How to Attract the Best Electrical Engineers in a Competitive Talent Market

Electrical engineering talent is now in higher demand than ever before with companies fighting to hire the same talented individuals. The numbers don’t lie – jobs for electrical engineers are predicted to grow 9% from 2023 to 2033, which is faster than most occupations.

However, there is a snag. The talent pipeline cannot keep pace with demand. Surveys indicate that 76% of businesses cannot find qualified electrical engineers to hire because too few students are pursuing the discipline.

Because of this talent shortage and high competition, companies need to rely on modern and innovative approaches to succeed in this market. Here are some ways you can rise above the competition to attract and hire the best electrical engineers. 

The Reality of Today’s Talent Shortage

The electrical engineer shortage is here to stay. Several factors exacerbate this every year.

Baby boomers are retiring at a fast pace. Around 20% of the current engineers are prepared to retire within the next decade and are taking decades of experience along with them.

Younger generations are not filling the gap. Intake among students in electrical engineering has dropped significantly compared to computer science, and most graduates are taking software jobs instead of hardware jobs.

New technology also creates fresh demand—renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smart infrastructure require more electrical engineers. The CHIPS Act alone can create thousands of chip manufacturing engineering jobs.

Meanwhile, global shortages also affect other countries. Japan predicts a shortage of 790,000 engineers by 2030, while 320,000 STEM professionals are missing in Germany.

This implies that you are competing locally and internationally for a diminishing talent pool.

What Electrical Engineers Want in 2025

Electrical engineers today have more diverse priorities than their predecessors did. Knowing those priorities enables you to make better offers.

Number one on the list is flexibility. The majority of engineers today expect some degree of remote or hybrid work. 97% of technology firms provide hybrid options. Engineers desire less travel time and a healthier work-life balance.

Growth opportunities are more significant than ever. Engineers want to be at the leading edge of innovative projects. They seek jobs in newer fields like renewable energy, IoT, and AI integration. The renewable energy sector is expanding rapidly, providing challenging opportunities.

Professional development is highly sought after. Engineers desire employers who will invest in their skills. They like training courses, conference attendance, and certification sponsorships.

Corporate culture and values guide decisions. Engineers, especially young engineers, care about working for companies with strong missions. They want to work on meaningful projects that impact society.

Recognition is important. Engineers need to be appreciated for their work. Simple programs of appreciation can help drive retention and attraction efforts.

Build a Strong Employer Brand

Your employer’s reputation directly affects your ability to attract talent. Engineers search for companies before applying to them.

Prominently feature your work online. Create content on your website, LinkedIn, and industry publications about the fascinating engineering problems your team solves.

Let your engineers speak out. Employee testimonials are more effective than corporate spin. Get your employees to write blog entries or speak at industry conferences.

Become part of the engineering community. Encourage engineering clubs at the local level. Encourage engineering educational programs. Attend engineering schools’ career fairs.

Be transparent about your work setting. Post images and videos of your premises. Show the technology and equipment your engineers use. Highlight any unusual extras or perks.

Discuss diversity and inclusion. Most engineers, particularly underrepresented engineers, investigate company diversity before applying. Be open and share your commitment and progress.

Offer Competitive Compensation Packages

Salary alone will not attract the best applicants. You require a total package that meets their highest priorities.

Conduct continuous research to stay current with market prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics compensates electrical engineers with an average salary of $111,910. However, niche skills attract higher premiums.

Consider equity and bonuses. Engineers at growth businesses hold ownership interests, and top performers are rewarded with performance bonuses tied to project success.

Meaningful benefits are a valuable investment. Engineers enjoy health insurance, but they also enjoy student loan repayment assistance, professional development allowances, and generous PTO policies.

Provide opportunities to learn. Sponsor workshops, training sessions, and certification programs. Engineers consider this an investment in their careers.

Encourage work-life balance. Offer flexible working times, home working, and generous family leave provisions.

