Mechanical engineering is Germany’s flagship industry. A flagship industry needs top talent – but unfortunately, they are becoming scarce. Medium-sized companies, in particular, are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitable candidates for their open positions. Therefore, it can be particularly worthwhile to use a recruitment agency specializing in mechanical engineering.
A mechanical engineering recruitment agency supports companies in their search for the best specialists and managers. This article explains why this is so difficult today and what’s important when searching for suitable talent in the fields of mechanical and plant engineering.
Staff shortages in mechanical engineering: A situation report
Staff shortages are a major problem in almost all industries today—but in some, even more so than in others. The situation is particularly critical in mechanical engineering: In a new study by the German Mechanical and Plant Engineering Association (VDMA), 78 percent of surveyed companies reported a noticeable or serious staff shortage.
There’s no light at the end of the tunnel for most: just 3 percent expect the situation to improve. German mechanical engineering firms are feeling increasingly hampered by staff shortages.
Digitalization as a challenge and opportunity
The companies surveyed in the VDMA study are more positive about digitalization: Especially in the area of automation, there are many new opportunities in mechanical and plant engineering that promise growth. 82 percent of all companies even want to increase their investments compared to the previous year.
At the same time, however, digitalization can exacerbate the shortage of skilled workers: After all, it demands new expertise from mechanical engineering talent and complicates the search for suitable candidates because the list of requirements continues to grow. Digitalization thus presents both an opportunity and a challenge, for employers and employees alike.
Modern recruiting in mechanical engineering
As a medium-sized company looking for mechanical engineering talent, you face massive competition. This competition comes from both other medium-sized companies and the established big players, who are always a few steps ahead thanks to their reputation. To avoid losing out in the battle for the best talent, you need to take new approaches to recruiting.
We present three of the most important trends in recruiting and reveal what a recruitment agency specializing in mechanical engineering, such as Riverstate, can do for you.
Also address passive applicants
You’re posting your open position on online job boards and in newspapers? Great! However, that will only attract mechanical engineers who are actively looking for a new position. But that’s by no means all the talented individuals who could potentially be excited about moving to your company: You’re ignoring the passive job market. There are also many skilled workers in mechanical engineering who are dissatisfied with their current position or company but aren’t yet specifically looking for something new. A recruitment agency can help you serve this segment as well—and significantly expand your list of potential applicants. Riverstate’s direct placement service offers all this and more.
Find mechanical engineering talent abroad
Young German talent is important to meet the demand for qualified mechanical engineering specialists, but they alone are not enough. Looking abroad is also becoming increasingly important for medium-sized companies, but this is often difficult due to legal, linguistic, and bureaucratic obstacles. With EU recruiting from Riverstate, you can overcome these hurdles and find the right mechanical engineering specialists for your company in other EU countries. You benefit from an even greater international reach; we take care of everything else.
Use the power of social media
Why is social media so valuable for recruiting? Because it combines broad reach with high levels of personalization and targeting. With the right know-how, you can sort and target suitable mechanical engineering talent by age, region, or education. Social media is therefore a powerful recruiting tool – but only if you know what you’re doing. With Riverstate’s social media recruiting, you get an experienced team of social media experts on your side to fully leverage the advantages of LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms.
Mechanical engineering recruiting with Riverstate
Riverstate is:
– Specialized in the construction sector.
We don’t work on too many construction sites at once, but instead focus on our strengths: recruiting for the construction sector. Our focus on engineering and construction means we have excellent connections with mechanical engineering talent, allowing us to fill your vacancies even faster.
– Focused on SMEs
We speak fluent German and understand the requirements, processes, and expectations of small and medium-sized businesses. We treat every recruitment process as a project with clearly defined goals and milestones to give you maximum planning security.
– On the right track thanks to our setup day.
Our motto: We take our time to save time. That’s why we visit your company on the setup day and get a firsthand look at the situation and on-site requirements. This way, we fill the gaps in your company not just with the best mechanical engineers, but also with the best people for the job.
Don’t take our word for it: The best way to find out whether we deliver on our promises is to hear directly from our customers. Click here to read our success stories.
Mechanical Engineering Recruitment – Frequently Asked Questions
A mechanical engineering recruitment agency is a service provider that places qualified mechanical engineering talent with companies for a fee. It supports companies in their search for the best specialists and managers in the mechanical engineering sector and helps them retain these talents for the long term.
Differences include the commission model and the scope of the service: Recruitment is a brokerage activity; compensation is based on success. Recruitment agencies primarily use simpler search methods, such as database searches. HR consulting goes several steps further: Recruiters not only invest more time in the actual search, they also support their clients with consulting services—for example, on employer branding. Accordingly, the costs are not (exclusively) tied to the success of the search. However, the two terms “recruitment agency” and “HR consulting” are often used interchangeably.
Due to the shortage of skilled workers in mechanical engineering, many companies find it quite difficult to find suitable talent on their own. Medium-sized companies, in particular, struggle because they compete with large and well-known companies for the same applicants. A recruitment agency is your ticket to greater visibility and reach: It brings your company to the attention of the best mechanical engineering talent on the market and uses innovative recruiting methods on your behalf to fill your vacancies as quickly as possible.
A recruitment agency specializing in mechanical engineering uses many search methods: For simple assignments, a simple database comparison may be sufficient to identify suitable talent. When filling important positions and searching for executives, recruitment agencies and consultancies usually have to bring out the big guns: They selectively select suitable mechanical engineering talent, for example, through social media or their carefully built networks, and approach them directly. Sometimes they even poach talent from other companies.
You should make sure that the recruitment agency specializes in mechanical engineering and has a thorough understanding of the field. You can test this during the initial interview by asking a few specific questions about your industry, region, or the positions you’re seeking. You should also pay attention to the recruitment agency’s references and customer reviews, which you can find on the service provider’s website or on online review portals like provenexpert.com.
