We Recruit The Hard-To-Find Candidates...

Engineering is a vast industry with many facets and areas to specialise in. Having said that, there are also many transferable skills that are useful right across the entire umbrella of engineering.

Below we look at the top 10 skills engineers need in 2019.

1. Up to date technical knowledge

Technical knowledge and skills are the main skillset recruiters are looking for. It’s important to have the right educational background to set yourself on the right path, but it’s also important to show how far you’ve come since leaving education.

Stay at the top of your game by reading industry news, blogs and articles. Consider getting certified in new areas and technologies whenever relevant.

2. Communication

Although the bare bones of engineering often happen individually at a desk or computer, these projects always start and end with human discussion. It’s vital to be able to communicate and listen in order to ensure that the project is a success and any issues can be resolved quickly.

3. Leadership

Businesses want to know that you aren’t just there for a free ride. That when the going gets tough you are able to step up. Businesses want to hire people who want to be there and want to work their way up and add value to their organisation, leadership is a key quality in the modern world of engineering.

4. Interpersonal

Similarly to the last two skills, the ability to bring people together and influence, is of the utmost importance for the modern engineer. Collaboration and teamwork is a key part of many projects and the ability to build rapport in a team can guarantee the success or failure of many projects.

5. Critical reasoning

Using the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout education and your career (see skill 1) means that you should have the core understanding needed to see the wood from the trees. Being critical allows you to realise where the value is in a piece of work and evaluate which points are crucial.

6. Creativity

The ability to creatively solve problems is key in any profession, engineering is no different. When problems arise and the most obvious solution isn’t possible it’s crucial to be able to solve the task in front of you in whatever way you can.

7. Innovation

There will always be a demand to keep making things better, faster or stronger. The very nature of engineering means that engineers are the people who need to deliver this day-in-day-out. Having the desire to innovate and solve problems should be a key skill that engineers strive for.

8. Enthusiasm

If you want to work as an engineer, show how much you want it. Having the desire to get up and go is crucial. Showing enthusiasm is a great skill that will help accelerate you in your career.

9. Attention to Detail

Being an engineer, accuracy and precision are both vital attributes. In this industry, mistakes can be costly as even the smallest miscalculation can have profound effects. Failure to pay attention to the small stuff can result in huge consequences when it comes to incurring costs or even health and safety.

10. Resilience

Finally, resilience is a great skill in any walk of life. The nature of an engineer means that you can be on call 24 hours a day which can be tough. Even in jobs where you don’t find yourself on call they can be equally as demanding in other ways. It’s important to demonstrate that you won’t fall at the first hurdle and can keep going throughout tough times.

Take a look at all our latest sheet metal, machining & production and Mechanical & Electrical jobs here.

Get to know our engineering team here you can also register your CV here.

At the end of last year, Harriet Potter started in Precision’s Academy. Harriet has gone from strength to strength and has made a flying start to her career in recruitment.

In this feature, she offers her perspective on her first few months with the company, as well as giving an insight into what she wished she knew before applying for a job at Precision People.

About me 

"Since I was young I’ve always been very sporty. I love football and I used to play for Leicester City Ladies team which was an amazing experience. Because of this, I’d consider myself quite a competitive person - something that I believe is really important in recruitment. Initially, I wanted to work in the sports industry but realised that there were so few jobs and none of them seemed like they were a good fit for me.

In the end, I started working in retail. I really enjoyed it at first as I’ve always considered myself a people person. I was promoted quite soon after starting there and was recognised as manager of the month which is something that I’m very proud of. After a couple of years working there, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t very challenging and my competitive edge wasn’t being utilised enough. I’d heard about recruitment from a few friends and  decided to apply for a job with Precision People.

My Initial Impressions about Recruitment

I had reservations about working in such a professional environment as I didn’t go to university and I know that recruitment is a popular graduate job, but those worries melted away pretty quickly.

 As soon as I started working in   recruitment, I quickly realised that   I’d  love it. I wanted a fast-paced   and fun environment but also one   that was rewarding and challenging   and recruitment is just that. I can be   myself and love to speak with   clients as I am definitely a people-   oriented person.

 I was also surprised by how much   responsibility I was given early on.   Effectively I’m in charge of my own   ‘desk’, which in some ways is   comparable to running my own   business! I’ve learned so much about my specialist area (Fire Engineers) and my geography skills have improved so much since starting here! 

I’m highly money motivated and I love that in recruitment money is a reflection of work. In other office jobs, you have to work extra hours and aren’t necessarily rewarded for it. In recruitment the more you put in the more you get out, both in terms of money and results as the two are directly linked.

Something that is just as rewarding as the commission, if not more, is the feeling you get when you place someone. Getting someone a job makes all your hard work worth it. The feeling is something that I can only compare winning a cup in football, not even just a regular game! I made my first placement a couple of weeks ago and had a massive adrenaline rush afterwards.

