Plugging the gap… overcoming the skills shortage
Introduction
Skills shortages across the engineering sector continue to hit the
headlines, with the House of Commons’ Innovation, Universities and Skills
Committee announcing an inquiry into just this issue to start in the spring.
The problem has affected the defence industry as much as any, with many
employers waiting up to six months to fill a position, affecting both
current employees and the company as a whole.
But for employers the problem isn’t just about attracting and recruiting the
right candidates; they should also start considering the importance of
holding on to the good ones they already have. With the cost of recruitment
averaging at £4,500 per employee [1], not including the loss of productivity
through holding a post open, employers must do what they can to keep
retention as high as possible.
The problem
Employers in the UK engineering industry have been suffering from a lack of
skilled workers for a number of years and this is beginning to have a
negative effect on productivity and profits - a third of firms believe that
graduate skills shortages are costing money through delays in product
development and recruitment costs [2] .
The danger in the long run is of course that the UK’s engineering industries
will lose out to emerging powers, which have both the quality and quantity
of talented employees. Almost half a million engineering graduates emerge
each year from India and China, compared to only 25,000 here in the UK,
approximately 8% of university entrants.
In addition to the challenges of recruiting talent, retaining it also has
its problems. A survey conducted by
John Prodger Recruitment
[3]and
Electronics
Weekly found that 11% of engineers questioned were likely to move within a
year and a huge 63% within two years. With demand for certain skills so
high, it seems that those who have the skills are more than prepared to take
an attractive offer elsewhere.
Solutions
Whilst there is undoubtedly a huge job to be done in attracting more young
people into
engineering
jobs, both through University courses and
apprenticeships, there are a number of changes that the industry can make in
the short term, which will help attract and retain the best talent:
Be open minded
The defence industry can be quite reluctant to recruit from other industries
and will often hold out for a candidate with exactly the right background
and experience, rather than train somebody with similar skills from a
different engineering background. But considering employees from other
sectors will not only plug certain skills gaps and relieve overworked
employees; the
training and development investment should also engender
loyalty in the new recruits. So it could be worth the extra investment.
Make use of HR
The HR department should be aware if there is a problem with recruitment and
retention so it is important that they work with line managers and senior
management in being a positive force for change. A proactive HR function can
be instrumental in introducing
talent and performance management
practices,
in addition to identifying potential issues before they arise. HR’s role in
internal communication is also important in developing a distinctive
organisational culture, both to attract candidates and encourage loyalty
amongst current staff.
Be proactive, not reactive
It is easy to be reactive when it comes to retaining employees, waiting
until an employee is about to leave before offering them any added benefits
or incentives to stay. But greater success will be achieved through paying
closer attention to what employees want and need throughout the employee
lifecycle. This way they will think twice before being tempted by another
offer.
Variety is the spice of life
Roles in the defence industry tend to involve working on longer term
projects - usually between five and ten years due to the product lifecycle.
Whilst this provides employee security, it can create its own problems, with
the danger that employees will become disengaged and demoralised through
carrying out the same work month after month.
The John Prodger Recruitment
survey found that challenging and interesting
work outstrips job security and salary, as the most important factor in a
role, highlighting that this should be a focus area for employers. Whilst
smaller companies tend to give their people more exposure to different
aspects of a project, this can be an issue in larger companies, which
usually employ people for much more specific tasks. Where possible,
employers should try and be flexible and offer staff the opportunity to move
around - this will not only keep them happy for longer but also improve the
adaptability of the workforce as a whole.
Invest in training and development
Employees will also be kept motivated and engaged if they are being given
opportunities to grow and develop a broader range of skills. Companies
should regularly review development requirements, be responsive to requests
for training and reward staff for successes in this area.
Review line managers
It is often said that people join companies and leave managers so in some
cases it might be necessary to review management structures to root out any
areas of weakness. If there is a high attrition rate in one particular area,
this could indicate a problem with the manager.
Money isn’t everything
It is an old fashioned view that employees are simply motivated by their pay
packet, yet companies often think that this alone will keep staff happy and
engaged. Talented engineers are increasingly looking for career progression,
training and development and work-life balance through flexible and remote
working opportunities, so these should also be thrown into the benefits mix.
Invest in PR
The defence industry has had a lot of bad publicity and is increasingly
under scrutiny due to new environmental pressures such as terrorism. As a
result, companies must work even harder to ensure they communicate their key
messages to potential and current employees, as well as the general public.
Defence is one of the driving industries in the UK and can offer fantastic
career opportunities on world class, innovative projects. Companies must
embrace and communicate this in order to compete successfully in today’s
jobs market.
Conclusion
Talented engineers with the right skills and experience are hard to come by
and this situation looks set to continue. To stay ahead of the game,
employers in the defence industry need to start thinking more carefully
about how they attract and retain these much sought after candidates. The
investment will pay off in the long run.
[1] Chartered Institute of Personnel and
Development (CIPD)
[2] Study by Henley Management College for The
Royal Academy of Engineering, April 2006
[3]
John Prodger Recruitment is part of the
Jonathan
Lee Group of Companies. For a copy of the salary survey, visit
www.jprecruit.com
John Prodger Recruitment is well known as an established professional and executive recruitment agency focused on satisfying the needs of its Candidates and Clients in the Electronics, Defence, Aerospace, Medical Engineering, Rail and Manufacturing Industries, and a division of the Jonathan Lee Group of Companies.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence.
