Why the hiring landscape has changed for engineers Thursday, 19 January 2017

While the rise of low-cost offshore design centres has taken some business away from Australian engineers, there will always be local demand for people with strong design skills, according to a prominent recruiter, but employers are looking for more interpersonal skills.

"Early tales of poor quality work, disjointed communication and work needing to be completely overhauled locally (and therefore negating any commercial value) are becoming thinner on the ground," Stephen Veness of Davidson Recruitment wrote in HRM Online.

He said better integration of systems, video conferencing technology and investment in upskilling staff in offshore locations have seen company confidence grow.

"But what does this mean for those whose roles may have been lost or threatened by these changes and for those whose task is to source and recruit engineers to ensure their business evolves as it needs to?" he asked.

"It is important to note that not all design roles will move offshore. The market in Australia for those with strong design skills will remain. But the comparatively high-cost of work in Australia means that local businesses must do more to represent commercial value. So the shift we are seeing is that companies want to recruit engineers who can support their business in building or maintaining a strong order book. In other words, those who can bring work in or develop existing relationships to ensure their employer expands their footprint."

Veness says engineers are investing more in their 'personal brand'.

"This comes down to a strong social media profile, engaging in quality industry discussion, growing a relevant professional network (both internal and external to your organisation), backed up with a reputation for delivering quality work outcomes," he said.

"Attending that evening networking event after a long day in the office may seem tough, but it could be the smartest piece of work you do that day if you manage to engage with key industry influencers."

He says employers are starting to use technology to recruit against some of these softer-skill competencies.

"Psychometric assessment is good, predictive analytics are better," Veness said.

"New generation psychometrics, tailored to the specific competencies you desire provide real insight into potential job fit. Video interviewing is another useful tool providing insights into communication, verbal articulation and presentation skills."

He says the days of engineers sitting behind a screen with AutoCAD and no client interaction are limited.

"Clients want problems solved, solutions provided and relationships that they can trust," he said.

"Technology can enable this, but not without human interaction. In most cases, companies are looking to recruit engineers who are engaging, confident individuals who can consult with their client base and provide the service levels expected of them."