If you've been trying to hire engineers lately, you've probably noticed that finding top-notch engineering talent is more complicated than in years past. While national unemployment rates are low, they're even lower in the technology sectors. As engineering recruiters, we understand the challenges you're facing. We also realize that in today's competitive market, posting a job online and hoping you get the best applicant isn't going to cut it.
So, what are your options for overcoming these engineering recruiting challenges?
In this blog, we'll outline key steps for recruiting engineers with the right talent and help you navigate this complex recruiting landscape.
Develop a Hiring Plan
The foundation of any successful recruitment strategy starts with a hiring plan.
What's a hiring plan?
Well, it's your recruitment roadmap to hiring the best engineer for your team. It maps out the technical and soft skills you're looking for in a potential engineer and any other criteria such as experience level or salary range.
With a clear hiring plan, you can easily stay focused on what kinds of roles you need to fill, and if you're working with engineering recruiters, it'll help them target the right type of candidates for you.
How do you develop a hiring plan to share with engineering recruiters?
- Thoroughly analyze your organization's current and future engineering needs.
- List the skills, background, and other qualities you're looking for in an engineer.
- Identify any necessary credentials, such as a computer science or engineering degree.
Once you have a clear picture of the skills and expertise you're looking for, you can quickly craft job descriptions that accurately reflect the position and appeal to the best candidates.
Promote Your Open Roles
Once you have your job descriptions in place, you need to get the word out about your open roles. When working with tech recruiters, they'll often lay out a comprehensive and strategic candidate outreach plan, including:
- Posting your engineering job openings on general job search websites like Indeed or Monster.
- Promoting your roles on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn.
- Participating in niche-specific job boards.
- Optimizing your company's career page to increase web traffic.
- Building up your internal referral program to encourage employee referrals.
These are just a few techniques you can use to spread the word about your openings and source top tech talent.
Leverage Your Employer Branding
What prospects think of your company as an employer is just as important as the job descriptions you post. That's why fine-tuning your employer branding should be a major part of your recruitment process.
How can you promote your employer brand and highlight your incredible work environment?
Showcase your company's values, culture, and achievements through online content, such as blog posts, short-form videos, and employee testimonials. Make it easy for potential candidates to see what it's like to work at your organization and help them envision themselves as part of your team.
Encourage Employee Referrals
Employee referrals can be the holy grail of engineering recruiting. Studies show that referred job seekers are of higher quality than candidates from the general public and are more likely to receive and accept an offer. Plus, they're more likely to stay at the job longer and perform better. So, it's in your best interest to have an internal referral program in place.
The best employee referral programs include:
- Incentive structures that reward employees for their referrals.
- Streamlined processes to make it easy for employees to refer and follow up on their referrals.
- Notifications or reminders to encourage employees to refer.
- Regular updates on the status of referred candidates.
Partner With Experienced Engineering Recruiters
If you need a qualified engineer but don't have the resources or network to find one, you should consider partnering with an experienced engineering recruitment firm. They have the resources and expertise to locate, screen, and assess the best engineering candidates for your open positions.
At Hire Velocity, our team of experienced engineering recruiters can help you identify and secure top tech talent using our unique blend of industry-specific knowledge, innovative recruiting strategies, and industry-leading technology recruiting and sourcing tools. Contact us today to learn more about our talent acquisition solutions.
