Pain relief for recruitment headaches

A recent industry survey by Works Management in conjunction with TotallyEngineering.com confirms the scarcity of skilled workers – and, in particular, engineers. Concerns are growing and the shortage of skilled engineers is compounded by an overabundance of school leavers and graduates. The result is a recruitment nightmare. Having slugged our way out of the post credit-crunch mire to find ourselves staring at eurozone meltdown, it's reasonable to ask what more could go wrong? A shortage of the right people with the right skills and experience has, according to the survey of senior management in UK manufacturing and engineering, the potential to choke off the much-needed upturn. Constraints on the ability to fulfil orders, shortfalls in quality and the inevitable increased costs would seriously disadvantage UK manufacturing, while European counterparts – as well as China and India – reap the rewards from their investment in engineering. With over 88% of firms surveyed expecting to hire one or more skilled engineers, the evidence of the shortfall in our skills base is more than anecdotal. The March 2011 Occupation Shortage List, issued by the UK Border Agency, confirms the UK's interest in attracting skilled engineers to come and work here. Sector skills council Semta has raised concerns; it forecasts a requirement to fill 200,000 jobs in advanced manufacturing between 2010 and 2016 as current workers retire. In his 14 November interview for Radio 4's Today programme, Sir James Dyson highlighted his firm's 100 unfilled engineering posts. For managers responsible for recruitment, the frustration is real especially as recruitment cycles can take between six and eight months. The WM/TotallyEngineering.com survey polled 433 senior managers and directors in UK manufacturing and engineering during autumn 2011. Feedback to questions, ranging from candidate characteristics, workforce mobility, remuneration and barriers to effective recruitment, painted an unambiguous picture. Efforts to bolster the HR supply chain through apprenticeships and home-grown training were largely seen as vital. Andrew Churchill, managing director of precision engineering company JJ Churchill of Nuneaton, says: "The recruitment squeeze is real and with us now. For JJ Churchill, the apprenticeship route is and remains the most important path. It may take seven to eight years and £70,000 to £80,000 per apprentice, but it gives us the opportunity to get things right from the very start." Most of JJ Churchill's current crop of established engineers are products of the company's apprenticeship programme, adds Churchill. His views are echoed by Richard Cook, production and personnel director at Rotherham-based AESSEAL. "Apprentices at any age are a rich source of skilled employees; better still, they grow with organisational values entrenched. They represent an extremely attractive option to traditional further education routes. It's a real travesty that this option is not better promoted in the education sector." The long overdue upturn in graduates from engineering-friendly degree courses, while welcome, appears to come at a price – many respondents to the survey cited a poor work ethic and unrealistic expectations of alumni. "While our graduate recruitment programme has added significant value to the business, it can't keep pace with business need and would not, in isolation, provide sufficient future engineers and managers," says Cook. "We find it increasingly difficult to identify work-ready qualified staff externally – at graduate or post-graduate level." Churchill adds: "One effect from the imposition of tuition fees is that would-be students now seriously consider their employability at the end of their course and choose engineering. But we would still prefer them to join us as apprentices, with a view to going through university as they progress through the firm. We plan to up the graduate component of our workforce from 8% to 10%." Many who took part in the survey commented on the general perception of manufacturing as a lesser career choice than some service sectors such as IT. According to Churchill: "The industry faces a massive communications task to shake off an outdated image. Our working conditions are first class, remuneration is in the top quartile and our employees enjoy healthcare and profit share." Many respondents pointed to the need for action to help engineering and manufacturing tackle the skills gap. Top of the table came the forging of stronger links with schools and colleges. The survey brought into focus the problem managers face recruiting skilled engineers now – 71% of them forecast recruiting between one and 10 skilled engineers in the year. But recruitment practices have not moved with the times. The wonders of the web The internet offers huge scope for firms to rethink their recruitment approach. Local and national newspapers – rapidly losing market share for job advertising – are looking to increase their appeal by bundling-in online job listings. The downside is that their online partners tend to be the larger, generalist websites. You may need only one experienced/skilled engineer, but chances are your online job ad will produce a deluge of well-intended applicants, 98% of whom only 'aspire' to the role advertised. Improved links with schools and colleges, coupled with a renewed emphasis on apprenticeships, should provide a conduit for new talent entering the sector. But for now, if hard-pressed recruiters are to find the skilled people they desperately need, they must avoid the 'needle in a haystack' syndrome when going online to recruit. The Totally Engineering website brings together the power of the vacancy database of JobServe – widely regarded as the world's first internet recruitment service – with the strength of Finday Media's magazine and website brands in all sectors of the manufacturing and engineering community. John Cowling, CEO of JobServe.com, explains: "A tip is to follow the increasing number of professionals that now subscribe to websites that are the online component of established journals, Works Management being a prime example." Cowling adds:?"Technology savvy, they are increasingly likely to seek out and follow news and stories related to their specialisms. They're equally keen to be aware of career opportunities, whether they're actively job hunting or just keen to know their market worth. Given the skills shortage facing engineering, hiring managers will be keen to tempt these 'passive' candidates into a career move." Cowling concludes:?"TotallyEngineering.com brings the power of the joint venture between Findlay Media and the industry-leading job board JobServe.com. It brings a highly targeted recruitment service to job seekers and recruiters alike." "Placing job ads online is easy," says Darren Wright, sales manager at TotallyEngineering.com. "For as little as £265, you can place your vacancy in front of the right people. It's a great way to reach thousands of active job seekers and those often illusive passive candidates that may have the skills you need." Wright concludes:?"What's more, jobs advertised with Totally Engineering can also be posted across the Jobg8 network – an online marketplace for qualified applications – extending your reach ever further." Find out more at www.totallyengineering.com