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The Engineering sector knows that candidate scarcity is a sector-wide sourcing issue. Finding the right quantity and quality of candidates is an ongoing problem. Providing the best online candidate experience is vital to securing the best talent.
The Engineering sector knows that candidate scarcity is a sector-wide sourcing issue. Finding the right quantity and quality of candidates is an ongoing problem. Providing the best online candidate experience is vital to securing the best talent.
In this insight, we look at sector-specific recruitment challenges, talent acquisition sources, and areas of opportunity for sourcing the best candidates.
There are a variety of sourcing channels available to recruiters, but getting the balance between candidate quality and quantity requires a multi-channel approach. And one size does not fit all. What works for attracting and recruiting talent in one industry won’t necessarily work for another.
With the candidate-led market we find ourselves in, and a sector that has experienced a talent shortage, being savvy with candidate sourcing will give you a competitive advantage.
In-house recruiters have ‘go to’ sourcing channels that have high usage. Namely, websites and professional social networks come out on top across all sectors. In this insight, we focus on the engineering, industrial and manufacturing sectors and delve into the sourcing highlights.
Industrial and Manufacturing industry talent acquisition
An article from Michael Page summarises the Industrial and Manufacturing industry’s talent acquisition status. Here is an excerpt from the article.
As engineers that have worked in the industry for years are now reaching retirement age, businesses are needing to rethink their strategy for attracting new talent. As the talent pool shrinks, it is crucial for businesses to be able to attract top candidates and know where to look for them.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to hire talent that have the desired employment history due to the fact that there are fewer candidates on the market. Businesses are keen for their new starters to ‘hit the ground running’, but if they wait too long for the perfect candidate then they face putting added strain on other areas of the business.
Industrial and Manufacturing industry key findings
The UK Candidate Attraction Report 2023, identified the following headline findings for the Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing sector:
Use of employee referrals as a sourcing channel is on the increase, 81% (70%, 2021). It delivers the highest quality of candidates.
Professional social networks are the most used channel to source candidates, 92%. It delivers a better quantity of candidates, but less quality of candidates than employee referrals.
General job boards saw a significant drop in performance in this industry over the past 12 months.
51% of survey respondents from this industry sector expect hiring levels to increase. With that in mind, it becomes even more imperative that your recruitment activities and sourcing strategy can support increased hiring levels.
Recruitment marketing budgets don’t appear to be keeping up with the expected increase in hiring levels – just 24% of respondents reported an increase – and 36% expect having less to spend. Is this an opportunity to understand where your best hires come from and invest more in the sourcing channels that deliver?
Brand awareness is a key issue for half of the respondents from this sector. An opportunity lies in building brand awareness and filtering candidate engagement through the careers website and the recruitment process.
Regular monitoring and measurement of the effectiveness of sourcing channels and recruitment KPIs are imperative to understand the sourcing channels that are delivering or have the potential to deliver greater returns. The report findings confirm that those who have an active metrics and analytics programme consistently report greater quality of the candidates they attract.
You can download a copy of the full UK Candidate Attraction Report 2023 here – head straight to page 49 for the industry focus and enjoy the full 80 pages report – all completely free!
Get in touch with our specialist team at Eploy to find out how we can help you meet your recruitment goals or schedule a personalised demo. No hard sell, no strings attached. Just some winning ideas to help you with your recruitment process.
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