Recruiting and Retaining Engineers Has Become an Extreme Sport
Recruiting and Retaining Engineers Has Become an Extreme Sport
With more open positions than those with the skills and experience to do the jobs, finding and keeping skilled professionals remains difficult for those who must recruit and retain engineers.
More than one in 10 advertised jobs in the U.S. now originate from the engineering sector.
And many more engineering roles are being created in the U.S. than there are engineers to fill them—leaving about one-third of those roles vacant, according to global consulting firm BCG.
“I’m trying to make it so we hang onto [employees] longer than we have in the past,” acknowledged A3D Manufacturing Shop Manager Aelin Mayer, who is based in Phoenix, Ariz.
That’s why attracting and retaining talent has become somewhat of an extreme sport for those in the recruitment field.
Yet, ironically, the hiring process for engineers has become a lengthy pursuit, acknowledged Mayer. This is because there’s a lack of applicants and because those applicants don’t always follow through.
Mayer recalled her most recent search for job candidates: “One of the strange things that kept happening is that people seemed very enthusiastic during their phone screenings. We’d set up the interviews, and they just wouldn’t show up. That happened fairly frequently.”
So companies need to learn not only how to draw attention but also how to maintain hold of that attention to get prospective employees to commit.
Leaders reveal that competitive salaries are a must these days, but there must be attention given to candidates who are looking for a company culture that supports work-life balance.
This is particularly true for women engineers entering motherhood, noted Rong Kou, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “Companies that provide a more flexible schedule to accommodate needs at certain stages of life would decrease the drop-out rate significantly,” Kou said.
In 2021, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 26.8 percent of women with engineering degrees who graduated within the previous 11 to 15 years worked in engineering roles, compared to 41 percent of male engineers. Though those figures have become more equal over time, concerns still abound about the gender gap in engineering retention rates.
As of 2022, only 17.3 percent of four-year mechanical engineering degrees were awarded to women. Dedicated to addressing this issue, ASME is working to double the number of women mechanical engineering graduates to 35 percent by 2030.
“Women represent half of the population, so no matter what, we need more women engineers in the field to provide their perspectives in design and production to ensure the satisfaction of all people,” Kou said. To that point, Mayer added, “If you have an untapped resource, it seems the obvious solution is to tap that resource—especially if it adds to the diversity of the group. You just get better, more robust solutions when you hire people who are different from each other.”
Companies that partner with a college or university have a direct line to skilled applicants. Having a pipeline of trusted professors who can vouch for a potential hire takes some of the pressure off. “There’s always still a little bit of a gamble, but it’s less of one,” said Mayer, who has been on both sides of this particular equation. She was studying for her associate’s degree when she first heard about A3D and landed a job there before she’d finished earning her diploma.
Connect with ASME Members Worldwide
A3D allowed Mayer to have a work schedule that fit with her school schedule. “It was complicated, but we made it work,” she recalled. “If that hadn’t been possible, then I don’t think I would have continued here.” Kou has found that speaking at university career days is a highly effective way to recruit, as students often come up after her talks to ask questions.
“We can know what young people want to learn about, and they can get first-hand information from us,” she said. “And we can let the younger generation know it’s not the traditional mechanical engineering anymore. Today the automation, the robotics, and AI are all top-tier technology that can greatly increase the efficiency of the industry.”
Supporting employees in their creative pursuits is one surefire way to draw—and hold onto—top talent, suggested Mayer. Companies need to allow engineers “to use their own creativity to solve problems they themselves are experiencing,” she said. “Even in something like manufacturing, where we're not designing the parts ourselves, we still have creative solutions to our processes and making our own internal tooling for certain things. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”
With applicants and even long-time employees more easily able to pick and choose where they want to spend their workday, companies need to think long and hard about what’s most important. While salary and benefits likely will rank high, the top answer, said Mayer, has less to do with the business end of things than one might think: “People want to go somewhere every day where they feel appreciated.”
Robin Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
And many more engineering roles are being created in the U.S. than there are engineers to fill them—leaving about one-third of those roles vacant, according to global consulting firm BCG.
“I’m trying to make it so we hang onto [employees] longer than we have in the past,” acknowledged A3D Manufacturing Shop Manager Aelin Mayer, who is based in Phoenix, Ariz.
