Employers within the technology industry will know how difficult it is to recruit new engineers to join their team. There are more vacancies than available candidates, giving job seekers the power to negotiate competitive employment packages. Given how highly skilled engineers are, it’s relatively easy for them to move on and find employment elsewhere due to the competitiveness of the market, meaning as an employer, you need to do all you can to retain the engineers on your team.
BMS Performance are experts in engineering recruitment, but our knowledge doesn’t stop there. We routinely provide advice to employers on how they can maintain their team and keep their staff turnover rate low. With this in mind, here are some of the top ways you can retain your top engineering talent.
Mentorship
We actively encourage employers to take on graduates and more inexperienced candidates by way of harnessing their potential and judging them on what they could be rather than what they already are. In such a competitive market, taking on graduate engineers is a great way to secure talent, but in order for them to excel, you need to make sure you provide them with the right mentorship.
If you invest in your employees from the very beginning, they are more inclined to be loyal to your company and less likely to leave. This relies on great mentorship on your part, but putting in the investment early on will have a direct impact on staff retention later on.
Opportunities
One of the key things candidates are looking for these days is development opportunities. If your company fails to offer your engineers the opportunity to grow and learn more, there’s every chance they will seek employment elsewhere so they can develop their careers further when the time comes. With this in mind, make sure you offer your engineers plenty of progression opportunities and chances to develop their careers. This could be in the form of giving them the option to try something outside of their realm of expertise or giving them the chance to showcase their leadership and initiative skills if they feel capable and willing.
Training
In line with opportunities comes the option for additional training. Engineers are highly skilled and educated to a degree level, but there’s always the opportunity to learn more. By paying for your staff to undertake additional training, this will show them that you value their career and their personal development. This translates to higher employee retention and will result in you fostering the potential of some of the best talent on the market.
For new starters, investing heavily in training from the beginning is a must. If your employees feel unsure about what is happening or what is expected of them as a result of a poor onboarding process, they are more likely to leave. First impressions are vital, and training is a big part this.
Career Guidance
Whilst there will be a few engineers who are happy with the position they’re in and don’t want to necessarily move into a new specialism or a more senior role, there will be engineers that do. It’s important to make it clear from the outset what the career path is at your company and how you can support your employees to reach their goals. This will give them a clear route to success and encourage loyalty, again lowering your staff turnover.
Upload Your Vacancy Today
Do you have an engineering vacancy at your company? Upload your vacancy today and learn more about maximising the recruitment process and encouraging a higher staff retention rate.
