constantly in demand by businesses everywhere, meaning that there is intensepressure on companies when it comes to sourcing the best employees and retaining them. Here are a few pointers as to how you can find the best possible engineers:

Create a clear interview process

When it comes to hiring, many small companies make the mistake of changing up their interview technique, dependent on the candidate who happens to walk through the door. Although yourtechniquemay have had a vague structure initially, it is often the case that the conversation can get shifted, meaning you lose out on importantquestions and answersthat could influence your decision on whether the candidate is a suitable one. While a relaxed and informal chat can work for many industries, it should be avoidedwhen it comes to finding an employee to take on engineering work.

As the engineering industry requires a great deal of academic knowledge, each candidate should be asked the exact same questions and be given identical tests, so that it is far easier to compare results and make a well-informed decision. It may also be worth inviting successful candidates into a group interview environment to see how they work with one another and under pressurewhile up against their competition.

The candidate holds a relevant degree

To become a goodengineer, candidates should hold a relevant degree in which they have gained valuable practical and theoretical knowledge. The term ‘engineer’ is in many cases misinterpreted - an electrician may consider themselves to be a fully-fledged engineer, but their skillset and level of training dictates otherwise. Be aware when possible candidates are boosting themselves up and claiming they have an education and skillset they don’t hold.

In some cases, engineers may have trained at an apprenticeship level, but it would always be worth seeking candidates who have achieved a master’sdegree or beyond. University graduates have a greater ability to problem solve and have been educated with the latest industry knowledge that may provide useful during practical projects.

Due to the fact that engineers are now in short supply and finding experienced candidates can be a grueling task, you simply can’t afford to lose your current engineers to other companies. With this in mind, it would be extremely worthwhile to invest in their future and enroll them onto an online electrical engineering degree. Such courses will teach the likes of designing, building, analyzing and signal processing; all of which are critical skills within the quick developments of technology. An opportunity for development should encourage current candidates to remain in knowing that there is potential for further work and progression.

Ask a professional to help

If you are new to the search and are unsure what exactly you are looking for when it comes to hiring engineers, it would always be worth asking for professional assistance from those already working in the field. If you are in the know of someone in the technology sector, it would be worth briefly asking if they can recommend any professional engineers looking for work.

Make your company attractive to potential candidates

As engineers are in such short supply, allowing your company to stand out from the crowd is fundamental for attracting the right candidates. At the current time, the way in whichvarious businesses market their company is an essential element of the hiring process; regardless of the industry.

Your company should appear desirable to the candidate, so they see the open position as an opportunity that can’t be refused. This tactic is an important factor in company branding. In simple terms, building a brand is the way in which you promote your company’s message, mission,and culture. One way to start on your branding technique would be to document your company’s specialismand the employee benefits on offer. As you will most likely be aiming to attract millennials, you need to discover what it is that will encourage them to pay attention and be aware of the emerging trends in engineering.

If you haven’t yet considered your branding techniques, it would be wise to write up a website page entitled ‘What it means to be an engineer at (company).’This will give potential candidates the chance to gain a clearer understanding of your company’s core values, aswell as getting aclearerscope of what it would be like to work for your business.

Give professional talks

Allow potential candidates to learn what your business is about by attending industry events and giving talks; whether it be on a guest post you have worked on, a news-relevant issue in the engineering sector or even just giving industry advice to youngsters who are looking tosecure an engineering role in the near future.

One of the best practices for giving a guest talk is to plan a speech that can be re-used at multiple events and promotes a message which holds yourcompany’s best interests at heart. People are far more likely to remember your brand if they can put a face to a name and face-to-face meetings willgive you the chance to connect with professional engineers who are looking to start work. It is much better than communicating via email before an interview as you can get an instant feel for their character.

If you have tried the online job advert procedure with little success, meeting potential candidates with this set-up will give you a prime opportunity to secure the best candidates informally. Chat with those who wish to find out more about your company and provide them with contact information so that they can research job adverts and request job offers when they are in a position to get in touch.

Close the deal efficiently

Once you havedecidedon the candidate you would like to hire, be sure to close the deal quickly. A delayed response may mean that your new employee will continue looking elsewhere and get snapped up by another job offer.

Upon giving confirmation, be sure to establish in writing their competitive pay rate, the possibility of promotion opportunities and any other benefits that you are pleased to propose to employees, so they don’t go back on their word and decline the offer for a better position elsewhere.