That’s why attracting and retaining talent has become somewhat of an extreme sport for those in the recruitment field.
Difficult process
Yet, ironically, the hiring process for engineers has become a lengthy pursuit, acknowledged Mayer. This is because there’s a lack of applicants and because those applicants don’t always follow through.
Mayer recalled her most recent search for job candidates: “One of the strange things that kept happening is that people seemed very enthusiastic during their phone screenings. We’d set up the interviews, and they just wouldn’t show up. That happened fairly frequently.”
So companies need to learn not only how to draw attention but also how to maintain hold of that attention to get prospective employees to commit.
Leaders reveal that competitive salaries are a must these days, but there must be attention given to candidates who are looking for a company culture that supports work-life balance.
This is particularly true for women engineers entering motherhood, noted Rong Kou, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “Companies that provide a more flexible schedule to accommodate needs at certain stages of life would decrease the drop-out rate significantly,” Kou said.
Untapped population
In 2021, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 26.8 percent of women with engineering degrees who graduated within the previous 11 to 15 years worked in engineering roles, compared to 41 percent of male engineers. Though those figures have become more equal over time, concerns still abound about the gender gap in engineering retention rates.
As of 2022, only 17.3 percent of four-year mechanical engineering degrees were awarded to women. Dedicated to addressing this issue, ASME is working to double the number of women mechanical engineering graduates to 35 percent by 2030.
“Women represent half of the population, so no matter what, we need more women engineers in the field to provide their perspectives in design and production to ensure the satisfaction of all people,” Kou said. To that point, Mayer added, “If you have an untapped resource, it seems the obvious solution is to tap that resource—especially if it adds to the diversity of the group. You just get better, more robust solutions when you hire people who are different from each other.”
Companies that partner with a college or university have a direct line to skilled applicants. Having a pipeline of trusted professors who can vouch for a potential hire takes some of the pressure off. “There’s always still a little bit of a gamble, but it’s less of one,” said Mayer, who has been on both sides of this particular equation. She was studying for her associate’s degree when she first heard about A3D and landed a job there before she’d finished earning her diploma.
Connect with ASME Members Worldwide
A3D allowed Mayer to have a work schedule that fit with her school schedule. “It was complicated, but we made it work,” she recalled. “If that hadn’t been possible, then I don’t think I would have continued here.” Kou has found that speaking at university career days is a highly effective way to recruit, as students often come up after her talks to ask questions.
“We can know what young people want to learn about, and they can get first-hand information from us,” she said. “And we can let the younger generation know it’s not the traditional mechanical engineering anymore. Today the automation, the robotics, and AI are all top-tier technology that can greatly increase the efficiency of the industry.”
Support employees
Supporting employees in their creative pursuits is one surefire way to draw—and hold onto—top talent, suggested Mayer. Companies need to allow engineers “to use their own creativity to solve problems they themselves are experiencing,” she said. “Even in something like manufacturing, where we're not designing the parts ourselves, we still have creative solutions to our processes and making our own internal tooling for certain things. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job.”
With applicants and even long-time employees more easily able to pick and choose where they want to spend their workday, companies need to think long and hard about what’s most important. While salary and benefits likely will rank high, the top answer, said Mayer, has less to do with the business end of things than one might think: “People want to go somewhere every day where they feel appreciated.”
Robin Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
Related Content
Top 10 Most Transferable Job Skills For Engineers
Feb 24, 2022
Transferable Skills Are Abilities Or Proficiencies That Are Valued Across Multiple Disciplines & Industries Find Out Top 10 Most Transferable Job Skills For Engineers
The Brakes That Got America Moving
Mar 20, 2025
Before Duesenberg made its hydraulic braking system standard, operating a car could be a physical challenge. This ASME Engineering Landmark opened the roads to everyone.
Engine Becomes a Chemical Reactor
Mar 18, 2025
At the core of Emvolon’s system is an off-the-shelf automotive engine that runs “fuel rich”—with a higher ratio of fuel to air than what is needed for complete combustion.
Infographic: The Path to Greener Skies
Mar 18, 2025
As the aviation industry continues to pursue emissions reduction targets, renewable fuels are expected to play a vital role—if production can keep up.