When you are searching for an engineering professional to fill an open position, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of focusing on finding the “perfect” candidate. Unfortunately, the odds of finding someone who checks off every single item on your wish list is quite slim. The hard truth is this: There is no “perfect” candidate out there, and you may have to trade off on one or two wishes when it comes time to hire.  Perfectionism can stymie your process, and ultimately set you up for failure. Use these realistic strategies to help get you as close to perfect as possible for your next engineering hire.

Prioritize Your List of Criteria

The HR team and the supervisor of the role should get together and go over the list of criteria for the position. Prioritize those items from “must have” to “preferred, but not necessary.”  As you evaluate candidates, focus on those must-have qualities first, and then determine the areas where you feel comfortable making a trade. For example, if you’re asking for at least 10 years of experience and the best candidate has all of your other requirements but only has eight years of experience, consider making an exception.

Stick To Your Timeline

If you find a strong candidate early in your search, but you keep dragging out the process hoping your perfect employee will walk through the door, you’ll probably lose that strong candidate to a competitor. A streamlined hiring process is critical because candidates who are strung along will accept another offer if they haven’t heard from you or if you keep pushing your deadline back.

Shake Up Your Process

If you’re simply posting positions on your website or on job boards and hoping your perfect candidate will find you, you’ll never succeed in your search. Make sure that you are networking with both active and passive candidates on LinkedIn and social media platforms, that you have a presence with local professional groups and that you’re sending people to networking events. Recruiting is like dating – if you want to find a great match, you’ve got to put yourself out there.

Partner With Engineering Recruiting Experts

Overhauling your hiring process and shaking off the perfectionism mentality won’t happen overnight. If you want to broaden your pool of candidates and connect with top talent quickly, it pays to put an engineering recruiting expert on your team.  The recruiters at PEAK Technical Staffing USA are true experts in engineering talent acquisition who can help you streamline your approach while making stronger matches. No one can guarantee the perfect match, but PEAK can get you as close to perfect as possible. Contact PEAK today to learn more.

About PEAK

PEAK Technical Staffing is a leading provider of engineering staffing services, offering contract staffing, contract-to-hire and direct hire solutions throughout the United States. With nearly fifty years of technical recruiting experience, we find solutions that meet more than just your technical requirements.

We work closely with you to make sure that every candidate fits your company’s unique needs and culture. See some of the engineering jobs we have recently filled for our clients:

• Project Engineer / Designer (Inventor)
• Electrical PLC Designer
• R&D Engineer

If you are looking for skilled, experienced engineering professionals to help your business succeed, contact the recruiting experts at PEAK Technical Staffing today.