Streamline Your Hiring Process

A slow hiring process loses candidates to quicker competition. Engineers have multiple opportunities in the market and won’t wait for extended decisions.

Start with brief job descriptions, separate essential skills from desired qualifications, and avoid overwhelming lists so well-qualified candidates won’t be discouraged from applying.

Use technical evaluation wisely. Test applicable skills, but keep tests moderate. Long, intricate tests annoy applicants and are a time-waster.

Restrict the interview rounds to two to three in-depth interviews. Conduct technical interviews, cultural fit interviews, and leadership interviews.

Decide promptly. Good candidates receive several offers. Decide within days, not weeks.

Share along the way. Let the candidates know the time frame and the subsequent step. Failing to communicate creates a bad impression.

Focus on Skills Over Credentials

Traditional hiring often emphasizes degrees and years of experience. However, skills-based hiring opens up wider pools of talent.

Employers increasingly recognize demonstrated ability over credentials on paper. This approach reduces bias and unlocks concealed talent.

Create practical assessments. Test the candidate’s problem-solving ability on the problems you actually face. Use portfolio evaluation to test for design positions.

Consider nontraditional backgrounds. Top engineers don’t always take the traditional path. Service in the military, boot camps, or autodidactism may indicate top candidates.

Pursue learning ability. Technology is advancing at breakneck speed, and fast-learning engineers are worth more than stationary knowledge-holders.

Appreciate diverse perspectives. Different backgrounds bring fresh approaches to solving engineering issues.

Leverage Technology in Recruitment

With new hiring tools, you can identify and connect with higher-quality candidates.

AI-powered hiring is the new normal today. These processes uncover passive candidates and reduce screening time.

Employ several methods of sourcing. LinkedIn targets professionals. GitHub illustrates real coding work. Stack Overflow illustrates problem-solving abilities.

Recruit top engineers who are not currently searching for work. Make them available via compelling opportunities and targeted messaging.

Track your recruitment metrics. Monitor time-to-hire, source effectiveness, and candidate satisfaction. Use data to improve your process.

Create Growth Pathways

Engineers would like to advance their careers. Companies with well-defined career paths retain talent longer.

Career levels should be well-defined, and junior-, senior-, and lead-level job progression should be outlined with technical and management tracks.

Offer mentorship schemes. Pair junior employees with senior engineers. This develops talent and maintains institutional knowledge.

Sponsor relevant courses, degrees, and certifications to promote ongoing education. Engineers value individuals who invest in their growth.

Give them complex tasks, transfer engineers between various projects, and give them new technology to work with and lead projects.

Partner with Educational Institutions

Building relationships with schools sets up talent pipelines.

Sponsor student projects and student competitions. Get your name in front of potential graduates. Provide real-world problems for students to work on.

Provide internship opportunities. Interns usually become full-time staff members. Early affiliations create loyalty and familiarity.

Give lectures at universities. Share your knowledge of the industry and your company’s culture. Students remember good speakers.

Fund STEM outreach activities and encourage young students to pursue careers in engineering. This is a long-term approach to the overall shortage.

Your Path Forward in Engineering Recruitment

The race for electrical engineering talent will get more fierce. Organizations that change their strategies now will have a huge upper hand compared to those that don’t.

Success requires a holistic approach. You need competitive compensation, strong employer branding, efficient processes, and a genuine commitment to employee development.

The return is well worth the cost. Companies with effective engineering hiring strategies innovate more, complete projects faster, and achieve stronger competitive positions.

Remember that attraction is only the first step. Retention is just as crucial. The same qualities that attract engineers to your company – opportunities for growth, recognition, and significance – keep them in the long term.

Looking to transform the way you hire electrical engineering professionals? Hunter Recruiting’s engineering staffing has the expertise to match the top engineering talent with the finest companies. Every technical hiring challenge is different, and we have the network to find the candidates you need. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you build the engineering team to propel your business to success.