My Initial Impressions about Precision People 

I chose Precision for a few reasons but the main one is the academy. A lot of companies offer just 4 weeks of training and I didn’t feel like this was enough for me to learn my trade, especially given a background in sports and retail. Precision’s academy is 6 months long and the support they have given me throughout has been just what I needed. I’m now nearly 4 months in and I feel like I’ll be ready to take the next step soon.

Another great feature of working at Precision is their values. They live and operate by five values: passion, listen, encourage, integrity and support. These are all so important in day to day life at Precision, something that really makes them stand out from other recruitment companies just focussed on getting as much money as possible.

Horror stories do exist in recruitment, but I haven’t heard about any of these about Precision. People love working here. I think that a lot of the horror stories are from people that aren’t really a good fit for that job or company, it’s important to consider this when applying to any job.

Something else that we do at Precision that other companies don’t do is specialise. Other companies tend to take on any job and ask a consultant that doesn’t know that industry to try and fill it, often resulting in pretty poor quality candidates. Although it might seem like a small thing from the outside looking in, it means that you can build much better quality relationships with candidates and companies.

Advice to Applicants 

As I said before, it’s important to consider if you are the right person to work in recruitment. It is a demanding job and very fast paced so it isn’t for everyone. It doesn’t tend to be a normal 9-5, but working those extra hours really makes it worth it. The highs are absolutely exhilarating!

If you’re upbeat and people-oriented then you should definitely think about a career in recruitment. Although it can be tough, finding someone their perfect job is a great thing to do day-to-day and something very meaningful. I’d also recommend looking around at some other recruitment companies as you’ll see how different Precision is and how accommodating we are as a company. Of course, you need to be resilient as not every day is a high. Ultimately the tough days make the good days even better!" 

If you’re considering a career in recruitment and have any questions about my experiences, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

If you would like to know more about the Precision Academy click here or if you fancy a conversation to see if the Precision Academy might be the right move for you, call Natasha for an initial chat on 0116 254 5411, email natashab@precision-people.uk or connect with Natasha on LinkedIn here or you can apply by clicking here.

Recruitment is an industry of ups and downs. Those of us working in it the industry know that people are what drives us forward, and Precision People is no different. However, what does differentiate us from the rest is our culture.

We have a strong set of core values which we are proud to champion: listening, integrity, passion, engagement and support. It’s important for me to ensure that these values are the lifeblood of Precision People at every level.

Through these values, we have been able to build our culture, which has lead to a period of continued success for the business. Turning our values into our culture had its challenges but now we are reaping the rewards.

What creates a successful culture?

One key aspect of creating a successful culture is really understanding what your culture is and how it makes your business unique. Your culture is your competitive advantage. In a world where products and even services can be replicated by competitors, its culture that is your completely unique and sustainable competitive advantage.

In the same way that no two people are the same, no two companies are the same. There isn’t a particular type of culture that will make your business X% more profitable, implementing a culture that isn’t your own is likely to have an adverse effect. (Hence why trying to change it should only be in extreme cases).

How to understand your culture with your business 

To really understand your culture it’s vital to sit down with trusted team members from a variety of levels. The culture at board level may differ to the culture at entry level - it’s important to understand these differences and how they affect your business.

Deduce what attributes your successful employees have, do they correlate with your culture? Following on from thinking about what negative traits unsuccessful employees have had. Why did they leave the business? You’d be surprised at how many of these negative traits are cultural.

Once you understand what it is that makes your culture unique, the next step is protecting it. Whatever the size of your company it is important to hire people that fit into it, after all, one bad apple can spoil the bunch.

How to hire someone according to your culture - 3 killers questions.

It’s important to note that finding someone who fits your culture isn’t necessarily someone who will bring a breath of fresh air into your business. Often what you’re really looking for isn’t a someone who fits your culture, but a culture add.

The difficulty is to find someone similar enough seamlessly slot into the team, but someone original enough to push the boundaries and bring in some fresh ideas where necessary.

‘Birds of a feather flock together’

Interview questions

Knowing the importance of employing people who add to the culture, the difficult bit is working out who matches your requirements.

The recruitment process needs to be in place to allow the candidate to showcase what they can do and how they fit these values. The most important way for you to work them out is by asking the right questions at the interview.

Question #1: Why do you want to work for us?

Why ask it:

Although this might seem like a simple question many candidates fall at the first hurdle. This question is an opportunity to see not only if the candidate has put the effort in to research your company, but also see what the candidate prioritises from what their research has shown.

What to listen out for:

• Whether or not the candidate has researched your company.
• What specifically about your company the candidate has noted and prioritised?
• Does it sound overly rehearsed or does it come across as genuine?

Question #2: Describe a time when you were tasked with something you didn’t know how to do and how you overcame it.

Why ask it:

The nature of a new job will entail new challenges and there is always a learning process involved. There will be times when a new employee will be challenged with something new, are they likely to take a risk and try something without guidance or are they more risk in their approach?

What to listen out for:

• How comfortable are they admitting their lack of knowledge?
• How self-aware do they seem? Do they know their own limitations? Did it take them a long time to think of something?
• How did they overcome this challenge?

Question #3: Tell me about a time when something unfair happened at work.

