Finding a quality, skilled engineering expert can be a lot more challenging than you think. Currently, in many countries there is a shortage of qualified engineers to fill roles that require the skill an engineer can bring. Not only is this a challenge, but when an engineer looks at your organization, they ask: “what can this company do for me and where will it bring me in the future?” You’ll need to consider this and other questions prior to starting your search for an engineer.

Create a culture that is engineer friendly. Engineers are certainly after the best possible salary, but you may be able to draw in talent when you go after big picture projects that are appealing to the engineering mind. Projects that could attract engineering talent could include, large-scale, world-renowned projects that draw a lot of attention to engineering infamy. Other projects are those which could grant your company a patent or a market share advantage, giving credit and sharing in the reward for these types of projects will sustain engineering talent in your organization and attract others from the profession.

Ensure that the work is going to be challenging for the caliber of engineer you hire and ensure there is freedom for thought, creativity and innovation. There are a lot of roles that are great for junior and learning engineers, but which will not attract the talent that you’re looking for in intermediate or senior engineers. When planning projects, ensure that an experienced engineer is setting the levels of effort and skill required in the roles you’re looking to fill in that project.

According to Angel.co :

To have a chance at attracting engineers, you need to know what a typical engineer is looking for (beyond compensation):

Opportunity — Engineers need to know they’ll be making an impact, and will be moving forward in their career—both in terms of skills and finances.

Challenge — Top engineers want to be working on very difficult problems that they can grow from and point to as achievements for the rest of their career.

Community — Engineers want to work in a supportive environment where their thoughts are valued by their teammates. Over 50% of engineers say they would take less pay to work for a company with a fantastic culture or brand.

Compensation beyond salary:

Education, opportunities, cutting edge problems to solve,

Know your stuff. If you’re a manager or solo business owner hiring an engineer, you may need a consultation from a professional, certified engineer. And it may even be worth having that professional in the interview with you in order to ask and interpret the technical questions. This is also where an agency with skilled hr personnel specialize in hiring engineers and can help bring candidates who perfectly fit the role for which you’re hiring.