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So, what are the benefits of investing in a more age-diverse talent pool including professionals that might have fewer years of experience than what might be expected for a particular role? In such a candidate-short and competitive market, professionals with fewer years experience are often easier to mould, tend to be more flexible, and have a unique openness to change. These candidates are the future leaders of your teams or business, so should be sought after and developed.
The pros and cons of a more diverse workforce
The advantages lie within a candidate’s potential, as hiring managers have the opportunity to shape a candidate’s needs and align them with any skills gaps the business may have now or in the near future. Candidates at the more junior level usually want to diversify their learning so that they get exposed to a variety of career paths before specialising.
The main hindrance you may see when hiring people with fewer years’ experience will be managing their expectations. There is more information available to candidates today, and many feel like their careers should escalate rapidly. Success takes time, and it is important for candidates to recognise when they have the right experience to move on, or up within a business.
Attracting and hiring new graduates
It is good to consider candidates that have recently graduated from university. Newly graduated professionals looking for work on the market are the perfect candidates to attempt to attract and hire to your business. These individuals are passionate and learned about the industry, and are desperate to get a job in their field as soon as possible upon graduating.
The large, established engineering businesses aren’t struggling to attract new graduates, but many great SME organisations are. New graduates emerge from education and believe that joining a large engineering firm’s graduate scheme is the only option to have a successful career, without knowing or understanding how many businesses are available to them.
Improving your recruitment processes
University students, alongside most new talent in today’s market, have copious amounts of information available to them. This is so vast that top talent is able to decipher what businesses they are interested in working for before knowing the full extent of the role or even visiting the offices. There is a rough competition to attract the best engineers, and it’s not rare to face Millennials candidate waiting to have several offers in hands before taking a decision.
Have a comprehensive D&I programme
Having a comprehensive diversity and inclusion programme will show candidates that the business is dedicated to creating a working environment that is open to different people, values, and skill sets. The education system creates very skilled technical professionals, but also a very specialized workforce – hence it’s more complicated to broaden horizons for local companies, since they are often looking for a very specific kind of diploma. Organisations will benefit from having a diverse workforce that is more productive and decisive, as this creates a broader viewpoint, and allows businesses to think differently from their competitors.
Offering work experience and internships
There has been a definite increase in the graduate placements and internships within the engineering and manufacturing sector. Industry open days and career days have been effective in piquing the interest of potential top talent that is soon finishing their studies. However, there is still a long way to go. Businesses should be proactively joining in on these days and networking with the students. This will boost your brand awareness and make you recognisable to potential candidates.
If you are looking to hire top talent in today’s market, please get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants. At Michael Page, we have a wealth of experience in hiring for engineering and manufacturing roles, as well as access to a huge pool of candidates looking for the right next step in their career.