Why ask it:

Frustration is something that is likely to happen in any job at some stage. When an employee gets frustrated it can have a profound effect on their colleagues and the business as a whole. The important aspect of this question is seeing how they handled their frustration, were they proactive in going to the source and talking about or did they let it fester and turn into something divisive in the team.

What to listen out for:

• What does the candidate believe is unfair?
• Did they take into account the accountability for the situation?
• What effect did they let their frustration have on them? Did they channel it into something productive?

Your culture is the most important thing your company has whether your a manufacturing plant, a fabrication business or you distribute construction products - knowing what it is and how to manage it for success is the biggest sustainable competitive advantage your company can have.

Blog by Ray Metcalfe, Commercial Director - click here to find out more or connect with Ray on Linkedin.

The importance of getting the right people in place is often overlooked. If you would like to talk to our consultants about how they can get the right employees for your business, contact our team on 0116 524 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk.

Once you have the right people in place, keeping them motivated is the next challenge, why not check out our blog on 7 powerful ways to motivate your team.

Harry Pemberton - 8 months on - My first impressions of training in the Academy at Precision People.   

Harry Pemberton has been working as a Search Associate at Precision People for the last 8 months. He joined Precision’s bespoke 6-month recruitment training Academy after graduating from university with a degree in Sports Science.

Harry is a lover of all things sport and a passionate Leeds United fan. His sporting background is diverse, ranging from athletics to swimming and badminton to football. His years of playing have helped a competitive edge and killer instinct, something which is helping him thrive in his career in recruitment.

Why I chose Recruitment 

"After graduating university, I wasn’t that sure of what I wanted to do, I initially applied for jobs related to my degree in sports science, fearing that an office environment wasn’t my thing. Although I still feel like I wouldn’t enjoy working in a normal office, Precision is right up my street.

As well as being competitive by nature I’m also very people oriented. These two attributes are vital to be successful in the recruitment industry as you spend a lot of time on the phone cultivating relationships with clients."

Choosing the Academy 

"After deciding to work in recruitment, I applied to various companies and was in the very fortunate position of having multiple offers on the table. After researching the companies and reflecting on the feeling I had when I met with the companies, Precision was my first choice by far.

Precision seemed like a much friendlier working environment, everyone seemed welcoming and I got on really well with everyone that I met, and I could be totally myself."

What I love about my job

Since accepting the job 8 months ago, I can honestly say that Precision has not disappointed! Around the office, there is a family style atmosphere and everyone is  very supportive. My colleagues are genuinely pleased for me and very congratulatory about my successes, whether big or small.

  My role is in quite a niche area,  I focus on   technical recruitment in the aerospace and   automotive industries across Europe. I spend   a lot of my time on the phone to Germany as      there is a massive industry  there, I love that   my job has an international element.

 The environment

 Although it’s cliche to say, there is definitely a work hard, play hard atmosphere in the office.

We all make sure to finish on time  every Friday and head out for a drink, as we do on paydays. We also go out for a curry every couple of months.

We have quite a few socials which are used as incentives like going to Ladies Day at the races, something that really creates a great team atmosphere in the office.

Although I love the social element of working at Precision, another great thing which we do is a lot of charity events. The next one we have coming up is a charity game of tag rugby which I can’t wait to get involved in!

My career path

After joining the Academy 8 months ago I’ve learned so much - probably more than I realise. The normal path in the academy is to spend a few weeks learning the candidate side of things, what typical career paths are in your chosen industry and trying to understand the ins-and-outs of candidates wants and needs. After that, we move onto the sales side looking more into understanding the positions that companies have and what their requirements are. It’s a great way of learning your trade because you get a full 360 degree understanding of the process.  

Within a year of graduating from the academy, I’d like to be in a position where I have a few very good working relationships with companies in need of recruitment and be their ‘go-to guy’ for jobs in my field. Further, in the future, I’d love to lead a division. I’m very fortunate in being able to grow my career with Precision - the more you put in, the more you get out!

The challenges 

Like any job there are challenges and it’s not all plain sailing. There are frustrating times, especially on days where no one seems to pick up the phone or when another recruiter takes your client.

You need to be very resilient to work in recruitment and willing to put the hours in.

Why you should apply for a role at Precision

There isn’t just one type of person who does well in recruitment and if it tempts you even a little bit you should come to an interview to see if we fit your values (as much as you fitting ours).

There are some characteristics that have served me well in my career and I especially think you should apply if you’re any of the following: competitive in your nature; resilient when handling rejection and if you have any sales experience that would serve you very well in this role.

At the end of the day you have to be willing to put the work in, recruitment isn’t a normal 9-5 job. Successes aren’t handed to you, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you achieve them. When you work hard the rewards are there and they’re 100% worth it. Whether that be small successes throughout the week or when you get that bonus at the end of the month.

It’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely going to be worth it!" 

If you would like to know more about the Precision Academy click here or if you fancy a conversation to see if the Precision Academy might be the right move for you, call Natasha on 0116 254 5411, email natashab@precision-people.uk or connect with Natasha on LinkedIn here.

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