In today’s world, the competition is stiffer than it has ever been. To get the best talent, therefore, you need to take steps to bring in the best engineers for your company. Below are some tips you can incorporate into your recruitment strategy.
Talk about your company’s story
For engineering recruiters, the importance of talking about what is so special about the company simply cannot be overemphasised. Here’s why: not everybody puts money at the top of their list of things they want. Some people, often those who excel at what they do, want to contribute to something meaningful.
What is the story behind the company? What is the vision? What is it trying to do? These are some of the questions you should keep in mind when attracting new talent. When possible, consider having someone who is working for your company in the role you are recruiting for in the panel. Bear in mind that this is not part of the interview, but rather it is an informational session that will tell your candidate what it means to work for your company.
Present a problem
Engineers are generally wired to be very passionate when it comes to dealing with problems, often to a fault. They are always happy when it comes to solving interesting problems so you can leverage this during the recruitment process.
When interviewing, share a problem that is related to the role and fashion a conversation around it. Get the engineer interested and leave them to think about how they can deal with the problem. Google posed some famously obscure questions in this manner for the same reason: to engage the mind and tease out interesting answers. It’s a great way to find talent with the skills and a mind-set similar to what you need.
Solicit for referrals
One of the best ways to recruit good talent is to take referrals from other talented people. Talk to your staff and get them to help with bringing in top talent by offering incentives for recommending someone who accepts your offer. You can equally go to engineering events and get involved. Develop relationships through these events and don’t hesitate to ask for referrals from this network.
Silicon Valley is rife with this kind of promotional activity, but as you can see here, any company can get in on the act.
Focus on what engineers are looking for
Competition for top engineering talent is very hard. Therefore when it comes to getting the right candidate, it is very important for you to focus in what engineers want from a company. Here are some examples:
- The very best engineers want to work for companies that have cutting edge technology. Therefore you need to promote your technology if it is better than what the competition is using.
- Most of the engineering candidates are very ambitious and will want to get ahead as fast as possible. You should therefore, talk about advancement opportunities and possibility of professional development within your company.
- Most engineers are interested in making a difference. Talk about how their role within your organisation will be of help to the company.
- The most skilful engineers can only be swayed by competitive pay and benefits. With a strong compensation package, you will definitely tip the scale in your favour when recruiting engineers.
Act fast
As soon as you find the right candidate, don’t dilly-dally. The market is very competitive and so someone else may get to your new candidate while you delay.
Career hub like Randstad CPE is one of the best places that give out great advice and tips when it comes to finding the right person for the job.